About Our Guides

 

Mark Bedford-Russell
A Fishing Breaks guide since 2009

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
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...”

Malcolm Price
A Fishing Breaks guide since 2011

Malcolm can boast that his first ever fish was a childhood salmon; admittedly a salmon parr on a spun worm from the River Roe in Northern Ireland but a salmon nonetheless. However, it wasn’t until much later in life when on holiday beside Loch Awe in Scotland with his three young boys to entertain that Malcolm was bitten by the fly fishing bug when they all gave it a try at a small trout fishery.

Back in southern England where he had settled, pursuing a career in computer systems, Malcolm followed up with more success at Rockbourne Fishery on the edge of the New Forest before spying the value of the Salisbury & District Angling Club, of which seventeen years later he is still a member.

Malcolm was one of the founder Guides at the inaugural River Test One Fly in 2008 and was Confederation Secretary for the England fly fishing team. He is now retired from computers with guiding his passion and daily work.

Earliest fishing memory: Walking back from Lough Foyle in Northern Ireland with two flounders in my hands at 9 o’clock at night, only to be met by my two worried parents. I had fresh-caught fish and bread and butter at 10 o’clock that night.
Dream fishing destination: Tjuonajokk Northern Sweden for Arctic Grayling
Dry fly or nymph: depends on what is catching.
Most memorable fishing day: First day at Tjuonajokk – first cast 53cm Grayling on the fast running River Kaitum.
Item of fishing tackle to send to Room 101: Snake flies or Mop flies – I cannot decide which.
Favourite film: Star Wars IV
Favourite food: Pomegranate glazed slow cooked shoulder of lamb.
Best fishing related joke you have ever heard: Wife after returning from fishing trip with husband to neighbour: "I did everything all wrong again today -- I talked too much and too loud. I used the wrong bait. I reeled in too soon and I caught more than he did."

Bob Preston
A Fishing Breaks guide since 2014

It is fair to say that Bob probably knows the Berkshire chalkstreams as well as anyone alive that being his ‘patch’ as it were for more than 30 years whilst working as a Fisheries Officer with the Environment Agency. Bob is truly a walking encyclopaedia when it comes to the any questions on our native fish species.

He is a passionate fishermen; you will find him out in all weathers and he is always exploring new places to fish. Bob has something of a reputation of a heron, spotting fish nobody else has seen, so prepare to catch fish in places you wouldn’t think possible. Every year he travels back to his native Austria returning with photos of the gorgeous rivers and some truly unusual fish.

Earliest fishing memory: Catching one of the whitefish species – exact species unknown  – from the Millstattersee in Austria aged 6.  First trout in Wales on a worm after many attempts aged 11. First trout on a fly, a size 12 Mallard & Claret from Weirwood Reservoir aged 14.  This was followed by 3 more on a black dry fly during a fall of hawthorn flies. Dream fishing destination: British Columbia tops the list. Dry fly or nymph: Nymphs for preference, either sight fishing on chalkstreams or deep nymphing on Austrian rivers. Item of fishing tackle to send to Room 101: Definitely the Blob followed by those who use it and call it fly fishing.  Favourite film: Either “The Longest Day” or “Saving Private Ryan” Fishing hero: Has to be Bernard Venables.  He inspired several generations of anglers. Followed by Richard Walker who taught us that “observation plus thought equals fish”. Favourite food: Good well aged steak – rare. Most memorable fishing day: Of the many, probably catching my biggest grayling – 3lbs 14oz in Austria aged 15. A fish I’ll probably never better. Closely followed by my second steelhead in BC ten years to the day after my first.

Steve Batten
A Fishing Breaks guide since 2015

Steve has been fishing since the age of five and started with his grandfather on the beaches of the Solent catching plaice. Since then his passion for fishing has spread over many disciplines pursuing carp, barbel, grayling, trout, salmon and bass.

However his true love is fishing on small chalkstreams for wild brown trout with a short 3wt rod and a dry fly. Steve is also a part time river keeper for the Portsmouth Services Fly Fishing Association and is the Chairman of the Hampshire river keepers association.

