Wendy's Private Diaries of her Fishing School Experience
My fishing school experience all began when I noticed a news item on the home page of FishingMagic saying 'would you like a fishing holiday in Scotland whilst being filmed for the discovery channel'. I thought, “Oh yes that sounds excellent I could do with chilling out fishing for two weeks!”
So I entered straight away by emailing them, and telling them how passionate I am about my fishing, and that I didn't feel confident enough on my rigs, etc.
The day after one of the production researchers called me to talk to me and to say thank you for entering and that it would all be happening at the end of September and asked would I be free then. She then said that they had hundreds of entries and that I should wait as they would be in touch.
A week later they called me to ask more questions and asked if I could send them a little clip of myself, so they know what I look like. I don't have a camcorder or a digital camera…Oh nooooo! What am I to do? Then I remembered I have a video recorder on my phone, so my daughter videos me talking about myself for 1 1/2 minutes. Then I had to email it. I didn't have a clue so I asked my good friends of FishingMagic to help me out. They gave me lots of ideas on how to transfer it to a file to be able to send, and off it went.
A week later they called and said I was down in the last 20 applicants, and then they contacted me again saying it was down to 12. They only needed 6 people for the programme and they were now sending the video clips off to Discovery channel, for them to choose the final 6.
I was over the moon but still thinking I never had a chance. Eventually they called and said they had good news and bad news…My tummy was doing flips and everyone on FishingMagic had said I'd get through and was giving me hope and I thought of all them as I got the magic call. ”Go on,” I said to the guy on the phone. He said, “OK, well the bad news is you have to spend 10 days with me in Scotland.”
A Picturesque Loch Awaits
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I screamed and run on the road to shout my daughter to tell her I had got through! (I forgot he was still on the phone) and the guy had then put me onto someone else to give me all the details. So, I thought I have done it! The first person I rang was Baz from FishingMagic. He wasn't in so I left him a voice mail. Then I sent a text to Graham Whatmore and he sent me a text back to say well done! We knew you could do it! Then I put it up in forums for all to see.
They told me the date was the 28th Sept for 10 days in a place called Scourie, in the highlands of Scotland and that I would receive more details in the post. When the details arrived I knew it was real, and that I was going on a fishing trip for 10 whole days! That's also when I learnt that I was the only lady angler to have been chosen!
I still had it in my head that I would be learning different type of course fishing techniques and thinking, wow I wonder who will be my coach… Matt Hayes, John Wilson, Des Taylor?
The day arrived for me to go and they were putting me up in a hotel in London to catch the morning flight to Inverness. So off I went on the train to Luton, I met two of the guys who were going on the programme at Luton and we had a meal and a good laugh together all of us excited. They also told me how they didn't expect me to look like I did? They said we thought you would be some rosy cheeked old lady carrying buns! (they weren't far off).
Day One
I woke up in hotel in Luton all excited. 'This is it' I thought, 'this is what I have been dreaming about for the last month or so'. We set off for the airports where we were meeting two of the other guys. The third guy we were meeting when we landed in Inverness.
Eventually we arrived at Inverness airport. My tummy was doing flips as we landed. Then I saw out of the window the cameramen waiting. “arghhhh, I'm not sure I can do this.” I thought. It was OK though, until a lady asked me in the airport if her and her husband could have a picture taken with me (who did they think I was!?)
The Camera Crew
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Anyway the camera crew told us exactly what we had to do and where to walk. We met the third man who was a also a cool character, and we all got on with getting to know each other. Then we got split into two groups of three and put into jeeps to be transported to Scourie with a camera guy asking lots of questions and filming us at the same time.
Seven hours later we arrived at the hotel normally it would only take three hours but we had to keep stopping to do drive by's for the beginning of the show. We arrived at the Scourie hotel it looked beautiful. I'd told the guys that I was nervous about meeting Nick Hancock and they suggested that I imagine him with no clothes on! Well pretty obvious where I looked when we got out of the jeep and into the hotel! We met Nick and also Jon Beer.
