Fishing casts off old image to lure in young

But professional angler Clive Poole says he is seeing more and more children and teenagers taking up angling.

He says it is now seen as trendy by youngsters because they can buy cool clothing and state-of-the-art fishing equipment.

Some are also being lured into taking their fishing seriously due to big prize money which can be won at matches.

Mr Poole, aged 27, from Walsall Wood, runs a pool in Burntwood and turned to professional angling after being made redundant as a builder. He now travels all over the country to take part in lucrative matches.

He said: "I run a pool and I have seen more and more children come to the pool to fish over the last year or so.

"From what I am seeing and what they are telling me they have turned to fishing instead of playing sports such as football.

"It is seen as quite a trendy sport and there is a lot of cool clothing they can go out and buy with their pocket money. Some of the equipment now is also very smart and state-of-the-art and they compete with their mates to see who can get the best gear.

"I turned professional last year when I was made redundant as a builder and I do make a decent living out of competing in the matches.

There is prize money running into thousands of pounds at these events.

"It is certainly becoming more glamorous than it has been in the past.

"Fishing is a fantastic sport and I am really pleased it is taking off in such a big way."

Paul Beckett, aged 58, who is co-owner of Coppice Lane Pools in Hammerwich with Mr Poole, said there had been a big increase in young people and adults interested in the sport and numbers of users at the pools had trebled in the last four years. He said they were looking to take on a specialist to teach children and wanted to develop their facilities to allow more schools groups to use the pools and learn about fishing.

He said: "Fishing is the biggest participation sport in the country and from the youngsters' point of view, if they have got something to do which they really enjoy then they will spend hours doing it.

"They end up better men for it, as they are out in the fresh air and it helps them to appreciate wildlife as well. One of the youngsters who has taken up fishing is 10-year-old Mitchell Bullock, a pupil at St James Primary School in Brownhills.

He has been fishing for about six months after becoming interested through Mr Poole who is his uncle.

He said: "It's really good and you get to learn about lots of different stuff when you are doing it and it teaches you about wildlife as well.

"The biggest fish I have caught was a carp. I've been out in the rain and the sunshine and I just enjoy doing it whenever I can."