Earliest fishing memory: Catching my first grayling at the age of 6
Dream fishing destination: Maldives for bonefish
Dry fly or nymph: Dry Fly
Most memorable fishing day: Salmon fishing on the Isle of Harris with my son as the ghillie
Most memorable catch: 16lb pike on the Fly
Item of fishing tackle to send to room 101: A "Fly" called the Blob, but it's not fishing.
Favourite film: Saving Private Ryan
Fishing hero: My Granddad
Favourite food: Indian or Thai
Favourite fishing book: Mr Crabtree Goes Fishing

Steve Dowling
A Fishing Breaks guide since 2018

Steve, or Fishy, as he is known amongst his closest friends, has been fishing of some description since badgering his father and uncle to take him with them coarse fishing on the Romsey Barge Canal - from that moment Steve says he was hooked.

Born and raised in Romsey he was surrounded by the Hampshire chalkstreams rivers so it was almost inevitable that he would become a passionate trout and grayling angler travelling extensively throughout the United Kingdom and around the world in the pursuit of wild trout. He was of the earliest members of the Wild Trout Trust since joining them at the CLA Game Fair held at Broadlands House in 2002 and Steve remains an avid supporter.

He really enjoys passing the knowledge and skills that he has learnt to new fly fishers and witnessing the sheer enjoyment on their faces when it all comes together.

Earliest fishing memory: Catching jack pike in Romsey Barge Canal
Dream fishing destination: Done New Zealand twice so it must be Montana or Iceland.
Dry or Nymph: Dry all day!
Most memorable fishing day: Trophy wild brown trout on the South Island New Zealand
Item of fishing tackle to send in Room 101: Knotted Mesh landing nets
Favourite Film: Lord of the Rings
Favourite Food: Venison Steak
Fishing Hero: Oliver Kite and recalling watching Kites Country when I was a small boy.
Favourite fishing Book: The Pursuit of Wild Trout by Mike Weaver
Best corny fishing Joke: What kind of music should you listen to while fishing? Something catchy.

Peter Cockwill
A Fishing Breaks guide since 2021

Peter Cockwill has a lifetime of fishing to call on, starting from his earliest forays as a child in his native Cornwall. He parlayed his hobby into a profession managing a syndicate stillwater for 34 years and owning a fly shop in Surrey for 31 years. His Albury store was a Mecca for fly fishers with a huge selection of fly tying materials and famous for initiating UK distribution of Loomis rods, Teeny Fly Lines, Abel Reels and Temple Fork fly rods.

Peter is a prolific contributor to fishing magazines and author of seven fishing books. He us one on the UK’s best known stillwater anglers with many specimen catches, a solid competition record plus his monthly column in Trout & salmon.

An instructor since 1981 Peter has hosted trips for 35 years, principally to Alaska and Argentina, but also many other locations. He produced one of the first fly fishing videos in 1986, is a well-known club speaker, and has many times been on TV and radio. But more than all this he just loves to fly fish - especially for grayling.

Earliest memory: Catching dace in Bude canal with my father, who was a ghillie on the Torridge
Dream Destination: Remote tented camp on a steelhead river
Dry or nymph: Either, so long as it's visual.
Most memorable day: August 2008 when I had the fully authenticated, Alaska State Record grayling - 5lb 1oz.
Item of fishing tackle to send to room 101: Landing nets with collapsible frame
Favourite Film: Dances with Wolves
Favourite Food: Cornish Pastie (proper job).
Fishing Hero: Charles Jardine who is so multi-talented - and a genuinely nice man.
Favourite Book: Anything by John Goddard or Taff Price
Best fishing related joke you have ever heard: Pictures of anglers with hat and glasses and a dubious weight for the fish.

 

Lindsay Moore
A Fishing Breaks guide since 2021

Lindsay’s first fish was a ruffe caught, aged four, with his father on the Isis in the Oxford University Parks, his hometown. Progressing to the banks of the local waters as a teenager, interest in fishing stopped and started as other interests intervened including representing Great Britain in white water slalom.

Moving to East Anglia Lindsay took up beach fishing as well as coarse fishing on The Broads then moved to Poole where he continued on saltwater, buying his first fly rod forty-five years ago.

Having retired from the University of Bournemouth after some twenty years of teaching film making, photography and animation Lindsay became a Level 2 angling coach and qualified as a GAIA fly casting instructor. He has his own boat, extensively fly fishing for bass in the local coastal waters around Poole mixed with chalkstream fishing on the Salisbury & District Angling Club waters.

