Influence: noun; the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behaviour of someone or something, or the effect itself...
(THIS ARTICLE APPEARED IN ANGLING TIMES MAGAZINE IN DECEMBER 2023)
Every angler in the UK has, in some way, been influenced by the people on this list, which is the first ranking of its kind to be created in the history of our sport.
Whether you’ve read an article, bought a certain item of tackle, watched a clip on YouTube, liked a social media post or fished a particular venue, chances are that the 50 individuals detailed on the following pages will have in some way contributed to the experience. As a collective bunch, their reach is certainly impressive.
Of course, the meaning of the word ‘influencer’ has changed quite markedly over the past few decades. Scroll back 30 or 40 years and those who helped form opinion and inspire others were, in the main, masters of the written word or presenters of terrestrial TV fishing programmes. Think Dick Walker, John Wilson, Fred J Taylor and the like.
While many bemoan the rapid rise of the digital era, it’s safe to say that the growth of the internet and, in particular, social media, has in many ways created more of a level playing field, one where everyone has a voice.
Some of the names on this list are more influential than others across these different platforms, and therefore more well-known, but the rankings also include people whose names you may not be all that familiar with, but who have nonetheless played a significant role in determining the direction in which the sport of angling has headed over the past 12 months.
The ranking system
So, how was the list decided upon? After drawing up an initial shortlist of more than 100 people, our expert editorial team scored each nominee on a range of factors including ‘inspiration and impact’, ‘tips and advice’, ‘social media influence’, ‘personal achievements’ and ‘product innovation’ to get an overall picture as to what degree they have each influenced the way you have enjoyed, and consumed, your angling over the last 12 months.
So, here goes – we hope you enjoy it!
50 - Zenia Drury-Gregorek
The Anglers Paradise host and keen angler continues to be a great role model, getting families fishing and representing our sport with aplomb.
Besides sharing the joy of angling on social media, she has also made a great case for the sport's wellbeing benefits across wider media, including on BBC national radio.
49 - Bob Roberts
His recovery from a major kidney transplant operation was inspirational stuff, and Bob’s monthly column in sister title Improve Your Coarse Fishing continued to be a major hit throughout 2023, with plenty of big fish banked in front of the cameras.
A man with a rich angling pedigree across both match and specimen circles, Bob is a fountain of fishing knowledge, and was a very popular speaker at the Big One show in March, where he regaled audiences with his in-depth talks on tackling his beloved River Trent.
48 - Steve Dorks
Steve was determined to change the face of match fishing, and his creation of the FA Association Cup did just that. It first got underway in 2021 and has continued to be a major player on the calendar, with its ‘1 vs 1’ knockout style offering something new to the scene.
Next year promises to produce more excitement, with the final of the event switched to Nottinghamshire’s Jansons Fishery.
He also suggested publicly that he could instigate angling’s first-ever ‘national stadium’ in the future.
47 - Dan Bennet
Shimano’s new Aero Pro range of poles – the brand’s first for over a decade – went down a storm in 2023, and Dan was one of the key players in creating them.
A brilliant angler with an in-depth knowledge of the finer details of carbon fibre, he was instrumental in the design process that led to a set of poles that have been heralded for their strength, stiffness and lightweight feel.
46 - Viv Shears
One of fishing’s nice guys, Viv Shears’ impact on the sport deserves to be recognised. He’s perhaps best known for his role at VS Fisheries, whose gorgeous carp are some of the most desirable in the land. He also founded the Anglers National Line Recycling Scheme, which revolutionised the way we look at discarding fishing line. This year, they hit the milestone of recycling 30 million metres of the stuff!
45 - Charles Watson
The River Action UK chairman has had a busy year of campaigning, battling for cleaner waters and, crucially, empowering anglers to monitor waters with the rollout of citizen science. Few cases have been more important than the River Wye, with Charles and his dedicated team turning up the heat on polluters and Natural Resources Wales.
44 - Steve Manley
While not necessarily a household name, Steve was the co-founder of the Go Catch Fish app and website which has drastically changed the way many anglers now buy their day tickets.
The booking platform allows anglers to pick their peg in advance of their session and, in the last 12 months, the company has bolstered its portfolio of fisheries, now offering users the chance to book at more than 130 of the UK’s most popular venues.
