Britain’s biggest canal angling competition, the Canal Pairs Championship, is once again being held along the nation’s waterways, with Wales, Scotland and Ireland also included alongside English canal venues.

The 2016 event was a great success and proved really popular with anglers from across the country and I’m expecting 2017 event to be just as big a success.”

David Kent, chair of Angling Trust Competitions said: “The 2016 event was our biggest yet and it was great to see club and open anglers from across the country of all ages taking part. Canal fishing is a great branch of the sport and I’m sure this year’s championship will help inspire even more people to get involved and give it a try.”

Canal Pairs Championship Dates and venues for 2017

Saturday 1 July 2017 – Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Liverpool & District Angling Society
Saturday 15 July 2017 – Forth & Clyde Canal, Scottish Federation for Coarse Angling
Sunday 16 July 2017 – Basingstoke Canal, Basingstoke Canal Angling Association
Saturday 29 July 2017 – Grand Union Canal (Aylesbury Arm), The Tring Anglers
Sunday 30 July 2017 – Newry Canal, Edenderry Angling club
Saturday 5 August 2017 – Shropshire Union Canal Soudley, Hodnet Angling Club
Sunday 13 August 2017 – Shropshire Union Bretton to Audlem, Hodnet Angling Club
Sunday 20 August 2017 – Kennet & Avon Canal, Reading & District Angling Association
Monday 28 August 2017 – Aire & Calder Canal, Boothferry Joint Angling Committee
Saturday 2 September 2017 – New Junction Canal, Doncaster Angling Association
Sunday 3 September 2017 -Trent & Mersey Canal, Pride of Derby Angling Association
Sunday 10 September 2017 – Gloucester & Sharpness Canal, Winget Angling Club
Sunday 24 September 2017 – Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal, Wombourne Wolverhampton Angling Association
Saturday 30 September 2017 – Grand Union Canal, Northampton Nene Angling Club
Saturday 7 October 2017 – Llangollen Canal, Whixall Hodnet Angling Club
Sunday 8 October 2017 – Trent & Mersey Canal Middlewich, Middlewich Angling club

Grand Final and National Junior Canal Championship:

Saturday 21 October 2017 – Erewash Canal, Long Eaton Victoria Angling Society

To find out more about the Canal Pairs Championships go to www.anglingtrust.net

Organised by ourselves in partnership with the Angling Trust, the Championship’s regional qualifying heats are being held in Wales, Scotland and Ireland as well as 13 heats across England. Once again competitors will score points based on the weight of fish they catch. Up to five pairs in each heat will go through to the grand final which, together with the National Junior Canal Championship, will be held on the Erewash Canal on Saturday 21 October 2017.

You can apply for tickets from 13 March 2017 at 9.00am via the Angling Trust’s new online booking system at a cost of £40.00 per pair per qualifier.

Prize money for the 2017 competition final, which is subject to entry, could total up to £16,000 between the top four pairs.

John Ellis, national fisheries and angling manager for the Canal & River Trust comments: “The aim of the competition is to inspire match anglers to experience the great fishing that can be found on their local canal.