COMEDIAN PAUL WHITEHOUSE

Lifelong fisherman, river campaigner and beloved comedian Paul Whitehouse is set to appear at The Game Fair at Ragley Hall in Warwickshire on Sunday 30 July to host its Sunday lunch, meet visitors and raise awareness of Britain’s declining rivers. We meet Paul along with his friend and colleague John Bailley, who orchestrated the exciting collaboration, to find out what’s in store

“The Game Fair is like a drug-free, posh Glastonbury and I have been attending for decades,” says Paul, adding: “One of my earliest trips would have been in the ‘90s, I remember spending hours watching fishing demos. In more recent times, just a few years ago, I visited with a chalkstream conservationist to discuss the state of our rivers.”
Based in north London, Paul professes to leading a very urban life. “When I go to The Game Fair, I always find it eye-opening how other people live their lives in rural Britain. It is fascinating and insightful. Don’t get me wrong, I like to see a tractor as much as the next child but I am not really exposed to the countryside other than through fishing. That is something The Game Fair has always been so good at – bringing town and country together. City folk can sometimes forget that there is a vast number of people in Britain living rural lives where city life has no relevance.”
Paul’s favourite feature at The Game Fair is the fishing area. “As a spectator I love watching the fly casting demos – there is such a grace and artistry involved. There’s a great atmosphere. I love bumping into old friends there that I might only see once a year on a far-flung riverbank somewhere. Of course the shopping is second to none too, I always seem to go home with another rod or reel.”
Since 2018 Paul has been working on his BAFTA award nominated TV series Gone Fishing with fellow comedian Bob Mortimer. Now on series 8, the gentle, heart-warming BBC show sees good friends Paul and Bob reflecting on life and their impending mortality while on tranquil fishing trips in idyllic locations around Britain. Totally unscripted, it is thought the attraction of the show lies in its honesty – Paul is a talented, accomplished angler and Bob is a complete novice – and that resonates with viewers. Behind the scenes, renowned angler and author John Bailey has worked with the production team from the very beginning to source the locations for the show and undertake recces before Paul and Bob arrive. From 1994 to 2015, he also oversaw the fishing content at The CLA Game Fair (as it was known back then). “I am delighted that Paul is coming to The Game Fair this summer,” says John, adding: “I think he sees it as an opportunity to give something back to fishing. He is on a mission to raise awareness of the plight of Britain’s rivers so when The Game Fair’s organisers reached out to us to host the Sunday lunch and speak in the theatre, we jumped at it.”
Most recently Paul, who is an ambassador for the Angling Trust, has appeared in a shocking two-part BBC series called Our Troubled Rivers which sees him travel around England and Wales looking at the pressures affecting rivers and waterways from water companies, intensive agriculture and Britain’s growing population. Paul explores what is going on beneath the surface, why our rivers and waterways are in decline and what needs to be done to protect them. “It is insanity and we urgently need to raise awareness of what is going on. Appearing at events like The Game Fair is another way of reaching likeminded people that care about Britain’s rivers and waterways,” says Paul.

So what does he hope to achieve by collaborating with The Game Fair this year? “For those people who want to fish for the first time or used to fish but do not anymore, I want to offer an easy way back into the pastime. It can feel bewildering as there is so much to know in the first place. We also want to get across the message that our rivers and waterways are so precious and they are just being abused and degraded. The Game Fair will help us reach even more people. And lastly, I want to see visitors and just chat fishing.”
Paul will spend Sunday 30 July in the enclosure restaurant meeting diners over breakfast and lunch, which won’t feature salmon. “I tend to steer clear of eating farmed salmon, he reveals, adding: “Our precious wild salmon population is under such pressure so I avoid the farmed variety. It particularly annoys me when farmed salmon is sold as ‘organic’ which is just greenwashing nonsense. Unsuspecting Londoners buy it not realising it is just as harmful to wild salmon. None of us should be eating salmon right now.”
Paul adds that the modern day pastime of recreational fishing now goes hand in hand with conservation. “Show me a fisherman that is not actively involved in some way or another with river or fish conservation. We are a very engaged community in that way.”
When asked what Paul’s fantasy day’s fishing consists of, the father-of-four explains that he would begin at 5am on a day in June fishing for tench using traditional old gear. “At 8am I’d then be magically transported to the Park beat on the left bank of the river Dee for salmon until 1pm. Then I’d have my lunch in the hut there – shepherd’s pie – no alcohol as I don’t like drinking in the day. I’d then have a little kip on the riverbank under a tree listening to birdsong. Next I’d be whisked off to the river Wye where John and I would fish for barbel until 6pm. I love the Wye, I fished this river with my late dad as a kid. For the last two hours, I would like to fish a wild beat on the Test before retiring to The Greyhound in Stockbridge for a glass of something agreeable.”
John added that Paul’s relationship with his father on the riverbank was very special. “I never had any bond with my father and taught myself to fish.” Paul adds: “My dad was a very calm figure in my life and I have only good memories of him. We had a very simple relationship – we didn’t need to talk much in each other’s company – but we were always at ease. And angling was the thing we hung our love on. My only regret was that he didn’t live to see Gone Fishing, because he would have been so proud and happy.”
So what is Paul’s go-to rod and fly set-up? “For trout fishing, I’ve got a 8’6” 4wt Sage rod that I love. This general purpose rod works on everything from a chalkstream to something big like the river Usk. I love my 13’6” Scott MacKenzie Spey rod which is a cracker. I also have an Orvis 11’3” 8wt Switch rod which I adore and puts out a good line.” Paul reveals he has about 50 fly boxes. “My fly collection is a bit of a mess to be honest. I try to be organised but I am definitely not. Day-to-day I use just one fly box which I have crammed with flies – something for very possible scenario, from tiny Arndilly Fancies to great big Sunray Shadows. I don’t agree with fishermen that sneer at the Sunray, I think it is a very valid and exciting method of fishing. If I was limited to just one fly, my go-to, like so many other anglers, would probably be a Conehead Gold Willie Gunn.”
As the weeks roll by to The Game Fair, Paul and John are keen to maintain momentum for their campaign work. “We need to galvanise a movement and get more people feeling enraged so that action is taken at Government level to save Britain’s fish and rivers. Events like The Game Fair, which attract high ranking politicians and upwards of 120,000 members of the public provide crucial platforms for debate and will only help us in our quest. See you there!”