John Wilson....

[Puzzled]

Wilson is a legend! He brought angling into non-anglers' living rooms, made it interesting with his knowledge of the natural world, and is a genuine all-rounder. I like the simplicity of his fishing, and fact that his shows aren't a 30-minute advert.

 

I really like his infectious laugh - a reminder that fishing is about enjoying yourself rather than gritting your teeth in a blind attempt to catch the biggest carp in the lake, even if it takes 5 years...

 

I couldn't agree more Anderoo, he has been the pioneer of TV fishing in this country (OK Jack Hargreaves fans, I hear you, but Jack was not JUST a fisherman).

 

JW's only problem was those dodgy shorts he was frequently filmed in when he did a lot of his overseas stuff. They were bordering on the obscene!

[Anderoo]

JW's only problem was those dodgy shorts he was frequently filmed in when he did a lot of his overseas stuff. They were bordering on the obscene!

 

Good point! Especially when saying 'That was a bit hairy'

[lutra]

JW's ok its that Keith Arthur I can't stand (big mouth, puddle fishing, fool).

[Papa Lazarou]

Hmm but Hayes and Brown come across as genuine guys - you could imagine a glass or two and a friendly chat. Wilson talks to his ghillies like crap and comes across as a miserable old goat...I think that manic laugh is a bit fake...

 

 

I don,t mind him as any fishing on the box is better than none, however i also have noticed that he is a bit blunt and disrespectful( probably unintentionally) of some of the local guides/helpers on his trips to the gambia etc..

[peter mccue]

I don,t mind him as any fishing on the box is better than none, however i also have noticed that he is a bit blunt and disrespectful( probably unintentionally) of some of the local guides/helpers on his trips to the gambia etc..

 

I've noticed he can be a little short with guides etc, but I think he just likes things done his way & considering some of the phenomenal catches he's made on film he's probably right. He seems a pretty driven sort of guy & a passionate all rounder but can take advice & guidance when required, I'm thinking of his Mahseer trips & his relationship with Subhan.

 

As for contribution to angling on tv, surely there's no one to touch him, he comes across very well with non anglers & that is of immense benefit to angling in general.

 

A lot of years ago I went into his pokey little shop in Norwich & he was stood behind the counter. After buying what I went in for I said to him 'don't I know you from the Angling times' before he had chance to answer I blurted out 'you're that pike guy...John Watson!'. Needless to say the frosty reply was 'no I'm John Wilson' Doh. I didn't know till later that John Watson had become infamous for cheating in a competition he'd won with a big Norfolk Pike....ah well.

[dapper64]

I think john wilsons ok ,its that australian bloke that makes me switch over.There's another programme on with two anglers that spend a lot of time not catching much they just turn up at the bank and try to outdo each other, they also seem to take the mick out of each other a lot,I can't remember what the programme's called but in one episode one bit the end off the others rubber pike lure that he'd just payed a fiver for.

[Papa Lazarou]

Just watched a smashing episode where john fishes loch awe for pike ending up with around 12 doubles, fished the same bays for pike myself, can,t beat a bit of angling nostalgia!

[FishyFraser]

Yes, very annoying show...not quite as bad as Henry Gilbey though...

[kleinboet]

Having met JW and Matt Hayes, I can tell you that they are both quite friendly fellows.

With JW, he will chat to you about fishing matters, but likes you to feel that you are in the company of a fishing legend. Matty on the other hand is the lad next door! I was fishing a match at Clattercote with the Easterly wind so strong that one end of the reservoir must have been 5" higher than the other, but we were catching fish! I got a beautiful run and landed a 6lb Carp and a voice behind me said "beautiful fish" - it was Matty. We got to talking about the saying "West best - East least" and agreed that we were making a mockery of the saying!

Edited May 27, 2007 by kleinboet

[Steve Burke]

What does irk me a lttle with most TV anglers is that they always seem to fish the best waters and always seem to catch. What I would like to see would be a realistic account of fishing, like my local Trent stretches, where they had to try hard and editing was reduced. Not as exciting for some, I guess, but would be more realistic.

 

I can't speak for others, but in nearly all the TV programs (or indeed magazine features) I've ever done I've always chosen my own waters and usually my own swim. However some swims would be turned down because of camera angles, noise etc. Obviously I'd choose somewhere where I expected to catch, and in many cases the reasons why were explained so that others could learn something about location.

 

The only exception was for the gravel pit part of the Predators programme I did. For this I had to follow the crew's car to somewhere in Oxfordshire to a pit I've never even seen. In fact I still don't know where it is!

 

What's more, a less likely perch fishing day you couldn't imagine! Thankfully, it went well and we landed 2lb+ perch.

 

But boy, was there a lot of pressure!

Edited May 27, 2007 by Steve Burke