It seems likely that Cumbria/the Lake District will be inviting anglers from around the UK to visit and sample the fishing the county has to offer, for a week in mid-May next year. Cumbria Tourism, the Environment Agency, the county’s biggest angling club, Windermere, Ambleside and District AA, and myself, have been exploring what we could do to flag up the county’s angling resource and get people up here to sample it.

At this time of year trout fishing should be approaching its peak, but we’ve also got a lot of pike that will be piling on weight after spawning, so flyfishers for trout (and pike) and lure anglers after pike will be our main target audience. We’ve been having serious discussions about putting on a programme of masterclasses, workshops, beginners events, fishery tours and so on. What this won’t be is a country fair, in one fixed location – we want folk to put themselves about and see just what fabulous waters we have up here and fish them. With an economic downturn coming, a predominantly rural economy that depends on tourism, like Cumbria has, can do with all the help it can get,

A festival of this kind will provide an opportunity for members of forums like this to get together and participate, and it would be great to see lots of you guys come up here. Provisional date is the week commencing 16th May 2009. Any feedback about the basic idea, or indications of early interest will be gratefully received.

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cumbriafishingfestival.co.uk

Think that would be a great idea. The Wife loves the area but does not fish, could something be put on to keep the other halfs occupied while the men get down to the real work?

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It is in truth not glory,nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting,but for freedom - for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with his life.(Declaration of Arbroath, 1320)

Cumbria is so tourist friendly that there's loads of stuff to do without it necessarily being organised, but if you think a 'fishing widows' event needs organising I'll pass it on.

Ambleside, Bowness and Keswick are full of shops, the fells are full of footpaths, and visitor attractions are full of....visitors. What's your other half into?

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cumbriafishingfestival.co.uk

This sounds brilliant,hope it comes off

I'll be there if it goes ahead. I used to go to the John Norris week with my family and we've missed going for the last couple of years since the event was dropped.

As you suggest, we all went, I'd drop the wife & kids in Keswick/Ambleside/Windermere/Grasmere and I'd attend the event and met up with Hywel Morgan and Charles Jardine to name just a couple of our sport's ambassaders.

I have a few concerns though; May can be quite wet so proper parking is a must, you don't want images of peoples' cars being towed out by tractors. You'll recall Silverstone a few years ago. Also if the events are to be spread around and if there is to be a parking fee, then I'd suggest an all day ticket valid at all venues. If Free Parking can be arranged, all the better. The last time I was in Cumbria the lack of free parking was all to evident, even small spaces seemed to have pay and display machines which seemed intrusive in the fells.

You shouldn't have much trouble getting the tackle companies involved. I'd suggest you get in touch with the Angling Trust asap which will be looking for events to promote itself after it comes into existance in January next year, hopefully they won't be pinning all their hopes on Go Fishing which has become too expensive for a day out and just a tacklefest.

Have you considered getting in touch with Steve Cooper who organises the BFFI show at Trentham Gardens?

Finally, put a thread on the Events section of this Forum (and all the others) and keep them updated with details of who's going to be there and what's on
Best regards

Thanks for all this. Appreciated. More in due course.

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cumbriafishingfestival.co.uk