43 - Aaron Grantham
The Lindholme Lakes boss has taken the famous Lincolnshire complex to another level this year.
Initiatives have including reducing day-ticket and match peg fees to just £5 for winter to encourage more people on to the bank, with clubs also rewarded with huge goodie bags of tackle for their loyalty. Big plans have also been drafted up to continue the venue’s growth in 2024.
42 - Alan Henshaw
Manager at the Environment Agency’s National Fish Farm at Calverton, Alan Henshaw oversees the stocking of millions of fish across Britain’s waterways.
Funded by rod licence income, he and his team rear fish that go on to shape the future of fisheries and can give anglers decades of sport.
This year, the fish stocked were reared for longer than usual, which meant that they were of a larger size, giving them a much greater chance of survival.
41 - Chris Blunt
Managing the UK’s busiest carp fishery is no easy task, but the Linear Fisheries general manager has ensured that the Oxfordshire complex has continued to go from strength to strength in 2023.
The newly opened Tar Farm complex has proved a huge hit with visiting anglers over the last 12 months, and recently produced a new record of 45lb.
40 - Matt Hayes
The talented all-rounder and TV star lives in Norway these days, but still commands great respect in UK angling with a huge fan base and social media following.
Never shy of raising important issues, his posts generate healthy debate as well as great entertainment value.
39 -Steve Collett
Spearheading the growth of British lure fishing, Steve Collett is a key figure for both domestic and international competition.
2023 was a busy year, managing various England lure teams and launching the exciting new Elite Pro League to help nurture talent and boost the competition scene.
38 - Harry Charrington
The Fox International marketing manager played in key role in the England Carp Team, which was this year ranked No1 in the world by FIPSED, and he also ranked number three individually, before announcing his retirement from the international scene in September.
Harry also recently slept rough on the streets outside Fox HQ to raise money for Essex-based charity Off The Streets.
37 - Rob Hughes
Undoubtedly one of the sport’s busiest men, Rob has fronted the popular BT Sport’s On The Bank show and the Outlaw Pro podcast as well as writing a weekly column for Angling Times and hosting the main stage at The Big One show.
In September he announced he was handing over the reins of managing Carp Team England – a position he had held from 2015, during which time he took England to a world number one ranking – to take on a new role as Head of Performance for the team.
36 - Hadrian Whittle
Arguably one of the nation’s best river anglers, he has been in unstoppable form this year.
He won the three-day River Wye festival for a record-breaking fifth time and put together an incredible 50lb plus net of bleak comprising 1,400 fish.
He gained a top 10 finish in the RiverFest final and also won a prestigious two-day tournament on the River Trent.
35 - Christopher Bartle, AKA ‘The Ginger Fisherman’
Angling’s clickbait king! Christopher Bartle, AKA ‘The Ginger Fisherman’, runs one of the UK fishing scene’s most engaging YouTube channels.
His eye-catching videos contain everything from using pike and goldfish deadbaits to underwater films, all of which are enjoyed by a massive audience.
They regularly reach well over 100,000 views, with some of his most popular films seen by millions.
34 - Jamie Cook
The Angling Trust boss had another solid year at the helm.
High on the agenda were getting more youngsters fishing, fighting pollution and pushing for the establishment of the UK’s first recreational Bluefin Tuna fishery.
He had a fine season with rod and line too, landing big carp and barbel in his spare time.
33 - Terry Hearn
One of this generation’s most influential carp anglers, Terry Hearn still has a huge impact on the scene, despite staying largely out of the limelight.
Legions of carpers eagerly anticipate any fresh video or magazine content from this iconic angler, and his latest film with E-S-P wracked up more than 150K views in a few weeks – a figure that will likely double over Christmas!
32 - Tom Scholey
A big player in helping grow the UK’s match scene, Tom has also played a major role in the growth of bait brand Fjuka.
His regular appearances on social media portray the sport in a brilliant light, while on the bank he has continued to show he is no slouch, with top performances against the angling elite.
31 - Penny Gane
2023 was a great year for Penny and the Fish Legal team, taking action in the law courts and corridors of power.