My room was lovely I had a big double bed to myself I'm gonna get some good night's sleep in that!', I thought. After our evening meal and chatting to crew we all got off to bed for an early start.
Day Two
Woke up bright and early. Our call sheet told us we were doing fly casting practise, I went down for breakfast and everyone was all so excited about being here and couldn't wait to get out there and start fishing. We all got issued our outdoor clothing waterproof everything, sun glasses, gloves waders, wellies, wading boots, and rucksack.
I didn't need any waterproofs as Korum sent me a full outfit to wear of fleece, waterproof jacket and bib and brace. They allowed me to wear it all, as theirs was a little too big for me! I went up to my room to put everything away then as I was coming downstairs I jumped the last three steps and fell over on my ankle and heard a crack!
The Camera Crew in action again
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“NOOOOOO, this can't be happening to me!” I thought. I went white as a ghost and very sick I thought I had broken it one of the crew carried me to a sofa and went to get the first aid guy. He thought I'd broken it too and ice packed it. They came in with cameras to see me crying and interview me. I was feeling gutted, and wondering what the hell will happen to me.
The producer came up to me and said to rest up for the rest of the day. And if it's feeling any better later then I can have a go at fly-casting practise. My foot had stopped hurting half as much in the afternoon and I wanted to go practise! So they got two of the guys to carry me out and put me on a box to practise with Jon Beer! Then for the last hour we were going to a little Loch to have a go for real. I loved it!
They brought a nurse to me in the evening as my foot had swelled up so bad I couldn't see my ankle. The nurse said she would like me to go for an x-ray but it was a three hour drive to hospital. I assured her that it wasn't hurting anymore (it was killing me) but I was scared I'd broken it and then have to go home. I told her I would see how it was in the morning if it wasn't any better I promised I'd go.
Day Three
Call time was early today and I was tired out I had been awake all night with my foot and taking lots of painkillers.
I read my call sheet, which informed me I was wading for salmon today, and that I had to get waders on and wading boots. ”How the hell am I gonna do this without my foot hurting?” I thought. But I did it and my foot felt great with them big boots on.
Off we went to the Loch. Wow it was awesome to look at! Three of us was wading and the others going in a boat with a gillie ( I thought a gillie was some kind of rod) I found out he was a guy who rowed the boat!
I was one that was wading first, so we had a little trek to the Loch and told to return the fish we catch. I was loving every minute of this wading in the water. It was a great feeling (and my foot felt good in water). So for the next few hours I waded and missed lots of bites it was frustrating me I so wanted to catch a fish!
Then we walked back to the jeeps, it was our turn to go in the boats I was excited. Again something I'd never done fishing from a boat. They put me in with Nick Hancock and Mac the gillie. My second cast out and wham, I was into a trout. Wow, what a feeling! I had a lovely little 9oz brown trout. That was my only fish of the day but I had landed a fish all the same, so pleased with myself. The gillie said we needed more of a ripple on the water. We rowed back in and celebrated by having a wee dram of whisky. Mac asked if I'd like a little water with mine and bent down and got it from the Loch! My foot was in agony but, ah what the hell, I'd caught a fish!!!
Day Four
Had a good sleep last night I needed it. So today we are off sea fishing (gulp). Please don't throw up was my only thought.
We arrived at Kinlochbervie Harbour. I could see the fishing boat ('NIMROD'), which was bigger than I thought. Our skipper Jimmy, was waiting to greet us. As I climbed aboard he said, “aw we have a wee lassie aboard”. All I could do was look at how big the waves were getting and I starting to feel sick before we even hit the water.
Off we set to the deep blue ocean; he stopped and showed us all how to set up our fishing rods, I had 30lb line a six-lure type and a size 10 bomb. He told us the rules, which were he would ring the bell once and it was lines in, twice for lines up.
By this time I was green and hanging over the edge of the boat, “I'm never gonna make It,” I thought. Then he rang the bell for lines in it was weird not casting in and just dropping your line down. No sooner had my line hit the bottom and it felt like I had a big fish on when I eventually reeled in 60ft of line I had six lovely mackerel on all of my hooks. “Oh my god” I screamed, “look at all these buggers!” I was laughing and all excited and forgot all about my sea sickness.
