Take a Friend Fishing is Back! Take someone you know fishing for FREE this Christmas and New Year

Calling all Anglers – Take someone you know fishing for FREE between Saturday 20th December 2025 and Sunday 4th of January 2026!

Take a Friend Fishing (TAFF) offers more opportunity than ever to get out fishing with a friend. Even more weekends and opportunities for you to go fishing and create long-lasting friendships and memories are included during the upcoming winter holidays.

Existing fishing licence holders can register for a FREE one-day fishing licence from Natural Resources Wales / Environment Agency at www.takeafriendfishing.co.uk to take someone they know fishing.

The Winter holiday is a great time to unwind, be with friends and interact with the environment around us.

Taking a friend or family member on a fishing trip is a great way to spend time outdoors. Escaping modern life to build friendships, create lasting memories and just enjoy some time next to the water, is the ultimate in relaxation.

Get Involved with Angling This Winter

Make the most of Take a Friend Fishing this Winter, between Saturday 20th December 2025 and Sunday 4th January 2026 (inclusive).

Existing fishing licence holders can register for a FREE* one-day fishing licence at www.takeafriendfishing.co.uk and introduce a friend to fishing. *Please note, a day ticket or permission from the venue will be required.

With the pressures of modern life, physical health and mental wellbeing are more important than ever. The experience of a fishing trip together with a work colleague, family member, partner or just a mate, offers the ideal opportunity to unwind and recharge your battery, whilst being active at the same time.

Getting outside in the countryside is a great way to be together with family and friends and angling is the perfect fit for staying active outdoors, especially if you are staying in Wales this Winter.

There are many fisheries or angling clubs near to where you live that are perfect to visit for a catch-up with a friend during a quick TAFF trip together.

Registering for a free one-day fishing licence couldn’t be easier.

When TAFF registration goes live, simply select the date of your fishing trip, enter some basic information about you and your friend, and away you go! You can check TAFF social media for live registration announcements or find out more here.

The free fishing licence will be sent with a confirmation email, so please remember to have your fishing licence and both people’s email addresses plus a few other details handy when you pre-register to Take a Friend Fishing. Register for TAFF email news to get the latest information.

Take a Friend Fishing is an initiative run by Angling Trades Association and its members in association with the Environment Agency and supported by NRW, Defra, Angling Trust, Canal & River Trust and many angling and other organisations with a vested interest in angling, recreation, the environment and wellbeing.

Take a Friend Fishing opens up the world of angling to people from all age groups and communities, giving the opportunity for anglers and non-anglers alike, at all levels of ability, the chance to get into fishing or back into fishing after time away.

Thousands of people have registered to take part in Take a Friend Fishing since its launch and the 2025 programme offers several windows of opportunity to connect or reconnect with a pastime that anyone can enjoy.

We want even more people to get their backside bankside and Take a Friend Fishing to show them just how easy it is to get into angling and experience the benefits of time out in nature. To relax and engage with nature and the outdoors is a rewarding experience especially with a friend. With a free one-day fishing licence from the Environment Agency worth £7.30 for coarse and non-migratory trout.

You can find details of all rod licences and associated information here.

Andrew Race, Chairman of the Angling Trades Association (ATA), said:

“I am looking forward to the 2025/6 TAFF New Year’s window and the chance to get out on the water with friends. Take a Friend Fishing is making a difference, to the long-term development of angling recruitment. It makes angling accessible and enjoyable.”

Heidi Stone, Environment Agency Fisheries Partnerships Manager, commented:

“Fishing with family members or friends is a fantastic way to spend quality time together whilst also enjoying all that nature has to offer. Take a Friend Fishing is a brilliant campaign that allows anglers of all levels the ability to improve their skills or simply give fishing a try – and I’m proud to again be supporting this initiative that makes this great hobby more accessible for all.”