Keep clear of 15 miles of the Shroppie

THE part of the Shropshire Union Canal around Market Drayton will be a definite no-no for boaters during a day in August, as the national angling championships will be taking place.

There will be 50 teams of 10 anglers each, totalling 500 altogether taking over a massive 15 miles stretch of waterway on Saturday 19th August, we understand with Market Drayton as its centre. There will also be practice matches beforehand.

Not the place for boating

It is not known whether boaters will be prevented from using the waterway or not, but with the possibility of 500 anglers glaring at you as you pass, it will obviously not be the best place to go boating.

This event is the largest in the angling calendar and the first time it has been hosted entirely on the Shropshire Union Canal with 50 teams, each fielding ten anglers.

Volunteers and officials

Dozens of volunteers and angling club officials will be helping to marshal and organise the competition. The winning team will be the club with the greatest number of points at the end of the contest. Prizes include coveted trophies and medals for the top three teams and most successful individual with the highest weight.

The national championship has a long and distinguished history dating back to the first All England angling contest in 1906. The National Federation of Anglers was established in 1903 and the sport grew hugely in popularity. However it wasn’t until 1937 that a canal was selected as the venue for the national competition and then for a second time in 1963. Since then a total of 66 national angling championships have taken place on canals, hosting matches in six different divisions.