Angling is one of the most popular sports in the country. Long-time angler Nigel Phillips, of Stroud Angling Club, wanted more people to know why so many people are hooked on the past-time, so he sent in this report to The Local Answer to explain the sport’s appeal

A fishing rod was once described by the essayist Samuel Johnson as a fool on one end and a worm on the other.

In the 21st century the majority of anglers rarely use a rod; the weapon of choice being a pole made from high-tech carbon fibre with a fixed length of line attached to elastic which provides a shock absorber.

In Johnson’s day the art of angling primarily related to catching fish to eat. That is no longer the case today, the primary aim is competitive with thousands of local and national clubs scattered throughout the United Kingdom and Europe.

In which other sport can you compete against world champions for the price of a modest £15 entry fee?

Gloucester has its own First Division team in Daiwa Gordon League who have also represented England in the World Club Championships. They are based appropriately enough in Hempsted at the Gordon League club.

The team, or one the members, often take premier position in most matches held on the Gloucester canal and have a dedicated squad of anglers who fish many of the national team and individual events across the country.

Nationally, thousands of anglers travel the length and breadth of the country and Europe fishing local, national and international competitions often for large sums of money – as much as £25,000 to £100,000 in the UK.

Gloucestershire has a rich history of top flight anglers including a world champion under-18 angler from the Forest of Dean – Sam Hughes, who won the title in 2013.

The county also boasts a multiple England World Team Champion from Cirencester – Kim Milsom – along with the many local anglers travelling and fishing national and International competitons annually.

So what makes Gloucestershire a match anglers proving ground?

Many describe the Gloucester-Sharpness canal as one of the hardest nuts to crack competitively and as such the venue hosts trials for England international teams as well as many local clubs and national competitions.

In recent years it has played host to the UK round of one of Europe’s biggest Angling Club competitions – the Sensas Challenge. Forty teams generally compete in this event coming from all over the country plus some from Europe, Scotland, Northern and Southern Ireland, The Channel Islands, France and Belgium, hoping for the chance to represent their club and country in the grand final held in France.

Angling seems to be a ‘hidden’ sport in the United Kingdom despite the England team winning more internationals than almost any sport. They don’t have huge sponsorship deals and the team members have to fund much of their own equipment, travel, bait and hotel expenses.

This dedication to their sport is reflected in the commitment to fishing in all weathers. Carp anglers can often be seen camping for days on end, not just in the summer months but throughout the winter in freezing temperatures with snow on the ground.

You can enjoy the sport as a member of a club, an individual, a team member, a specimen angler (targeting the biggest or record-breaking fish) or just as a means of getting away from the hustle and bustle of life, watching the world and wildlife pass you by.

Indeed I knew a person who went fishing without ever using bait or catching a fish; he just liked to sit and contemplate life in the open countryside!