TV personality Harry Clark takes friends fishing to de-stress and unwind in new campaign
This Stress Awareness Month (April), recent gameshow winner and TV personality, Harry Clark, has teamed up with the Environment Agency to share how fishing helps to alleviate his daily stresses, benefits his mental health and allows him to spend quality time with loved ones after his recent rise to fame.
The benefits of fishing are reflected in new research from the Angling Trust. 99% of anglers agree that fishing boosts mental health and wellbeing and would recommend it to others as a way of easing stress. 9 in 10 anglers (92%) agree that fishing is one of the most effective ways of relieving stress when compared to other activities such as walking (42%), exercising (23%), and even talking with friends and family (31%).
The survey of over 4,000 British anglers further highlights the benefits fishing brings to maintaining key relationships, with 69% agreeing that fishing is a great opportunity to spend quality time bonding with friends and family, and although a large portion actually go fishing on their own (40%), a similarly large number of anglers do go along with friends (44%).
After experiencing a sudden rise to fame and an intense recent few months of being in the spotlight, Clark stars in a short film where he decompresses and enjoys time fishing at Willinghurst Fisheries in Surrey, with childhood friend and fishing buddy Harry Browne, as well as Ben Harragan, the founder of non-profit angling association The Angling and Mental Health Initiative (AMHI).
TV personality, Harry Clark commented: “My family have been into fishing since I can remember. I love it because it gives me the opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors in peace and quiet and de-stress. It’s a time where I can relax and think about nothing for a bit.
It’s also a place where I feel comfortable opening up about my feelings with friends – I think it’s the calming atmosphere! Everyone deals with their mental health in different ways, but you don’t realise how much fishing can help relax you from everyday stresses until you’re doing it.
It was great to be on the shoot with the Environment Agency and do some fishing with my mate Harry – it’s something we love doing together and gives us an opportunity to get away from it all and catch up.
Hearing Ben’s story and how he set up the Angling and Mental Health Initiative was really inspiring too. I didn’t realise that rod licence money not only goes back into the sport by maintaining fish stocks and protecting the environment, but it also supports brilliant initiatives like his that help so many people who are dealing with mental health challenges.”
