Welcome

to the Take a Friend Fishing initiative

Spring 2026
3rd April to19th April

A fantastic opportunity to experience angling! Get together with a friend or family member to go on a fishing trip and start a new hobby. It’s the ideal way to relax, enjoy nature and the great outdoors together.

Take a Friend Fishing is an initiative brought to you by Angling Trades Association and Environment Agency. It is designed to give more people the chance to give fishing a try by allowing a licensed angler to take an unlicensed angler fishing for a specified day*

** IMPORTANT: A closed season is in operation on rivers in England and Wales from March 15th to June 15th inclusive. No coarse fishing should take place in rivers / streams and some drains and other waters during this TAFF window. You’ll need to consider a canal or stillwater during this TAFF. Ensure you check all bylaws of your chosen fishery in advance. **

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*Registration is required for TAFF campaign. Only available during a registration window. The named unlicensed angler must be be accompanied by the named licensed angler on the date the licence states. The one-day licence must be with you on the day for checking and all information must be correct. No alterations are allowed – please re-register if any details are incorrect. Licensed angler can only take the same unlicensed angler fishing on a TAFF one-day licence three days a year (one licence per day).

Licenced anglers, get a FREE one-day fishing licence to share your love of fishing with a friend

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Take a Friend Fishing one-day licence only includes the licence to hold and use a rod, but not where – you’ll need to take care of that! You must check the rod licence rules and local byelaws at  www.gov.uk/freshwater-rod-fishing-rules before you go fishing.

There are loads of fisheries, lakes and canals open all over the country that are perfect to visit and share with a friend. Just make sure you have permission to do so!

Note: Make sure you check for close season for coarse fish on rivers – see our FAQs

If you need help finding somewhere near you to Take a Friend Fishing, our Regional Participation Team are available to help you find the perfect place to fish.

Places to Fish Help Finding a place

Club, Fishery or Trade? Get Involved!

If your club, fishery or shop want to get involved and share an offer for one-day Take a Friend Fishing licence holders, get in touch!

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Supporters
& Offers

View the current offers and supporters here for TAFF here. It changes per campaign!

See Offers

Contact
& Help

Please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions section for help. But for other enquiries please visit our contact page below.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about the Take a Friend Fishing campaign and guidance on registering. If you need more assistance go to our contact page.

Take a Friend Fishing was relaunched in 2020 and since then over 9,000 people have taken part – this partnership initiative is designed to give more people the chance to get into fishing. This year’s campaign aims to get even more people back out by the waterside. The initiative will show people it’s still just as easy to get into angling, especially with a friend to show you how, and a free on-day fishing licence from the Environment Agency usually worth £7.30 (…and £13.50 for salmon and sea trout when allowed!)

Here’s three great reasons…
1] The holidays are a fantastic opportunity to get outdoors and enjoy some time next to the water. Taking a friend or family member for a fishing trip is the ideal opportunity to spend time outdoors and escape your screens this holiday.

2] Getting outside in the countryside is a great way to be with family and friends and angling is the perfect fit for staying active outdoors.

3] With physical activity playing a vital role in both our health and mental wellbeing, a fishing trip with a mate or family member means you can stay active, and fish safely following guidelines on the Angling Trust website.

Use #takeafriendfishing to share your Take a Friend Fishing pics of you and friends fishing together.
Facebook: @TakeAFriendFishingTAFF

At this time of year there are loads of fisheries, lakes and canals open all over the country that are perfect to visit, and a catch-up with a friend can easily be combined with a quick ‘Take a Friend Fishing trip’, some even do offers with our licence.

Spring Take a Friend Fishing dates coincide with the annual close season for coarse fish on rivers, so you need to consider a canal or stillwater for your fishing adventure in that period.

‘Close seasons’ are times of the year when you can’t fish for some types of fish on certain types of water. For example, you cannot fish for coarse fish on any river in England and Wales on 15th March right up until 15th June.

