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About Our Guides

Simon Cooper

My introduction to fly fishing reads like a Mark Twain tale: a neighbouring farmer inherited a few miles of that lovely Hampshire chalkstream, the River Meon and gave me free range over it. Not having a clue about fishing (nobody in my family did) the village doctor was enlisted as my tutor. However, he had no interest beyond a day of free fishing so as soon as we reached the river he abandoned me.

My confident casting, self taught on the lawn at home, soon fell apart confronted with the narrow stream and wild vegetation on the bank. Having lost all my few dry flies I disconsolately rummaged in my bag and found a grubby Bloody Butcher which I proceeded to fish in true wet fly fashion. No doubt F W Halford was spinning like a top in his grave but I didn’t care two hoots as within a few minutes I had landed a twelve inch (well probably 10”) wild brown trout.

Nearly four decades on I still feel bad about that fish as I knocked it on the head and transported it home with great ceremony. My father soon arrived home having met the Doctor in the pub (I am pleased to report he caught nothing) and our family ate the fish for tea.

Earliest fishing memory: On the village pond for goldfish and being told off by a fearsome old woman who told me I was being cruel Dream fishing destination: Falkland Islands Dry fly or nymph: Whichever the fish are feeding on at that particular moment Item of fishing tackle to send to Room 101: Braided leaders Favourite film: Layer Cake Fishing hero: Dermot Wilson Favourite food: Sandwiches Would you teach your wife to fish? I did until she got better than me Favourite fishing book: ‘Fishing the Dry Fly’ by Dermot Wilson Best fishing related joke you have ever heard: What did the fish say when it swam into a wall? Dam!

Alan Middleton

Despite over three decades living in Sussex Alan’s accent soon reveals his Geordie roots, born and bought up in County Durham. For most of his professional life Alan was in the household chemicals business and many of the familiar bottles under your kitchen sink Alan will have had a hand in at one time or another.

Now retired Alan spends his time guiding, looking after his fishing on the River Ouse and in the winter enjoys beating and picking up with his dogs on the local shoot. He recently completed 10 years as Chairman of the Fly Dressers Guild. First fish: A sprat off South Shields pier Dream fishing destination: Montana, USA Dry fly or nymph: Dry fly Item of fishing tackle to send to Room 101: Hook threaders Favourite film: The Great Escape Fishing hero: Donald Downs Favourite food: Steak Would you teach your wife to fish? There would be no point in teaching my wife to fish; like all women she knows everything already!

Tony King

Of all our Guides Tony King has to be the most travelled having caught a fish (species unspecified!) in every continent of the world. Equally at home with a salmon, trout or saltwater rod in his hand, Tony is a highly accomplished fly fisher with a natural eye for teaching. He covers all the disciplines running our saltwater and salmon classes and specialises in guiding on the Dorset streams.

Born and raised in the south, Tony now lives in Weymouth, Dorset overlooking Portland Bill with one of the best vantage points for the sailing during the 2012 Olympics.

Earliest fishing memory: Catching bleak on the River Lee with Uncle Den
Dream fishing destination: Any small atoll in a big ocean
Dry fly or nymph: I enjoy both equally
Most memorable fishing day: Catching a 27lb Salmon in my back garden
Item of fishing tackle to send to Room 101: Overly stiff rods
Favourite film: Mr Hulot’s Holiday
Favourite food: Fresh mackerel, fresh peas, and mashed potatoes with mushroom sauce
Fishing hero: Richard Walker
Would you teach your wife to fish? It would not be my first choice of activity
Best fishing related joke you have ever heard: “Anyone who thinks they know a lot about fishing hasn’t done enough yet.”

 

John Stephens

John Stephens was born close to the banks of the River Avon at Salisbury Hospital in Wiltshire, the river on which he caught his first trout on a dry fly at the tender age of ten. He spent his formative years on the Avon at a time when Frank Sawyer, inventor of the Pheasant Tail Nymph, was still active. As a young boy John frequently met Sawyer but never realised the legend that Frank had become by that time.

