Fishing Gurus - Ade Kiddell

This entry was posted on 1st November, 2016

I have long been an admirer of a certain Mr Dean Macey; as an athlete he represented his country at the highest level, where his enthusiasm and commitment was there for all to see. Dean also happens to be a great angler and we have all seen his exploits on TV both as a presenter and an angler, and once again his enthusiasm comes across for all to see. When I was approached by Dean a while ago to help with the production of a TV programme he was planning based around catching barbel in Europe, I suggested he brought the team along to Kingfisher Maison with the aim of catching a few fish close by our home.

After several weeks of planning, the dates were set and the team arrived just in time for lunch and a briefing meeting with the crew and director where we discussed the plans for the next three days. We had a very busy schedule. The plans were to fish at least three venues, two river spots and a nice little commercial I had found with some local help. After the briefing, we visited the chosen venues and I could see Dean and his co-presenter, Adam Rooney, were keen to get fishing. Adam is the boss of the Guru brand in the UK but is also an England international angler and just loves his fishing.





In the true tradition of great film plots I can’t give too much of the storyline away. However, I can give you a brief overview without revealing any spoilers. Dean and Adam would be filmed travelling around the local area in an old French car, tackle on the roof rack, taking in the sites and sounds of the Ardennes region. It was no mean feat actually getting Dean in the car, 6ft 6inches and strong athletic build don't easily fit into a little Citreon 4CV, but we managed! Along the way the guys would try a few activities, other than fishing, as well as some local cuisine.





Having done a bit of filming over the years I thought I was aware of what it takes to make an angling film, but this was completely different and at a much higher level. After all, with mainstream TV as the target audience, only the very best would be acceptable. It was over four hours after we started filming that we even got to think about fishing. The first venue was bang in the middle of my local town of Fumay, the town was busy as it was market day and, as you can imagine, a crew of ten turning up to make a fishing film created loads of interest. Not to give too much away, but let’s just say that Dean and Adam had some great fish with some nice surprises. At one point seven casts had produced seven bites and seven fish of four different species; I couldn't hide my smile of satisfaction as my chosen spot had produced the goods.

The next morning it was almost to the Belgium border for our trip to a delightful little fishery, stocked with some nice carp, crucians, bream and tench. There was one problem, however, as it had dipped to -2 degrees and we’d had a sharp overnight frost – which you’d expect would certainly put a damper on things fishing wise, or would it? Well, you will have to wait and see, but let’s just say the guys didn't blank!



The afternoon was spent at the local activity park (Terratitude: http://www.terraltitude.com/en/) where it’s possible to descend one of the longest zip wires in Europe. As you travel down the wire at a fair rate of knots you cross over the River Meuse to get back into the park. It’s difficult to imagine a better place to view the river. For the purpose of filming, the guys had to travel the wire three times. I tagged along twice and it was an amazing experience.



Day three saw us back on the river at one of my favourite barbel spots. It didn't let me down and some really nice fish came to the net. The director called a wrap mid afternoon and, after a debrief, the guys were on their way home.

I am not sure when the programme will air or what channel but, once I know, rest assured, I will let you know. I can honestly say it was great to work with such a professional bunch of guys. Unless something was 100% it was unacceptable and modern technology makes the whole process more demanding with the requirement for highest quality footage. Slow motion cameras and drones play a big part and to be part of one programme was a great experience. Trying to catch fish on demand can be very difficult, especially with eight crew members watching and anticipating your every move! I think it’s easy to watch a programme and be critical but, having seen it from behind the lens, I can honestly say I will have a different view in future.