You might be able to fish for salmon, brown trout and rainbow trout on some rivers during the coarse fish close season on rivers using certain types of lures and baits – local fishing byelaws to check what you can do in your area and remember too that some privately owned bodies of water can have their own close seasons.

If you are new to fishing and want to try it during Take a Friend Fishing, but are confused by this, the best thing to do is ask the angler you are going with, and make sure you both understand what the close season on rivers mean – it’s all explained here on the Environment Agency website.

Due to its massive success since 2020, Take a Friend Fishing continues! The next Take a Friend Fishing campaign will take place in spring 2026 3rd April to 19th April.

Yes. You both have to have a working email address. This offer is only available online via this web page. You cannot register anywhere else. The free one-day fishing licence can only be issued by email. Both you and your friend need a separate email address and it must be working. This is a condition of the offer and there is no other offer or alternative available. If you or your friend need to get an email it’s quick and easy to get one free by using a service such as Gmail from Google – using this example it takes less than 5 minutes to setup a free Gmail email address here at www.accounts.google.com/signup – of course, other free email services are available!

You’ll receive an email with your free licence. You need to bring a copy with you on your phone or printed so that you can show it to any Environment Agency Officer, Fishery Owner or Club/Syndicate Bailiff if requested. You’ll also both be asked for Identification and the full licence holder will need to show their in-date licence.

Please DO not contact any of the Regional Contact people on this website – they are not technical support and will not be able to help – go to the technical help form on our contact page and please include your most accessible telephone number. You might not receive a reply immediately – it can take 48hours.

If you did not receive your free one-day fishing licence email it is because of email or email/server settings. Firstly please check your junk or spam box. Then the most common issue is caused by not entering your own or your friend’s email correctly. Check that you have both the email addresses right. If needed please reapply and double check your entry.

Issues with email accounts are beyond our control and you might need to check your inbox or contact your internet service provider. We cannot help with your email settings, how your service provider manages emails or emails not arriving. Angling Trades Association is not responsible for problems caused by confirmation emails not arriving.

Take a Friend Fishing is an Angling Trades Association initiative in association with Environment Agency, supported by the Angling Trust and the Canals & River Trust. The Angling Trades Association (ATA) is the voice of the British Angling industry, aiming to unite the industry, promote and protect our loved sport. The ATA represents angling manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, fisheries, publishers, and distributors. www.anglingtradesassociation.com. The Environment Agency funds the Angling Trust to provide more opportunities for people to go fishing and encourage sales of rod fishing licences. Money from rod fishing licence sales is spent on improving fisheries habitat and angling infrastructure through projects like the Angling Improvement Fund and Fisheries Improvement Programme

The TAFF campaign focuses on making it as easy as possible for an existing angler to take someone they know fishing which helps to introduce thousands of people to fishing each year. Find out more at www.anglingtrust.net, www.canalrivertrust.org.uk and www.anglingtradesassociation.com

You normally need a valid Environment Agency rod fishing licence if you are aged 13 or over and fish for salmon, trout, freshwater fish, smelt or eel in England (except the River Tweed), Wales, and the Border Esk and its tributaries in Scotland. An annual fishing licence only costs £35.80 for up to 2 rods to fish for coarse fish & trout. For a salmon and sea trout licence it’s £90.40. Concessionary, short term and three rod coarse fishing licences are also available. Visit www.gov.uk/fishing-licences/buy-a-fishing-licence to buy one online. www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment-agency Income from licence sales helps fund a range of activities, read the Environment Agency’s annual fisheries report to find out more.

Have you heard about National Fishing Month?

During National Fishing Month each Summer there are loads of fishing events going on across the UK. Events covering coarse, game and sea angling will be available for anglers of all ages and abilities. Give fishing a try and ignite your passion for angling this summer! #NationalFishingMonthUK

Find out more

A FREE one-day fishing licence for licensed anglers to share with a friend.
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