First fish: A mullet in Spain
Most memorable fishing day: Catching my first trout on a fly (a dry fly!), when I was about 10 years old on the river Avon at Enford in Wiltshire
Dry fly or nymph: Dry fly
Item of fishing tackle to send to Room 101: 99% of flies sold
Would you teach your wife to fish? I did and we are still married.
Best fishing joke: Q. "What time do the fish rise?" A. "Before you arrive, after you go home and sometimes at lunch time depending on whether you go to the pub or not."

 

Marcus McCorkell

Born and bred in Dorset, Marcus McCorkell spent his formative fly fishing years on the River Allen, having been taught the essentials by his father who ran a local syndicate. The youngest of our Guides, Marcus has managed to dodge a career thus far: in his time he has worked in Farlow’s, guided in the Russian salmon camps and laboured long and hard as a river keeper on our beats.

Earliest fishing memory: Learning to fish with my Dad aged six near Dorchester
Dream fishing destination: A small wild chalkstream on a sunny April day
Dry fly or nymph: Nymph
Most memorable fishing day: Guiding on the Brevyeni section of the River Ponoi. The camp was shut and we were fishing Brevyeni by flying down each day from the main camp. The most downstream set of rapids were impassable so we parked the boat and hiked down to a football pitch sized pool of calm water in between the rapids. My client caught two salmon in two casts, both over 15lbs. The location made it feel like we were catching salmon on the edge of the world
Item of fishing tackle to send to Room 101: The dry fly only rule
Favourite film: The Three Kings
Favourite food: Thai
Would you teach your wife to fish? I'd give it a go but she's more used to teaching me things so not sure how the role reversal would go. Badly I suspect.

Tony Hogg

Tony Hogg is slowing easing his full time career away from his IBM day job that pays the bills to more time teaching and guiding. A native of Hampshire, Tony was born almost equidistant between the Test and Itchen. Despite his illustrious birthplace it took Tony a few years before he was able to fish either with a fly.

Tony first became keen on fishing in his early teens, going coarse fishing on free fisheries then on local club waters, including the Itchen. He dabbled with fly fishing in the close season, but didn't do fly fishing seriously until his mid 20s when he started on small stillwaters and then lochs and reservoirs before finally moving on to chalkstream fishing.

Earliest fishing memory: Catching immature pollack and coalfish off Scalloway Pier in the Shetland Islands with a bamboo pole rod, string, hook and a bit of mackerel, aged 6
Dream fishing destination: New Zealand or Iceland
Dry fly or nymph: Nymph
Item of fishing tackle to send to Room 101: Fish finders
Favourite film: Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Favourite food: Italian
Would you teach your wife to fish? No
Favourite fishing book: 'How to Fish' by Chris Yates
Best fishing related joke you have ever heard: Two not very bright anglers are out fishing in a boat when they start catching a lot of fish. First angler: "We should make a note of this spot and come back here tomorrow" Second angler: "I'm ahead of you, I've put an X on the side of the boat" First angler: "Don't be daft mate, we might not get the same boat tomorrow!!"

Mark Bedford-Russell

Mark spent his working life in the Lloyds insurance market before making a career changing decision by moving to Dorset where he divides his time between guiding, beating and helping out on the river. Born in Germany, Mark learnt his fishing with his father on the River Itchen with his formative years spent on the banks of the River Avon, which likely explains his favourite book and prowess with a nymph.

Earliest fishing memory: Fly fishing with my father on the Itchen
Dream fishing destination: Patagonia
Dry fly or nymph: Dry fly
Most memorable fishing day: First salmon on the Spey
Favourite fishing book: ‘Keeper of the Stream’ by Frank Sawyer
Favourite film: Tin Drum
Favourite food: Shellfish
Would you teach your wife to fish? Yes
Best fishing related joke you have ever heard: With apologies to Tommy Cooper; “Two fish in a tank. One said to the other I'll steer, you man the gun...”