Having spent most of his working life teaching, Lindsay sees guiding and instructing as a way of sharing his knowledge whilst still expanding his own knowledge.

Earliest memory: Catching a ruffe with a broom handle fishing rod from the Mesopotamia in Oxford aged 4 with my father
Dream Destination: Bahamas
Dry or nymph: Dry
Most memorable day; 45lb conger eel on 8lb class boat rod
Item of fishing tackle to send to room 101: Tippet that stays curled
Favourite Film: Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite Food: Pizza
Fishing Hero: My Father

 

Richard Leamon
A Fishing Breaks guide since 2021

Richard took up fly fishing in his late teens. His girlfriend’s father, a “boffin” scientist was feared by most of her contemporaries. Richard found out her father and brother were keen fly fishers; what better way to gain acceptance from your future father-in-law than to take up his sport? Yes, they did get married 4 years later and having lived in a fishing family all her life his wife was very accepting of Richard’s numerous days out on the river.

Richard, a qualified fly-fishing instructor gets as much pleasure from helping a beginner bank his first trout as he does from fishing for them himself. His fishing goal is to get more young people away from their computers into the great outdoors and cast to that elusive trout.

Earliest Fishing Memory: A day on the Wye with my father-in-law salmon fishing
Dream fishing Destination: Any of the great salmon rivers in Norway
Dry fly or nymph: My out and out preference must be dry but will fish a nymph as the conditions dictate.
Most memorable fishing day: Catching my first sea trout (7lb+), on the fly, in the dead of night on the River Dyfi – and almost losing it as I “walked it” up the gravel beach!
Item of fishing tackle to send to room 101: If legal, it doesn’t exist for me. It will be the perfect piece at some time.
Favourite film: Too difficult to decide, either Cabaret or West Side Story (the original)
Favourite food: Anything with lots of garlic
Fishing Hero: The late Peter Roberts, a Fishing Breaks Guide
Best fishing related joke you have ever heard: What do you get if you cross a cod, a bird’s leg, and a hand? Bird’s thigh, fish fingers!

Nick Parish
A Fishing Breaks guide since 2011

Nick took up fishing as a young lad but on joining the Army in 1976 at the age of 16 stopped and did not really pick up a rod until the mid-1990s when his interest was rekindled by taking his son fishing.

On leaving the Army in 2002 Nick worked in and around military aviation until he took early retirement in 2023 and now enjoys fishing whenever he can. Nick is a member of Christchurch Angling and Salisbury & District clubs, member of The Fly Dressers Guild and Tench Fishers. He ties his own flies and on occasions will instruct on the fine art of tying.

Earliest fishing memory: My Dad taking me perch fishing at the age of 8
Dream fishing destination: Montana
Dry fly or nymph: Nymphs or dries depends on situation
Most memorable fishing day: Too many, but three fly fishing holidays nymphing and dry fly fishing in the Czech Republic are definitely up there.
Fishing hero: The late Peter Robert, fishing guide and mentor, an absolute legend
Favourite film:A Bridge Too Far
Favourite food: Curry
Item of fishing tackle to send to Room 101: Mop flies and blob

Jamie Pankhurst
A Fishing Breaks guide since 2022

Jamie is a Devonian, born and bred. Brought up in Thorverton, a rural village just north of Exeter, he cut his teeth catching wild brown trout and grayling on the River Exe. At 12 years old, he was fishing for sea bass and flounder on the sand banks of the Exe estuary, chasing salmon and sea trout through the bournes of Exmoor, and rock pooling along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall.

You might remember Jamie from his previous role with Fishing Breaks when his day-to-day work involved anything from taking your phone call in the office, to guiding and river keeping on our precious chalkstreams. Today, he divides his time between guiding, river keeping and his second love, sailing the world with his father.

Earliest fishing memory: Scooping up a grey mullet with my bare hands in Sainte-Marine, Combrit, France.
Dream fishing destination: Alaska
Dry fly or nymph: Dry Fly! Dry Fly! Dry Fly!
Most memorable fishing day: Catching 10 giant bluefin tuna on my friend’s boat just a few miles off the coast of Plymouth, Devon, UK.
Favourite fishing book: Where the Bright Waters Meet, of course.
Favourite film: Salmon Fishing in the Yemen.
Favourite food: Octopus or a good ribeye, rare.
Best fishing related joke you have ever heard: Why did the vegan go fishing? Just for the halibut!

