Media
Enjoy articles written by me for Trout & Salmon, The Spectator and many other titles, plus others written about us by the Financial Times, The Times, Wall Street Journal and numerous publications both home and abroad.
If you like to watch as well as read, our TV & Film section features many videos including the preview of Chalk the feature film on which I was Executive Producer and scriptwriter or dip into our You Tube channel.
Press articles
The life-changing power of fly-fishing
Climate change hysteria
How do we stop pollution and abstraction?
Trout & Salmon – September 2023
The everyday poisons in our rivers
The beaver cult cannot be stopped
My favourite line in angling literature
Rewilding is the worst fad of all
The Greatest Fly of All Time
Facts to ponder about chalkstreams
The grim outlook for chalkstream salmonids
Trout & Salmon – February 2023
Is the Angling Trust the independent voice of angling?
My elevator pitch to the Environment Minister
Trout & Salmon – December 2022
Where have all the good guys gone?
Trout & Salmon – November 2022
How testing will save our rivers
Daily Telegraph – October 2022
Simon Horsford connects with his late father through fly fishing
The 7.03am to fly fishing heaven
Behind the curve on the water crisis
Thinking of buying a river?
Trout & Salmon – September 2022
Is split cane a thing of the past?
Fashionable flies
Thinking big to solve river pollution
Rivers of waste. A history of sewage discharges
The 6 best fishing shows of all time
Simon writes a press release for the Environment Agency
The Animal Sentience Bill could change everything
How to come to terms with fishing failure.
Trout & Salmon – February 2022
Still up the creek - the Environment Act will fail to end the sewage scandal
Dry or die. A nymph free year.
Trout & Salmon – December 2021
Tipping Point - had a good fishing trip? Do more than just say thank you.
Trout & Salmon – November 2021
Covid, Foot & Mouth and other rural crises
Trout & Salmon – Uig Sands Isle of Lewis
An evening on the Bruton stream
The way forward for our rivers
Catch a whiff - there may be something in the water
Right as Rain
Trout & Salmon – September 2021
Price Hike
Trout & Salmon – September 2021
Fishing in the shadows of Royalty
Identity Crisis - What constitutes fly-fishing in the modern world?
Don Stazicker fishes Compton Chamberlayne on the River Nadder
A Passion For Angling - at Avon Springs
Don Stazicker cracks the Frome code on the Wrackleford Estate
A new Mayfly species is discovered
The true cost of water
Wild At Heart - Is the end in sight for stocked fish in rivers?
A Look Back - Fly fishing in the 1970s
Trout & Salmon – February 2021
How Covid-19 is affecting the fly fishing business
Just Enough - Simon probes chalkstream fishers about catch and release
Trout & Salmon – December 2020
Memories of Oliver kite
Trout & Salmon – November 2020
The year of Covid-19
Beaver fever.
Of Fish and Foe.
Food is our Friend.
Trout & Salmon – September 2020
Banging on about Beavers.
Missing in action.
Trout & Salmon – Wherwell Priory
Nymph and tuck
A multiplicity of rules.
High summer on the Avon.
The art of weed cutting.
Why stillwaters matter
Utopian dream? - The need to stock our chalkstreams
The beaver dilemma
Test Valley Forum – February 2020
The love of Mistletoe
Trout & Salmon – February 2020
Better days ahead
Unintended consequences - The spread of crayfish
Trout & Salmon – December 2019
The meaning of fishing
Trout & Salmon – November 2019
Is catch & release as ethical as we think?
Women in fly fishing
Who should protect our rivers?
Who should protect our rivers?
Trout & Salmon – September 2019
In fear of the killer shrimp
How will moves to counter climate change affect our rivers
How we should use the rain to save our rivers
Gray’s Sporting Journal - April 2019
Photo essay of the chalkstreams
Simon Cooper on how mobile phones transformed the life of fishing guides
Chris McCully hits the perfect Itchen mayfly day
Mysteries of the mayfly
Dry fly dreams: A day at Exton Manor Farm on the River Meon
Do fish have rights?
Another brick in the wall
Trout & Salmon – February 2019
The indomitable nature of trout
Abolish the fishing licence
Trout & Salmon – December 2018
Tough times for river keepers
Trout & Salmon – November 2018
Rainbows – good or bad?
