Mr Matrix, My Life In Angling: Where I Started

So I started out through my best friend by going to the River Stour catching Roach on a maggot feeder. I enjoyed this every other weekend and soon moved on to my local pond to fish for Carp. After numerous early morning walks, with nothing more than a loaf of bread, my love for the sport really took off.

I met some lads in secondary school that I became very good friends with and to this day I am still friends with them. We used to fish a small pond crammed with Roach, Carp and some Chub with meat and bread. Still in secondary school, I got myself a paper round to save up for a rod and reel of my own and soon enough I had some money to do so. I purchased my first rod and reel and after I left school my addiction to fishing reel-ly took off.

So securing a full time job and being paid well enabled me to fish every weekend and build my knowledge and my tackle collection. I purchased a little seat box which was, looking back at it now, tiny compared to the range out there now.

After a few years I joined my local club and started fishing matches. I went on a run of finishing last every other week but I was learning every time I was out. To this day I have been with that club and now very good friends with everyone. That run of finishing last has now come to an end.

I moved on to another job where I started suffering with depression after a few years there and my I lost interest in the sport I love. I didn't want to look at my gear or even watch a DVD.

I heard of a job going at a tackle shop in the town I was working in and I went in to look around and ask a few questions of what goes on day to day. I left with the managers name, Ian, to send a CV and covering letter to.

After 5 days of my letter being sent I was called by a man, Ash, asking to come in for an interview. I was rather shocked as I wasn't expecting this at all due to qualifications and working in agricultural environment for the past 6 years. So I attended an interview and things went well. We were laughing and joking about carp anglers sitting in tents for days on end! I took in some photo's of my previous work and they seemed impressed.

The next couple days went by and I was not expecting a call from the shop so life went on. My phone rang and I picked up. I was speaking to the Tackle Shop owner, Ash! He offered me the job and gave me a few days to decide. I thought long and hard about it and decided to leave my work place and friends I've known for over 6 years to start a fresh and do something I wanted to do for a few years which was work in a tackle store.

I went in to the shop on my deadline day on a hot sunny day in summer and greeted Ash who was up a ladder and said that he was speaking to his new member of staff. He shook my hand and called Ian over. "He's excepted" he said with a smile on his face.With that I was a member of TackleUK.

I worked my noticed and started on the first Monday in October 2013. They guys were very welcoming and I was soon joining in with the banter. They got to know I liked my Maver products and started joking around with that. Soon after I had met the Drennan Rep, Dave Drake, who I hadn't heard of until that point but I was told he has fished for England and picked up medals.

My knowledge on Fly, Sea and Carp gear was very limited but I have picked up a lot listening to Ian, George, Rick, Harry and Robbo. I am more comfortable in the match and pleasure fishing categories as it is the style of fishing I enjoy.

So over a year on and what have I learned? Well, I'm a much more calmer and relaxed person, I've learned more about sea fishing etc, learned a lot more about the waters in my area, learned how to keep and prepare baits and lots more.

I am happy with life right now, I am just missing the gorgeous girl to join me on the banks!