Besides dozens of polluters fined, their case on Yorkshire’s Costa Beck proved a landmark win, showing that DEFRA and the EA had failed in their legal duty to protect river fisheries.
30 - Dave Preston
After selling Preston Innovations, the company that he built up from scratch, Dave vanished from the angling scene for a while, but has since returned to work his entrepreneurial magic with bait brand Fjuka, which has gone from strength to strength over the last 12 months.
29 - Adam Rooney
The man behind one of the biggest, if not THE biggest tackle companies in recent times – Guru.
Working with a hand-picked team of industry experts and top match fishermen, Adam’s hard work and drive now means most anglers in the UK have something that he’s given the green light to in their tackle boxes.
He also played a key role in the new Guru Underwater YouTube films, launched earlier this year.
28 - Kayleigh Dowd
The birth of her first child hasn’t stopped Kayleigh from being an elite star in the sport, as she continued to represent her country on the international scene and bagged a place in the 2023 Fish O’Mania final.
She’s proved to women across the country that having a family shouldn’t be the death knell to other ambitions, continuing to display her excellence on the bank while being a dedicated mother to her son.
27 - Andy Bennett
One of the sharpest match fishing brains there’s ever been, Andy’s achievements alone would get him into the top 50, and among his triumphs in 2023 were the Maver Match This, Angling Trust Zerofit Silverfish and Drennan Winter Pole Champs titles.
However, he also has a hand in developing new kit with Guru and offers coaching days that are always extremely popular. The smile in front of the camera might not come naturally, but Andy also fronts videos for his sponsors and steps in for live match films across several on-line platforms.
26 - Lauren Stanford
The newly-crowned Carp Angler of the Year, Lauren had a year to remember in 2023 and achieved a feat many anglers could only dream of – catching three different 70lb-plus carp to 79lb from two different countries!
A great role model for many budding female anglers, she’s also grown her Carp Fishing Socialsbusiness, which have proved to be hugely popular events at a range of different venues in the UK and Europe.
25 - Hassan Khan
One of fishing’s most active men, Hassan is behind arguably the sport’s best podcast – Nash’s Off the Hook.
He’s interviewed countless icons from carp fishing, past and present, with his weekly instalments proving highly engaging to fans.
He’s also caught some impressive fish this year, including a shock 101lb catfish!
24 - Des Taylor
A modern-day icon of fishing, Des Taylor remains as popular as ever.
His talks at The Big One went down a storm, and his Angling Times column remains a huge hit with readers.
In addition, Des spoke out on numerous issues, holding little back against the sport’s governing bodies.
His Facebook page has thousands of loyal followers who tune into videos from his ‘Tackle Den’. Des’ guided fishing days remain in high demand too!
23 - Adam Penning
2023 saw Adam join the growing number of subscription platforms in the carp market with Penning’s Carp Academy.
His offering differed from the others available, in that it is solely aimed at educating anglers and helping them brush up on their skills.
As well as one-to-one video tutorials and weekly instructional pieces, members get access to ‘success packs’ which feature various aspects of carp fishing.
22 - Scott Lloyd
One of carp fishing’s biggest personalities, and arguably one of the most driven anglers on the planet.
Earlier this year he made the tough decision to step back from his Fink Food business to focus more on his fishing and, in true Scott Lloyd form, he recently added another target fish to his CV in the form of The Park Lake common at a massive 58lb 2oz.
A regular on the Sticky Baits and Thinking Anglers social media platforms, his content produces consistently high views, none more so than his brutally honest account of circumstances surrounding his capture of the sought-after mirror known as ‘The Croc’.
21 - Steven Crowe
Although his name might not be one you’ll instantly recognise, Angling Direct CEO Steven Crowe has a monumental impact on fishing in the UK.
In an era when things are harder than ever for tackle shops, their revenues continue to grow. In addition, they’re making big steps in the European market.
The company also ran some great initiatives to get juniors into the sport, such as giving away free fishing kits over the summer holidays.
20 - Jeremy Wade
Arguably the world’s most famous angler simply had to have a place on this list!
Although he no longer makes River Monsters, repeats of his programmes continue to engage more people with angling across the globe than anyone else’s.