Simon on harsh times for grayling
Trout & Salmon – September 2018
Take the chalkstream challenge
When the locals go fishing
Simon Cooper discusses the Mop Fly in Chalk Talk
Simon Cooper examines the flies for the evening rise in Chalk Talk
Simon Cooper on when Mayfly easy is too easy in Chalk Talk
Simon Cooper picks his top ten chalkstream flies
Simon Cooper on why you should never linger in bed
The Times – November 12th 2016
Angling correspondent Brian Clarke is unimpressed by the Mop Fly.
Anglers can clean up with ‘mop’ fly that fish find irresistible but where is the fun in that?
The Wall Street Journal – October 14th 2016
Fly fishing renegades are cleaning up in competitions—with kitchen mops
Fieldsports Magazine – Summer 2015
Read how editor Marcus Janssen lifted the trophy at his first attempt
Fishing after dark. Read Simon Cooper tale of a night on the river
In search of wild 5lb trout on the River Frome.
Editor Andrew Flitcroft charts his two attempts at the One Fly.
Simon Cooper tells of how good came from the winter floods
A look at FM Halford, father on dry fly fishing, on the 100th anniversary
of his death
Irish Country Sports and Country Life – Spring 2014
Simon Cooper ponders on why we fly fish and in particular the 100th anniversary
of the death of F M Halford, father of modern dry fly fishing.
Trout & Salmon - December 2013
Editor Andrew Flitcroft picks his” Wish you were here?” chalkstream
David Profumo visits Cotton’s Fishing Temple on the River Dove
Editor Mark Hedges tells of a great day on the River Kennet
The Vintage Magazine - September 2012
Where the Bright Waters meet - Fishing Heaven.
Wiltshire magazine - August 2012
Catching the evening rise on the River Nadder
Fieldsports magazine – Spring 2012
Simon Cooper on the magic of Mayfly
Dr. Jasmin Fisher visits from Germany - September 2011
In German
Chris Tarrant on his winning day and winning ways.
About the 2011 River Test One Fly contest.
About the 2011 River Test One Fly contest.
Fly Fishing & Fly Tying – July 2011
A member of the winning 2011 River Test One Fly team shows you how to tie the fly he used.
"Learn In The Cradle Of Fly Fishing" at Fishing Breaks!
Fishing Breaks founder Simon Cooper's article "The Only Ten Flies You Will Ever Need"
Adrian Delnevo celebrates a day at Bullington Manor
Chris Sandford ties the flies and fishes the fly for The Dream Team
Fly Fishing & Fly Tying – October 2009
A Guides eye view of the 2009 River Test One Fly
The Field Magazine – July 2009
Editor Jonathan Young recounts with great hilarity the how his team lifted the trophy.
Country Life Magazine – May 2009
David Profumo tells all from the River Test One Fly competition
Hampshire County Magazine – March 2009
The county boasts about its famous River Test
The Field Magazine December 2008
Robert Jarman picks his trout fishing ‘Objects of Desire’
Trout and Salmon Magazine May 2008
Andy Anderson on the famous Halford water
Country Life Magazine May 2008
Country Life editor Mark Hedges spills the beans
Financial Times January 2008 - 2.5mb
Fear of Flying – The FT’s Richard Donkin tells why he is fishing the River Test One Fly in April.
The Guardian Newspaper - May 2007 - 1.8mb
The Guardian’s Ian Katz takes the One Day Foundation Course at Nether Wallop Mill with surprising results.
The Field Magazine - May 2006 - 11.7mb
Buy a Chalkstream Day – The Field show where to book a day in paradise.
TV & video
Andy Buckley on the River Itchen at Kanara - 2020
Andy’s partner Ivena catches a brown trout of a lifetime
Andy Buckley on the Upper Test at Bullington Manor – 2020
Andy digs deep to outwit the wily summer browns.
Watch the trailer
Glorious autumn on the chalkstreams
Homage to a chalkstream summer - 2016
A perfect summer day on the river
Our rivers as you have never seen them before
River Test One Fly – 2013 2014 2015
See the leading chalkstream anglers and guides in action
The Game Fisher’s Diary ‘Put to the Test’ – May 2010
Rae Borras experiences the very best of chalkstream fishing at Bullington Manor.
The
Game Fisher’s Diary ‘Just One Fly’ – April 2010
Watch the highs and lows of the 2010 River Test One Fly
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