I'd met John once previously and thought he'd be a good draw for the day.
Running up to the event I heard many opinions of him from others who'd met him. Some good, some not so good.
What cannot be argued is that here we have someone who has done more to put British angling on the map than anyone else. In these days where anyone who catches a lump from a runs water and get a sponsorship deal is deemed a 'celebrity', it is sometimes possible to overlook John's achievements. Here's a chap who bought angling to the masses like no-one previous or indeed since, and all this in a time when there were only three TV channels.
The day was a massive success, John is still a massive draw. I was not only impressed by his knowledge, but by his generosity and patience with the hundreds of people who vied for his time and attention. He stayed all day and spoke to everyone who wished to chat with him and posed for all our photos. Not bad for a 70 year old who'd seen it all before.
He was a true pro, and a true gent...and I was pleased to have spent a little bit of time with a real angling legend.
No matter what your opinion of JW is his contribution to angling has been immense.
ReplyDelete"Woah, steady on Wilson"
ReplyDelete"Fabulous fishing here on the Test. Fabulous fishing..."
Nice to see. He does get some unfair abuse on some forums but I've watched all the repeats on sky etc and always enjoyed his programmes. I can see why some of his 'mannerisms' annoy some people but he's a genuinely great angler who has done more for angling than most. His shows were really informative and well produced. And he always had the best interest of fish and fishermen at heart. Like you say, it's easy to forget how popular he still is.
There was a free DVD of his in one of the mags a few years ago on summer river stalking. Free-lining etc. Great stuff. I still watch it every now and again.
Reminds me of conversations I've had with non-anglers:
"What's the name of that chap whose always laughing?"
"John Wilson"
"I like him".........
Someone told me today that they disliked John because he laughed too much. Personally I think this is the very reason he gained such popularity. Angling is supposed to be a joyous pursuit, how anyone can scoff at that is beyond me.
DeleteGurn, I couldn't agree with you more, I've grown up watching John Wilson from a very early age and between the likes of JW and my father is the reason I enjoy fishing so much and couldn't imagine life without it, as I guess many other thousands of youngsters have adopted the same stance on what it is a fantastic hobby! Those who scoff are only showing their jealousy for what he has achieved over the last 30 or so years.
ReplyDeleteJames.
As far as I am concerned John Wilson is the greatest presenter of fishing I have seen going right back to the Go Fishing days. His presentation is educational as well as entertaining and I loved the way he incorporated the surrounding wildlife. A hard act to beat in my opinion.
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