About WSTAA

The Welsh Salmon & Trout Angling Association (WSTAA) is the governing body for international game angling and official game angling competitions in Wales.

• Internationally recognised by the C.I.P.S Sport Angling Confederation, affiliated with F.I.P.S Mouche, and a member of the UK International Fly Fishing Association (IFFA).
• Affiliated with, and working closely alongside, the Angling Trust — the National Governing Body for angling.
• A democratic organisation based on angling clubs and regional structures, managed by angling club representatives.
• Represented on many fishery committees, and on major UK angling organisations including the Moran Committee.
• Linked with most national angling governing bodies worldwide.
• Organised two major World Fly Fishing Championships and the 2002 Commonwealth Championship in Wales.

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 — Welsh anglers and angling clubs were then isolated and divided, so the WFFA was formed. It became the WSTAA in 1978.

Since its inception the WFFA sought to improve the lot of angling clubs, and in 1967 its report on the Survival of Welsh Angling Clubs resulted in grant aid from the Welsh Office — enabling Welsh angling clubs to halt the "cheque book invasion", as the practice of purchasing fishing rights by outside interests was then described.

Over the years WSTAA has produced papers on subjects including pollution and the law, the problems of barrages, poaching in Wales, the problem of brown trout in the acidic waters of Welsh rivers, and stocking policy. It has financially supported projects such as the Usk Barrage and buying out Greenland nets, and promoted a special seminar on Objective One with influential speakers from Ireland.

WSTAA was heavily involved in the Net Limitation Exercise, spending over £20,000 on the Public Enquiry in 1982, and again on the same issue in 1995, anxious that salmon and sewin are given a fair chance to return to the rivers of Wales. Recent years have been busy with National Byelaws, the Legislative Group, Devolution and the Welsh Assembly, and review of the Environment Agency. WSTAA celebrated its half-century in 2002.

In more recent times WSTAA became affiliated with the Angling Trust, who have significant representation in Wales — nearly all freshwater game angling clubs are Angling Trust or Fish Legal members — thanks to their track record on environmental issues and angling promotion, including Fishing in Wales, an initiative funded by the Welsh Government bodies NRW and Visit Wales.

The Angling Trust's core ethos aligns with our own on the many threats facing Welsh angling today — access, pollution, predation, migratory fish decline and more. WSTAA remains keenly involved with these issues, but our primary focus is game angling competition delivery, with the Angling Trust and Fish Legal handling the "politics" on our behalf, including club insurance and legal matters.

WSTAA has a long and distinguished history in game fishing. Angling Trust and Fish Legal now cover Welsh clubs against pollution and legal matters arising within their clubs, so WSTAA's primary focus remains Game Angling Competition delivery.

We organise and run all major fly fishing competitions in Wales — including all team trials for the Ladies, Disabled, Seniors, Youth, Rivers, Bank, World, Commonwealth and European Internationals — and host all international events when they're held in Wales.

We're internationally recognised as the Game Angling Competition body in Wales by the CIPS Confederation and FIPS Mouche, the International Sport Fly Fishing Federation, and the International Fly Fishing Association (IFFA).

Why not give it a go and enter a trial this season? Next year you could become a Welsh International angler with your very first Welsh Cap!

See open trial forms →