We care passionately for our rivers here at Sportfish, and part of our mission is to preserve them for future generations. It is why for many years we’ve been financially supporting and promoting our chosen national conservation charities (the Wild Trout Trust, the Atlantic Salmon Trust and the Angling Trust). It’s why in 2024 we added two local river conservation organisations that are close to our Sportfish stores (Action for the River Kennet for our Theale store and the Wye & Usk Foundation for our Winforton one). It’s why last year in July we launched Sportfish Rivers Month and it’s why this July we’ll be doing it again, only bigger and better.
Get involved this July and help make a difference to the rivers we love!
Here's what you'll find below to help educate and assist:
- What you can do to get involed
- Share/print our PDF toolkit
- Enter our social media competition
- Enjoy a beer that fights river polution
- Explore our supported charities
- Purchase an Anglers Against pollution supporters pack
UK RIVERS IN CRISIS
Sewage, chemical road run off, pollution from factory farming, habitat loss are all combining to destroy what we hold dear. The Rivers Trust advised the Government in 2025 that 0% of England’s rivers are in good overall health. Not a single one. Many of us have been campaigning for decades. There’s now growing momentum in voices and organisations fighting for change. As anglers, we have a duty as custodians of our rivers. Throughout the year we promote all things river conservation related, and in July we’ll be encouraging our staff, customers, suppliers and partners to do something, however small, that can help make difference. For a more detailed picture, please read our article 'Saving Our Precious English Chalkstreams'.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED IN SPORTFISH RIVERS MONTH
- Support or volunteer for a day with our chosen charities (see later)
Most of the charities we support run volunteering days, everything from litter picking to habitat improvement. Even if you can’t spend a day helping them, support them in any way you can. - Find your local river organisation and join one of their volunteer activities
Use your preferred search engine to find one that near you, it’s a great way of helping improve your local community and meeting like-minded people. - Just get out on your local river for 15 minutes or even a few hours and help clean it up however you can
Grab your partner, kids, friends and do some riverbank litter picking (make sure you have permission to be on the land or in the river and take precautions to stay safe - rivers can be dangerous). If you’re part of an angling club you can order free river litter picking kits from one of our charity partners Anglers Against Litter here - Be active on your social channels about why & how we need to improve the health of our rivers
Help make some noise about the state of our rivers and encourage others to do the same. - Save water at home & be careful of the chemicals that go down your sink (small changes all add up to reduce pressure on our rivers)
The water we use in our homes is often taken from rivers or their sources, so the amount we use can affect how much is left for wildlife. Shorter showers, using a washing up bowl, and swapping your hose for a watering can are all good ways to keep the flow going. Watch what you put down the drain too, as harsh chemicals can escape into the environment through leaky pipes and storm overflows. - Keep biosecurity in mind – Check, Clean, Dry
When you spend time around rivers, diseases and invasive species can hitch a ride on your clothing and equipment. To stop them spreading, remember to Check (remove plants, mud, and critters on site), Clean (especially nooks and crannies), and Dry (ideally in sunshine) all your kit before visiting other watercourses. - Take Part in the 'Make Waves: Chalkstream Conservation Day'
On Fri 17th July support Sportfish Rivers Month with this event organised by Fishing Breaks, where you can join their Head River Keeper on the River Test - reserve a spot at the event here. - Contribute to a July river health check
Find out more about Angling Trust's latest "Anglers Against Pollution" campaign and take part - download the anglers pack PDF here.
GRAB YOUR FREE PDF TOOLKIT
Our toolkit for anglers, clubs and communities is available in PDF for saving on your device, printing out and sharing via email or social media!
IT'S COMPETITION TIME: MAKE SOME NOISE & ENTER VIA SOCIAL MEDIA
However you get involved this July in helping our rivers, we want you to shout about it. Please post all your photos and videos on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok using #SportfishRiversMonth so we can make a collective noise.
In August the Sportfish team will look through all posts with #SportfishRiversMonth and award prizes* for what we feel are the best entries:
- 1st place = New Sage Arrow fly rod of your choice
- 2nd place = A day's fishing for one rod on the river Test or Itchen, courtesy of Fishing Breaks
- 3rd place = £200 Sportfish gift voucher
- Bonus over 18 prize = a year of free beer courtesy of Freedom Brewery
* Please note our decision is final, winning vouchers must be used within 1 month of issue, are only valid online and are not transferable. Fishing Breaks prize must be taken in 2026. 4 cases (48 x 330ml cans of Freedom River lager) delivered every 3 months.
Freedom Brewery is an independent, sustainable brewery based in Staffordshire. All its beer is made with 100% British ingredients, and they use water from their own spring just beneath the brewery - never traveling more than half a mile and returning through a natural reed bed.
DRINK THE BEER THAT FIGHTS RIVER POLLUTION
If you’re unable to physically get involved this July, you can still help improve our rivers…by drinking some of this beer (provided you’re over 18 years old of course).
Freedom River is their premium British lager created in partnership with the Angling Trust's Anglers Against Pollution campaign, a donation to which is made with every can of Freedom River sold!
Join The Rivers Trust and environment groups in demanding the Water Reform Bill protects and restores rivers by adding your voice to the Clean Water Now Campaign
OUR ENVIRONMENTAL CHARITIES
We are proud to actively support the below charities and their efforts to help the conservation of our rivers and fish:
Action for the River Kennet (ARK)
Protecting & improving the river kennet & its tributaries.
Wild Trout Trust
Inspiring and helping everyone to protect wild trout and their habitat.
Anglers Against Pollution is a campaign from the Angling Trust that we’ve been supporting for a while (Anglers Against Pollution - Angling Trust). Watch Jim Murray, famous actor and founder of Activist Anglers, talking about protecting our rivers for the 2023 Sportfish Spring Spectacular below!
When on the rivers, it’s really important that you report anything unusual related to river pollution. If people don’t know about it then they can’t deal with it. Here’s Jim Murray again below, on how to report a pollution incident.
Sportfish also sells this supporters pack, which contains an enamel badge, car sticker and tackle box sticker, with 100% of the profits going to the Angling Trust!
So this July please get involved however you can to help the health of our rivers. Together we can make a difference.
On top of the positive health and wellbeing benefits that can come from just supporting a good cause, actually just being by a river is incredibly therapeutic in itself, as our friends at WTT wrote about 'Finding the Flow: Blue Spaces and Mental Health'.
And don’t forget to use #SportfishRiversMonth when posting your content!
