What is the Welsh Salmon & Trout Angling Association (WSTAA)
It is the Governing Body for Game Angling and Game Angling Competitions in Wales
It is internationally recognised by the C.I.P.S Sport Angling Confederation and affiliated with F.I.P.S Mouche
It is affiliated with and works closely with the Angling Trust, the National Governing Body for angling.
It is a democratic organisation based on angling clubs & regional structures.
It is managed by angling club representatives.
It has representatives on many Fishery Committees.
It is managed by an executive committee with members drawn from all the Welsh regions
It has about one hundred clubs in membership
It has Sports Council recognition and representation.
It has representation on major angling organisation in the U.K. including the Moran Committee
It has links with most national angling governing bodies world over.
It has organised two major World Fly Fishing Championships and the 2002 Commonwealth championship in Wales
History Of The WSTAA
The Welsh Fly Fishing Association (WFFA) was founded in 1952.Prominent Welsh Anglers of the day were conscious of the need for a National Body to represent game angling interests in the Principality.The Welsh anglers and angling clubs were then isolated and divided. Thus the WFFA was formed.(Changed to WSTAA in 1978.)
Since its inception the WFFA sought to improve the lot of the angling clubs and in 1967 its report on the Survival of Welsh Angling Clubs resulted in grant aid being made by the Welsh Office and this enabled Welsh angling clubs to halt the ‘Cheque Book’ invasion as the practice of purchasing fishing rights by outside interests was then described.
From time to time WSTAA has produced papers on subjects such as Pollution and the Law;The Problems of Barrages; Poaching in Wales; Problem of the Brown trout in Acidic waters of Welsh Rivers, To stock or Not to Stock, Objective One, Sewin.
WSTAA has financially supported projects such as the Usk Barrage, Buying out of Greenland Nets. It promoted a special Seminar on Objective One and got influential speakers from Ireland.
The WSTAA has been involved in the Net Limitation Exercise spending over £20,000 pounds on the Public Enquiry in 1982 and again spent a lot of time on the same issue in 1995.The WSTAA is anxious that salmon and sewin are given a fair chance to return to the rivers of Wales .The recent years have been exceptionally busy with the National Byelaws, The Legislative Group, Devolution and Welsh Assembly and the Review of the Environment Agency all demanding time and effort. The year 2001 was an exceptionally difficult one yet but with the help of the Welsh Assembly the clubs were compensated for their losses. The WSTAA celebrate its half century of in 2002 and with the Objective One money now pouring into the Welsh fishing scene the Welsh anglers will have something to sing about.
When the WFFA was first formed in 1952 the aim was to safeguard the interest of Welsh anglers and it is to its credit that it has succeeded in doing just that along the years.
In more recent times WSTAA became affiliated with The Angling Trust, who have a significant representation in Wales; nearly all freshwater game angling clubs are Angling Trust or Fish Legal members, thanks to their proven track record of delivery, particularly on environmental issues and recently angling promotion, in the form of ‘Fishing In Wales’ a successful initiative funded by The Welsh Government bodies NRW and Visit Wales.
The Angling Trust core ethos aligns with our own, with a proven capability when it comes to tackling the many threats besetting Welsh angling today, including access, pollution, predation, migratory fish decline and much more. WSTAA is still keenly involved with these issues, but our primary focus remains on game angling competition delivery, with The Angling Trust and Fish Legal handling the ‘politics’ on our behalf, with cover provided by AT/FL for individual club insurance, combating pollution and legal matters.