After a while we set off to another place where Jimmy said the big fish are. He then showed us how to cut the mackerel up to use for bait. Off I run to side of boat green again, but wasn't sick! I got one of the other guys to cut mine up! I changed my lures then to a three feathered one (I liked the colours that's why, they reminded me of a pair of earrings I used to have).
I lowered my line and did what I was shown, lift the rod high and then low, as I let mine down it nearly dragged me over the edge of the boat “oh boy what do I have on the end this time,” I thought. Fifteen minutes later I got it in it. It was a ling and the skipper reckoned on it being about 9lb? I wanted to cry with happiness, as I loved every minute of this.
After that we moved to several spots in the sea and I caught so many different type of fish I had pollock, mackerel, ling and gowley. By the end of the sea fishing adventure I felt like I had gone 10 rounds with Bruno!
As we were sailing back in the skipper told me to look out for the sea lions because they would be waiting for the boat and for their supper! He was right as we pulled in there they were with their heads popping out of the water. Awww, they were lovely! We spent half an hour feeding them, then it was time to head back. Dinner then bedtime! I climbed into my bed exhausted and hey who the hell has changed my lovely firm bed into a water bed!
Day Five
Another early call, but I was excited we were going to fish the River Dionard (pronounced genard). The jeeps arrived into the estate and we were met by all the gillies; Mac, Willie, and Gordon. We had to travel to the river in what looked like a golfing car type thing with four chairs attached to the back. It was a good 20 minute drive down to the river I could hear like a mooing noise and asked the gillie where the cows where, he started to laugh and told me they were Stags calling for the Deer's. I was shocked. Then he started to point them all out to me they were everywhere I looked; Quite scary actually.
When we arrived at the river we got told that three were going to fish the Loch and three to fish the river, I had to fish the Loch first I was gutted all I wanted to do was fish that river! Never mind I thought, at least we get to swap over at lunch time. We got back into the golf trolley thing and set off to the Loch. The heavens started to open and I was freezing! Then found out we had to walk nearly 40 minutes to the Loch through bogs and deer shit! Great! I set off walking and fell into a bog! My foot still wasn't right but I daren't tell them that.
I kept hearing the Stag. It seemed it was getting closer and closer I was frightened by this time and also frightened that I wasn't gonna get up out of these bogs. We fished for just over an hour then headed back to the jeeps through all them bogs again! When we got to the jeep the camera guy said there was a change of plan and that we had to stay were we was fishing the others didn't wanna swap.
I was furious! And told them there was no way I was walking back through all that deer shit! And that I wanted to speak to the producer as I really wanted to fish the river. I don't have many Loch's around Manchester but I have rivers and want to learn how to fish them with the fly. The producer wasn't happy that I was shouting at him through a walkie talkie telling him, “I'm going home tomorrow.”
Eventually Jon beer got me on the edge of the river I had a little smile back then and started to fish the river. I only had an hour after everything that had gone on, but I was making the most of it I caught three lovely brown trout the salmon were literally jumping right in front of my face. When we got back to the hut the producer was waiting for me (gulp). He said “Nobody shouts at me telling me they are going home, I will put you on the next flight home tomorrow morning.” I was very, very embarrassed and felt very silly. On the way back to the hotel I was very quiet and cried, as I didn't really want to go home.
At dinner the producer gave me a smile and a wink as if to say you're not really going home PHEW!
Day Six
Today we were going to fish a different Loch, that is all we got told. When we arrived at the destination I asked where the Loch was? The producer pointed to the top of a mountain and said, “up there” No way, oh my goodness, how the hell were we going to get there? “Walk,” he said. It was a good 45 minutes at least all uphill with waders on, wading boots and carrying our rucksacks (with a very sore foot).
