Hooked On a Feeling: Fishing with the St Andrews Angling Club

The Saint spent an afternoon on the water with some of Fife's most passionate anglers

Fishing is one of Britain’s most popular pastimes. In fact, each year approximately 1.5 million adults in the UK go fishing in some capacity. With its positive impact on physical and mental health, benefits for concentration, and sociability, it’s easy to understand the sport’s popularity. 

The Saint made the four-mile trip from St Andrews to Cameron Reservoir for an afternoon of fishing with the town’s very own Angling Club. Graeme Beveridge, a lifelong angler and longstanding St Andrews Angling Club member, kindly showed us the ropes. 

“I’d often come here after work, or at the weekends, for some proper fresh air,” Beveridge said. Fishing acts as the antidote to the dusty conditions of his career in chemical production plants across Fife. “It’s partly the excitement of catching the fish, but as much as anything, it’s the relaxation and time spent in the fresh air.” 

“It’s the peace being on the water that I love,” Derek, another club member, added. “I don’t even mind whether I catch something or not.”

The sport involves casting a specially weighted line with an artificial fly to imitate the insects that fish feed on. 

“First is the casting,” Beveridge explained. “You’re looking to accelerate the rod smoothly to a firm stop.” 

It was certainly not as easy as the seasoned angler made it look, but by the end of the afternoon, I had at least a level of competency. You know when you’ve cast well, and it is immensely satisfying.

An afternoon on the water was extremely relaxing. Shared activity and a tranquil common goal allowed the conversations to meander and stories to ramble on. We were also happy to sit in silence, enjoying the stillness, then the rain, and then the snow. 

After returning to the club’s hut empty-handed, Beveridge cheerily reminded us over a cup of tea that “it’s called fishing — not catching.”

However, if, like us, your return to dry land is fish-less, you still leave with something: Studies have shown that angling provides many mental health benefits, with positive effects on mood and overall emotional wellbeing.

Despite the numerous benefits of the sport, Beveridge explained that participation amongst young people has been in decline.

“It is difficult to encourage younger people to get into the sport,” Beveridge said. “It definitely should be a sport for young people, but everyone is on electronics nowadays.”

We talked about the common misconceptions about the sport, such as it being overly time-consuming or one which is only for the older generation. Keen to pass on his passion, Beveridge is teaching his nine-year-old granddaughter to fly fish.

Perhaps what Beveridge had framed as the biggest ‘challenge’ to youth participation could in fact be the sport’s perfect bait. In the three hours we had been at the reservoir, I hadn’t once thought about my phone, and I certainly hadn’t used it. Could getting into a new kind of reel drag us away from phone addiction?

Cameron Reservoir is accessible by bus, car, or bike from St Andrews and offers a student membership at £80 for the March 2026-27 season. Day permits are also available. For more information, visit the St Andrews Angling Club website.

To watch Freddie Coughlin’s day at Cameron Reservoir, see ‘Bursting the Bubble’ on The Saint’s Instagram page, @thesaintsta.

Illustration by Ramona Kirkham