Steve Smith
A Fishing Breaks guide since 2024

Steve retired in 2024 from his full time career in the automobile Industry, his last role was as a Logistic Manager at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars . He was born in West Sussex and this is where he still lives . His fishing career started when he was nine and he has been hooked ever since. Originally it was coarse fishing but he took up fly fishing in the 1990’s and never looked back now trying to catch all types of species, fresh and saltwater, on the fly in multiple countries.

Earliest fishing memory: Catching my first fish, a perch from a local gravel pit. I could not believe it as it took me about a year to get my first fish !!!
Dream fishing destination: Anywhere I can get the Grand Slam of a bonefish, tarpon and permit in one day.
Dry fly or nymph: Dry all the way
Most memorable fishing day: Hooking into my first bonefish in Cuba in 2007
Favourite fishing book: Blood Knots - Luke Jennings
Favourite film: Quadrophenia
Favourite food: Italian

Charlie Atherton
A Fishing Breaks guide since 2025

Charlie has loved fly fishing for as long as he can remember. As a boy, he learnt to fish for trout on lakes in and around London, before progressing onto the lakes and chalkstreams of Hampshire when his parents moved out of London, then introduced to salmon fishing on family holidays to Scotland. His love of fishing was nurtured further at school by his History teacher who ran a flyfishing club and took him trout fishing. After a short spell in the Army, Charlie became a History teacher himself and ran fly fishing clubs in his schools, hoping to hook a new generation. After 20 years of teaching, he decided to focus purely on teaching and guiding fly fishing. He loves helping people discover this wonderful world whether through running clubs in schools, by teaching clients how to cast, or by taking them to fish the chalkstreams for trout and grayling.

Earliest fishing memory: Aged about 6, tagging along with my father when he went salmon fishing in Scotland
Dream fishing destination: Montana, USA
Dry fly or nymph: Dry fly
Most memorable fishing day: The first time I fished the hallowed turf of the Test
Favourite film: Gladiator
Favourite food: Ice-cream
Best fishing related joke you have ever heard: What do you call a fish with no eyes? Fssshhh

Chris Saunby
A Fishing Breaks guide since 2025

Chris first picked up a fly fishing rod, aged 8, fishing with his father on family holidays to Devon. His first rod, he had when 10 years old, which his father built for him was from a mail order kit. He still remembers the first trout he caught on that rod, with a Peter Ross wet fly. Due to other interests in early adulthood, mostly rugby, and work commitments, fishing took a back seat for a number of years.

In 2003, his father sadly passed away, and keen to maintain his father’s legacy and to maintain a connection with him, Chris took up fishing again, joining Salisbury & District Angling Club, taking over his father’s membership. To say that ignited his passion for angling is an understatement, and his passion has grown since that date. He enjoys all forms of fly fishing, including fishing for other species such as carp and pike, however fishing the chalkstreams, mostly the River Avon and Wylye is where his passion truly lies.

Chris was previously a police officer, with Hampshire Constabulary, and recently retired after nearly 29 years of service. Chris feels very strongly that spending time on the riverbanks and enjoying the peace and tranquillity it offers, helped him deal with some of the more traumatic and stressful aspects of policing. He is a strong advocate for the benefits that fly fishing offers for wellbeing and towards mental health. Keen to become involved in fly fishing as a second career pathway, he works in the Orvis shop in Stockbridge also running the Introduction to Fly Fishing courses. He also recently became a Level 2 angling coach. Chris sees guiding and instructing as a way of ‘paying it back’, and gets huge satisfaction in seeing people enjoying fishing, especially beginners when they catch their first fish.

Earliest fishing memory: Catching my first ever trout, on my first ever rod, on a Peter Ross wet fly, aged 10
Dream fishing destination: Having visited Slovenia 5 times, it has to be Montana or New Zealand.
Dry fly or nymph: Preferably a dry fly, but just as happy sight nymphing.
Most memorable fishing day: Catching three marble trout on the dry fly on the River Soca in Slovenia
Item of fishing tackle to send to Room 101: The Bung
Favourite film: Shawshank Redemption
Favourite food: Sausage, mash, baked beans, with lovely thick gravy.
Fishing Hero: My Dad. Without him, I would not have this hobby I so love and enjoy.

 

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