Half way up I thought I was going to die, I felt like I was on a survival programme, not a fishing one! I was having so many thoughts as I walked up those hills (like why the hell am I here). The view was awesome while we were overlooking the River Laxfod it was stunning, but I was absolutely knackered! Then when we got to the loch I had another 20 minutes walk through bogs and deer shit yet again. I had a lovely afternoon's fishing and caught a trout over 1lb and some little ones. So maybe the hills weren't so bad! After a few hours we had to set off back again slipping and sliding all the way down!
Day Seven
Today is competition day. We all gathered outside the hotel and told we were being split into two groups drawn out of a hat, and that there was three different tasks to do we had to choose what we wanted to do. The first was to hit the spot casting. I'd be no good at casting into my bobble hat so I passed on that one! The second was to tie a fly (I wanted to do this but thought I'd rather go fishing) and the 3rd option was to float tube, whatever that was? (At last I thought I'm going float fishing) so I chose the float tube.
Then they brought the float tube out! “Here we go again! This is where I drown on the show!” I looked at it and thought yeah I bet it's gonna be fun this. The other guys did what they had to do and then it was off to Claise Fearne Loch. All the others went on their way and it left me and one other guy to get into our float tubes.
They demonstrated what we had to do to get in it and then gave us our paddles. FLIPPERS! I got into it and felt like a duck! As soon as I sat down I felt wet! I told them I was wet but they said, “it's just the cold you'll get used to it.” And then pushed me out into the Loch! I saw an island where I wanted to get to, knowing that's where the biggies are! After spinning round in circles for half an hour I got the hand of this little float tube thing and was casting out and paddling at same time (I thought I'm still very, very wet!).
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I finally reached the island and was casting under a tree, the fish were going for my flies. I had a wet fly at the point and a daddy long legs on the dropper, but I wasn't catching them there. So I paddled round the other side (still very wet and thinking hyperthermia had set in) and cast out again. This time I struck and had it “Yes!” I screamed. The fish I had on felt good then it decided to go nose down and into the weeds pulling me and this bloody dingy with it I was literally spinning I felt sick, I was ready for just letting this trout go and it stopped dead! I eventually got it in it looked like the Loch Ness as I lifted its head up there was that much weed wrapped round it!
Anyway I carried on and paddled away from that area it scared me! I was shivering my teeth were chattering and shore looked so far away, the camera man was in a boat round the other side of the island I asked if I could go back as I was feeling really cold and by this time I knew my waders had leaked when I looked down and saw water up to my chest I panicked!. They told me to try to get back!
Easier said than done! I got cramp in the backs of my legs and couldn't paddle anymore so had my hands over the edge trying to do it that way. The camera boat had gone out of sight, “oh god,” I kept saying, “I'm gonna die here!” I really was frightened.
An hour later I got to shore with everyone laughing and me screaming at them “it's not funny I've got hyperthermia” They didn't help me out of my float tube and they were filming me. I felt so ill. I got out and forgot I had stupid flippers on and fell. This is it, I thought, I really do want to get out of here and hide away. I was crying and trying to get my wading boots off and kept on getting cramp so one of the camera guys helped me. I think they all knew then it wasn't funny anymore and I really was suffering! I pulled my waders off and emptied out half of the Loch. I was soaked, then I had to walk back to the jeeps to try to get warm and dry. More bogs, wet through, shivering like never before. I set off, my sore foot was hurting and it got stuck in a bog and I'd had enough. I just fell to the floor and really broke down.
The producer stopped filming and literally dragged me to the jeeps and tried to get me warm. The crew did everything possible to get me warm again, they were even taking their own clothes off to give to me, I don't think they realized how wet I really was. They got me back to hotel and I had a hot bath, lots of hot drinks and survived yet another day! In the evening we all met in the bar and got told who won…It was a draw! But they said I had the biggest fish and so won a prize, a WADING REPAIR KIT!
Day Eight
After my trauma of the day before, they decided to let me go to a loch on my own with a cameraman. The others were off on another hike but this time they had to find their own way to a loch by compass and a map (phew, I'd probably still be there now if I went) So off I went to what looked like quite a rocky Loch and thought to myself, I am taking no chances today, I will just go around it at my own pace. I blanked all day but felt so much more relaxed. If I remember rightly isn't that what fishing is all about!
