Competitors will score points based on the weight of fish they catch with up to six pairs in each heat - dependent on entries per heat - going through to the grand final on Saturday 20 October 2018. The final will be held at Stafford with pegs on both the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal and Trent & Mersey Canal. The National Junior Canal Championship will also take place on the same day on the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal.

Applications for tickets will open in the New Year via the Angling Trust’s online booking system www.anglingtrustevents.net at a cost of £40 per pair per qualifier. Further details will be announced in the New Year on how to enter.

The potential grand final prize pot is £16,000, dependent on all sixteen heats selling out – with the prize money split between the top four pairs.

John Ellis, national fisheries and angling manager for the Canal & River Trust said: “Our canals offer fantastic angling, even in the most urban areas. They’re packed with fish, freely accessible and a great place to unwind and clear your mind so we want to inspire more people to give them a go.

“These championships are a really good way of doing just that and are growing in popularity each year. The 2018 event promises to be an exciting one, with anglers across the UK and Ireland invited to show us what they can do.

“We hope to see lots of entries but, if match fishing isn’t your thing, then your local canal still has plenty to offer.”

David Kent, Chair of Angling Trust Competitions said; “This competition goes from strength-to-strength and I think a key reason for this is that new venues are introduced every year thus keeping the event fresh.”

James Lewis, Competitions Development Manager of the Angling Trust commented “It’s great to see canal fishing coming back to the top of the match fishing calendar.  We’ve worked carefully with the Canal & River Trust and local clubs to identify and organise new matches on sections of canal that are going to produce plenty of bites and exceptional matches.”

The dates, venues and host clubs for the qualifiers and the final are listed below:

• Saturday 23 June – Shropshire Union Canal, Soudley, Hodnet Angling Club         
• Sunday 24 June – Gloucester & Sharpness Canal
• Sunday 8 July – Edenderry Grand Canal, Offely
• Saturday 14 July – Forth & Clyde Canal
• Saturday 28 July - Shropshire Union Canal, Shebdon, Hodnet Angling Club - NEW
• Sunday 29 July – Aire & Calder, Altofts, Mirfield Angling Club - NEW
• Saturday 4 August – Rochdale Canal, Todmorden, Todmorden Angling Society
• Sunday 5 August – Grand Union Canal, Luton Angling Club and The Tring Anglers - NEW
• Sunday 12 August – Grand Union Canal, Foxton, Wellingborough and District Nene Angling Club - NEW
• Saturday 18 August – Grand Union Canal, Small Heath, Cornerstone Angling Club - NEW
• Sunday 2 September – Grand Union Canal, Loughborough, Quorn Angling Society
• Sunday 9 September – Leeds Liverpool Canal, Wigan, Wigan District Angling Association
• Saturday 22 September – Trent & Mersey Canal, Rugeley, Coors Angling Club
• Sunday 23 September - Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal, Penkridge, Wolverhampton Angling Association
• Saturday 29 September – Llangollen Canal, Whixall, Hodnet Angling Club
• Saturday 29 September – Kennet & Avon Canal, Devizes, Devizes Angling Club

Grand Final and National Junior Canal Championship:

• Saturday 20 October – Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal and Trent & Mersey Canal

Source: Canal and River Trust Fishing News