About Me

I HAVE BEEN FISHING FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER. Being the son of an ardent angler I had no choice, but luckily I took to it like a duck to water. Even my name is synonymous with fishing; first name echoing the name of my local river where I spent my youth fishing, and my last name, which does not require explanation.

My father was a great and very successful trout and salmon fisherman, and his illustrious friends all became my mentors. My early idol, Fred J. Taylor, who taught me field craft, as well as ways of extracting chub from under cut hollows on the Upper Great Ouse, with slugs collected from the field. His skills as a countryman and his affinity for fish has stayed with me my whole life. I was lucky to meet the late and great Walker, Taylor, Goddard, Buller, and more recently; Cove, Church and Shrive. I looked up to them all as a boy and loved their stories and anecdotes; thinking men who made great strides in the angling world and their legacies live on in their methods, flies and techniques still used today.

I spent many of my early years fishing the world famous river Test on Lord Mountbatten’s Broadlands Estate, where as a boy of 8, I was taken by my father and was allowed to coarse fish these hallowed Salmon beats. The grayling, monster roach, chub and dace had never seen a maggot before and the fishing for me was unbelievable. The beats in those days were all salmon, but no one minded a snotty little kid trotting round the Salmon groin’s for nuisance fish. I fished at Broadland for over 30 years and have witnessed the highs and lows of the Atlantic salmon runs but learnt so much about river craft and the ecology of aquatic insects which has been invaluable to me on the reservoirs and lakes I fish today. Fishing has progressed so much since then, but I was privileged to witness those early day’s at Broadland where you only got on the water through “dead mans shoes!”, and the average yearly salmon total was over 350 a year. Sadly at the end of my fishing on the river some 30 years later they were lucky to catch 10 a year.

It was during those early days I found I had a real passion for fly fishing and caught many Salmon and Sea Trout from the Southern Rivers when they were still there to be caught. The diminishing stocks even in those days lead my father and me up north to the mighty Tay where, I was to catch my first 20lb salmon on the fly at 14. We had breath-taking sport for a number of years on that magnificent, majestic and sometimes terrifying river one of the most powerful waters I have ever fished its black swirling water looked like it could drag you in and swallow you up at any moment.

I went on to fish all round the world paying particular attention to Iceland which I fell in love with, with it’s dramatic scenery and stark landscape sparkling crystal clear water which is full of Silver Atlantic Salmon and Char. But over the last 20 years have fallen back in love with the reservoirs I frequented as a boy, Grafham being my first trip in 1969 and competition fishing has been what I have enjoyed the most. I have always been very competitive and love using my knowledge to outwit the Trout (and hopefully my boat partner) I have 3 England caps (one Gold Medal), I’ve been English National Bank Fishing Champion twice, Bob Church Classic winner, Captain of ‘The Reservoir Dogs’ team and have a string of other accolades over the years.

My fishing career has taken me to some of the most enchanting and breath-taking places on earth, I have been very privileged for sure. But now it’s time to pass on my wealth of experience and knowledge to others in the form of the best days fishing you will ever have and hopefully never forget.

There is no better feeling than having the pride of representing your nation at the highest level and it’s achievable at any age. All of the Reservoir Dogs have multiple England caps with many gold medals between us. It’s great fishing with the guys and I learn something new every time I go out with them. You’re never to old to learn new fishing techniques and no one should ever be too proud or presumptuous think they know it all.

I glean as much as I can from my opponents and never too shy to ask what they are using and how they are getting them.

This is what I’m about, trying new flies and techniques this innovation; the hair rig method I developed for those trout that become too difficult to tempt when they have seen a few flies. It’s amazing how a fly that they have never seen works so well. I am sometimes known as a bit radical with my new methods but if we never progressed our fishing techniques would never evolve and we would all still be fishing with green heart rods and silk lines. Check out the stalking videos on my YouTube channel: Trout With Leigh.