Jeremy is also playing a role in the fight to save Britain’s rivers, using his platform to highlight the worrying plight our waterways are facing.
19 - Will Raison
Part of the England squad that came home from the World Championships in Spain with a hard-earned silver medal, Will has continued to work hard behind the scenes with Daiwa to help create some of the best tackle on the market.
Plus, his media work continues to inspire tens of thousands of anglers every year, with cutting edge tips and tactics being widely shared across print and digital platforms.
18 - Mark Pitchers
Fox International’s Mark Pitchers recently finished second in the National Angling Awards Carp Angler of the Year category, following what he described as ‘the best year’s angling that I can remember.’
In a remarkable 12-month period, ‘Mr Carpy’ enjoyed some incredible catches, including a new PB common of 71lb 5oz as part of a big-fish haul from Romania’s aptly-named Monster Lake, backed up with fish to 60lb-plus from both Bosnia and France.
A regular presence on both his personal and Fox social media platforms, he has continued to entertain and educate fans with his unique humour.
17 - Marina Gibson
One of the most proactive people in angling, Marina Gibson continued to push for all things good in the sport. From raising awareness about farmed salmon to speaking out on the UK’s water crisis, she’s not afraid of taking on those in power.
She continued to inspire newcomers to the sport through the Northern Fishing School, and also plays an active role in the Cancer and Pisces Trust – a charity that aims to enhance the lives of cancer sufferers through taking part in angling.
16 - Tommy Pickering
With a career stretching back to the 1960s and a warehouse full of trophies and medals, Tommy, or ‘TP’ as he’s commonly known, is one of match fishing’s true legends, and continues to have a huge impact on the sport.
In 2023 he fished for the England Freestyle Feeder and Feeder Masters Teams, winning a World silver medal with the latter.
During the year he also became the face of the newly launched Nytro brand.
15 - Steve Ringer
There’s little that Steve hasn’t won down the years, and an active social media profile, where he chronicles both the good and bad in his matches as well as answering questions, plus a weekly column in Angling Times, ensures a high ranking.
Steve has also been instrumental in developing a lot of the tackle that’s come out of the Guru HQ in the last year, so it’s knowledge as well as ability that gets Steve into our top 50.
14 - Dave Lyons
Since founding Tackling Minds in 2020, Dave Lyons’ impact on angling has grown year-on-year.
Not only does Dave, through the medium of fishing, continue to help people battling mental health issues, but Tackling Minds is also thriving as a brand.
Their clothing is available in Angling Direct, with 100% of all sales going to the organisation. Dave also made an appearance on Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing, which touched the hearts of viewers.
13 - Andy May
With a crazy puppy-like enthusiasm and cheery persona, it’s no wonder Andy is such a popular draw.
Underneath the gags and boundless energy, however, sits a fine match angling brain that’s seen him fish for England at youth level and win the likes of Fish O’Mania.
Very much the comedian in the Winning Ways franchise, Andy has time for absolutely anyone both on and off the bank.
12 - Jamie Hughes
Jamie’s impressive achievements as a match angler are well-known, but it’s due to his role in the Winning Ways partnership he has with Andy May and Richard Chapman that sees the Wirral star score highly.
Regular videos, both instructional and light-hearted, deliver both entertainment and information – they’re not quite Morecambe and Wise, but they’re not far off it!
11 - Martin Bowler
Alongside his inspiring pieces in Angling Times and large social media presence, Martin Bowler launched a unique subscription service this year, in the shape of Fishflix.
Featuring films of a quality rarely seen in coarse fishing, the platform is already proving incredibly popular with viewers.
In an era of increasingly cheap, ‘clickbait’ content on social media, the story-like style of these films is a real gamechanger.
10 - Rob Wootton
The first international coarse fishing event to be held in the UK for decades got tongues wagging, and Rob rose to the occasion to play a pivotal part in England’s success.
Not only did England take top spot in the team event at the inaugural European Feeder Cup at Birmingham’s Barston Lakes, but Rob also won individual gold.
He was the only man to win his section on each of the three days, an achievement made still more impressive when you consider the high calibre of international angler Rob was up against.
That wasn’t his only success with England either, as Rob was part of the squad that bagged bronze at the World Feeder Championships in Serbia.