Day Nine
Today we are going to a rainbow trout fishery, it took us two hours to get there but I was excited at the thought of catching rainbow trout. When we arrived we got told we were going out in our own boat but….we had to row it ourselves (oh nooooo not again! I thought). He then pointed out all the boats the guys had lovely green boats then he said Wendy is having a little white boat? I said it's not fair, you've probably done something to mine! Until he showed me mine which had my daughter's name on the side! I had a great big smile and felt silly yet again!
I'd never rowed a boat before and did pretty well with it, the weather changed as I got out in the boat and the heavens opened but I was still smiling and loving it. Before we set off they gave us some rainbow flies; pink, white, yellow, green, all fluffy bright ones. I decided they would look better as earrings and used a lovely white pair! I then put a bright green one on my line.
It didn't work as I didn't catch anything all day! Ah well, I thought, I enjoyed it and I stayed dry and warm! We got back to the hotel and got told of tomorrow's events. It was going to be a four mile walk to a loch and a four mile walk back! They told me if I didn't think my foot was up to it then not to bother, but I'd be sorry to miss the finale! I'll sleep on it, I thought…
Day Ten
The final day of my trip I'd been told was a biggy and not to be missed. I sat eating my breakfast to learn that two of the bigger guys had pulled out as they didn't fancy the hike! My thoughts were, “I want to do it… but will I make it?” Then I had made my mind up. Sod it, I'm going to do this, it is a chance of a lifetime and I'm not giving up now! The producer winked at me and said, “good girl”.
When we arrived I got told this is where Prince Charles comes to fish, but he has his own little truck to take him to it though! I looked at the mountain I was about to climb and my tummy flipped. I was quite excited. I plugged my MP3 player into my ears and off we went. All the camera crew went in a little truck type thing, obviously because they had the cameras and stuff, but half way there they were filming us and they asked if I wanted to get in. Not a chance, I thought, I am going to do this if it takes me hours!
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All I remember is people saying to me, one more hill! There were loads! They lied to me! I was still smiling and singing away to myself. The others were all in front of me and they shouted, “Come on Wend, we're almost there.” We were. They hadn't lied, I'd made it! I was so happy that I'd made it I ran down the next hill singing “the hills are alive to the sound of music,” but didn't expect a bog at the bottom of it until I fell right into it, but this time came up laughing!!!
Everyone was saying I had done great and they were proud of me. They told us we were going fishing but kept me back? Jon beer put his arm around me and said, “Wendy, Wendy, Wendy, remember what you wanted to do the most whilst you have been here?” I looked at him sideways. He said, “the river.” Oh yes, the river, I didn't get my time on the Laxford like everyone else did. Jon then told me that today I had my very own river.
I was really happy and off I went. It was a river that runs into the Stalker's Loch. It wasn't a very long river so I strolled along it catching little trout! Then I got to the mouth of the loch and caught some more there. I stood and looked around me; it was an unbelievable sight, it kind of took my breath away when I realised where I was and how fortunate I was and I started to cry as I realised it's all over now, even though at times I felt I was going through hell! It still got to me emotionally. The fishing was over, I took my rod down, kissing each bit as I knew I wouldn't be putting it together ever again!
Now I had that bloody walk back. Ah well, I thought, and set off as I got to the top of the mountain and looked down on the river and loch I had just fished. I gave it a little wave and whispered, ”bye and thank you.”
I had never known wind and rain like it. But I made it back, although I slipped a few times down hills, but I didn't care anymore! I Got back to the hotel to tell everyone of my experience, and a few pats on the back from people. Then I showered and we had our evening meal and hit the bar!
Day Eleven
Hung-over, and not wanting to go home! I wanted to do it all over again! But I couldn't, 'time to go wend' I thought, and just sat very quiet for the three hour journey back to Inverness airport, all the way remembering and taking in every bit of what I had done in the last 10 days!
Graham Whatmore
