Lifelong fisherman, river campaigner and much-loved comedian Paul Whitehouse is set to appear at The Game Fair at Ragley Hall in Warwickshire on Sunday, July 30 to host its Sunday lunch, meet fellow fishermen and raise awareness of Britain’s declining rivers. We meet Paul along with his friend and colleague John Bailley, who orchestrated the exciting collaboration, to find out what’s in store
‘The Game Fair is like a drug-free, posh Glastonbury, and I have been attending for decades,’ says Paul. ‘One of my earliest trips would have been in the ’90s; I remember spending hours watching the late Arthur Ogelsby demonstrating Spey casting. He even gave me some tuition. In more recent times, just a few years ago, I visited The Game Fair and met with chalkstream conservationist Charles Rangely-Wilson to discuss the state of our rivers.’
Based in north London, Paul professes to leading a very urban life. ‘When I go to The Game Fair, I always find it eye-opening how other people live their lives in rural Britain. It is fascinating and insightful. Don’t get me wrong, I like to see a tractor as much as the next child, but I am not really exposed to the countryside other than through fishing around 20 days a year. City folk can sometimes forget that there is a vast number of people in Britain living rural lives where city life has no relevance.’
Unsurprisingly, Paul’s favourite feature is the fishing area.
‘As a spectator, I love watching the fly-casting demos – there is such a grace and artistry involved. There’s a great atmosphere at the show, and I love bumping into old friends there that I might only see once a year on a far-flung riverbank somewhere. Of course, the shopping is second to none, too; I always seem to go home with another rod or reel.’
Most recently, Paul, who is an ambassador for the Angling Trust, has appeared in a shocking two-part BBC series called Our Troubled Rivers which sees him travel around England and Wales looking at the pressures affecting rivers and waterways from water companies, intensive agriculture and Britain’s growing population. Paul explores what is going on beneath the surface, why our rivers and waterways are in decline and what needs to be done to protect them.
‘It is insanity, and we urgently need to raise awareness of what is going on. Appearing at events like The Game Fair is another way of reaching likeminded people who care about Britain’s rivers and waterways,’ says Paul.
‘For those people who want to fish for the first time or used to fish but do not anymore, I want to offer an easy way back into the pastime. It can feel bewildering as there is so much to know in the first place. We also want to get across the message that our rivers and waterways are so precious, and they are just being abused and degraded. The Game Fair will help us reach even more people. And, lastly, I want to see visitors and just chat fishing.’
Paul will spend Sunday, July 30 in the enclosure restaurant meeting diners over breakfast and lunch... which won’t feature salmon.
‘I tend to steer clear of eating farmed salmon, he reveals. ‘Our precious wild salmon population is under such pressure, so I avoid the farmed variety. It particularly annoys me when farmed salmon is sold as ‘organic’ which is just greenwashing nonsense. Unsuspecting Londoners buy it not realising it is just as harmful to wild salmon. None of us should be eating salmon right now.’
Paul adds that the modern-day pastime of recreational fishing now goes hand in hand with conservation. ‘Show me a fisherman that is not actively involved in some way or another with river or fish conservation. We are a very engaged community in that way.’
‘At 8am I’d then be magically transported to the Park beat on the left bank of the river Dee for salmon until 1pm. Then I’d have my lunch in the hut there – shepherd’s pie – no alcohol as I don’t like drinking in the day. I’d then have a little kip on the riverbank under a tree listening to birdsong. Next, I’d be whisked off to the river Wye where John and I would fish for barbel until 6pm. I love the Wye; I fished this river with my late dad as a kid. For the last two hours, I would like to fish a wild beat on the Test before retiring to The Greyhound in Stockbridge for a glass of something agreeable.’
John added that Paul’s relationship with his father on the riverbank was very special.
‘I taught myself to fish,’ he says. ‘My dad was a very calm figure in my life, and I have only good memories of him. We had a very simple relationship – we didn’t need to talk much in each other’s company – but we were always at ease. And angling was the thing we hung our love on. My only regret was that he didn't live to see Gone Fishing, because he would have been so proud and happy.’
So, what is Paul’s go-to rod and fly set-up?
‘For trout fishing, I’ve got a 8’6” 4wt Sage rod that I love. This general-purpose rod works on everything from a chalkstream to something big like the river Usk. I love my 13’6” Scott MacKenzie Spey rod which is a cracker. I also have an Orvis 11’3” 8wt Switch rod which I adore and puts out a good line.’ Paul reveals he has about 50 fly boxes.
As the weeks roll by, Paul and John are keen to maintain momentum for their campaign work.
‘We need to galvanise a movement and get more people feeling enraged so that action is taken at government level to save Britain’s fish and rivers. Events like The Game Fair, which attract high-ranking politicians and upwards of 120,000 members of the public, provide crucial platforms for debate and will only help us in our quest. See you there!’
The Game Fair is at Ragley Hall, Warwickshire, from July 28-30. thegamefair.org