He has also done more than most to help the nation’s anglers boost their skill sets.
He’s made regular appearances in both Angling Times and Improve Your Coarse Fishing and has also seen his online subscription channel grow at an impressive rate. Teaming up with fellow superstar Lee Kerry, the duo have created hundreds of hours of footage for The Edge, in which they reveal in-depth knowledge to help anglers conquer both commercials and natural waters.
Other notable moments include a top 10 finish in the Feedermasters tournament, a win in the two-day Gloucester Canal festival, and qualifying for the first-ever Guru Feeder Cup.
9 - Feargal Sharkey
The former Undertones singer and solo artist remains a force of nature in the fight for cleaner rivers.
When not appearing on national TV as an urgent voice for change, he’s very active on socials, and his account on ‘X’ reaches a staggering 225K followers. Always hard-hitting, but never losing his clarity or sense of humour, Feargal Sharkey serves up damning figures, key facts and direct pressure on the water industry and authorities on a daily basis.
While it’s fair to say that most of our influencers on this list appeal chiefly to anglers, Feargal’s reach travels far beyond our world and into the wider realms of politics and media. A worthy winner of our “Outstanding Contribution to Angling” award last year, nobody has stood up better for our fisheries and waterways, and he doesn’t earn a penny for doing so.
8 - Carl Smith
While the majority of today’s older anglers grew up idolising the likes of Ivan Marks and John Wilson, ask youngsters who their idol is and many will probably name Carl Smith.
The YouTube star is one half of former brotherly duo, Carl and Alex who, through their old channel, inspired a new generation of anglers influenced more by things they see on the internet than what they read in books or see on TV.
Around 18 months ago the pair separated, and many wondered what would become of their hit channel.
Today, we’re pleased to say that Carl’s rebrand – Fish with Carl– continues to be a huge success. At the time of writing, it was at nearly 500k subscribers.
Carl continues to produce varied fishing content, with his films this year including a trip to America, a dabble into match fishing, and a series of engaging ‘challenge’ films, where he takes on a variety of anglers and species.
7 - Lee Kerry
Few anglers are as busy as Lee Kerry. From creating and overseeing big events, running coaching days, providing online content with Rob Wootton for their The Edge platform and extensive work with sponsor Preston Innovations – it’s a small miracle that he finds the time to go fishing!
And when he does, his results make just as impressive reading, with Lee’s stewardship of Drennan Barnsley Blacks seeing them utterly dominant on the domestic scene, his England Feeder campaigns resulting in medals and the small matter of a record third Feedermasters title this year.
Match results aside, it’s Lee’s thirst to give something back to fishing that really stands out and with an authoritative persona and extensive knowledge, there are few better to ask for advice on all things match-related. He’s a straight-up kind of guy who’ll cut through the guff and get to the matter double quick.
Type his name into Google and you’ll unlock hundreds of videos and articles, all made accessible whatever level of angler you are, with The Edge proving to be a real hit due to the broad church of its subject matter and the strong camaraderie between Lee and Rob.
There’s also a good chance you’ve got some kit in the tackle room that’s had the Lee Kerry influence bestowed upon it. His standards are impeccable when it comes to quality and nothing that he’s worked on leaves the Preston Innovations factory unless he himself is 100% happy with it.
6 - Mortimer and Whitehouse
You’ll struggle to find two people who’ve done more for the image of fishing in Britain over recent years than the lovable duo of Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse.
Since the inception of their hit BBC TV show, Gone Fishing, in 2018, the pair have revolutionised the public’s perception of angling.
The programme is the polar opposite to the hyper-macho and occasionally cringe-worthy portrayals of the sport that is sometimes televised, and has shown the nation that really, most of us just fish for the sheer enjoyment of it – not to tame some legendary beast!
Bob has a huge media presence, while Paul uses his platform to raise awareness of some of the biggest issues facing our rivers.
He’s made regular appearances on national TV programmes, highlighting the worrying plight that our running waters face. In March, he starred in the two-part programme, Our Troubled Rivers, on BBC2, in which he travelled the country to reveal the tragic decline of Britain’s precious waterways, and show what needs to be done to save them.
Paul also launched a book alongside John Bailey – Gone Fishing’s angling advisor – titled How We Fish. In it, the pair tell engaging stories from the bank as well as delving into more technical angling topics, such as watercraft.
With Series 7 of Gone Fishing on the way in 2024, we expect Mortimer and Whitehouse to continue to shine a light on all things good about fishing for many years to come.
5 - Alan Blair
It’s fair to say that very few people in fishing can match the energy and enthusiasm that Alan Blair delivers!
Though well-known for his carp angling exploits, not many people realise that he’s also an accomplished all-rounder, as adept at catching roach, barbel, pike, bream, chub and zander as he is carp.
His videos have racked up over 860,000 views on YouTube this year, with his Borrowed Time series and the second part of his Urban Banx London special proving particularly popular. To this can be added 124K followers on his Instagram account.
Alan’s continued enthusiasm for catching carp of all sizes, from a wide range of venues, has helped to make the specimen carp scene more accessible and all-encompassing, with less emphasis on the weight of fish caught, and more on the fun side of the sport and meeting new characters along the way.
4 - Neil Spooner & Tom Dove
When Ali Hamidi left Korda and the associated Monster Carp TV series, many wondered what the future would hold. But fans needn’t have worried as the dynamic duo of Neil Spooner and Tom Dove has proved to be a roaring success.
Season 7 won ‘TV Show of the Year’ in the 2022 National Angling Awards, and they narrowly missed out on the top spot again in 2023.
It’s the chemistry and humour between the two that strikes a chord, and their talk at The Big One show back in March drew a massive crowd. Both are also senior employees at Korda – Tom as Product Development Director and Neil as UK Sales Manager.
3 - Ali Hamidi
With a drive and passion that few can rival, Ali truly is a force of nature within the angling industry.
In 2021 he made the tough decision to leave his role at Korda and, alongside former Premier League footballer Bobby Zamora, he launched his own company One More Cast.
Over the last year he has continued to expand the brand’s product range and now provides more than 300 items, covering everything from terminal tackle to clothing.
One of the biggest, most controversial launches came in the form of the Magic Twig back in August.
Splitting opinion across the angling community, it became the first item of fishing tackle to have a trending video on YouTube, and despite being banned at many venues, it quickly sold out in tackle shops!
Ali’s entrepreneurial spirit has seen the release of many less divisive products, however, with OMC terminal tackle and clothing now a common sight on the banks.
In October, Ali and Bobby returned to our screens for the second season of The Grand Fishing Adventure on ITV4. In the four-part series, the two avid anglers caught some enormous fish including comizo barbel, carp, sturgeon, catfish and zander.
2 - Matt Godfrey
Matt’s influence has continued to climb at an astonishing rate, with his regular appearances on Guru’s social media channels inspiring a giant audience to get out on the bank.
He instigated the hugely successful Fishing Gurus podcasts, where he played host during in-depth interviews with many of sport’s biggest names, and played a key role in the four-part underwater filming series that changed the way most of us fish the feeder.
He’s also shared his wealth of knowledge on countless occasions, passing on top tips and tactics via various online platforms.
You’d think that his own fishing would suffer because of the commitment to creating high-level content, but Matt hasn’t let that happen, and he has maintained a firm place within the elite of the match fishing scene.
He played a key role in making sure England came home from the World Championships in Spain with a silver medal, and has also become a vital cog in what has arguably become match fishing’s greatest ever side – the Drennan Barnsley Blacks. In 2023 alone they won the Division One National, Angling Trust Winter League Final and Sensas Challenge, to name just a few, with Matt part of the team on each occasion.
On the individual front, he’s been a huge champion of natural waters, and his success will have no doubt alerted more people to their huge potential.
He fished his first-ever River Wye Festival and came second while competing against a very talented field, with appearances on the likes of the Stainforth & Keadby Canal and River Trent yielding similar results.
1 - Danny Fairbrass
A huge player in angling’s biggest sector, Danny Fairbrass needs little introduction to carp anglers.
Over three decades after founding Korda, he shows no sign of slowing down.
2023 was an amazing year for Danny and his brand, driving everything from innovative films to fisheries, tackle developments and charity work.
We interviewed him to find out more about his life and work in 2023, read the full article here.
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