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John Wilson Rods
In the angling world, the name John Wilson carries with it a tradition of success in all things fishing. With a career spanning decades, starting as fishing journalist to a international TV star, Wilson certainly earned to be voted “The Greatest Angler of All Time” in a poll by Angling Times, it’s no wonder his range of rods carry his name with a similar fortitude, quality and an unparalleled regard in the field.
He has a lifetime of experience as an angler under his belt, with regular catches of big from all over the world funding his tremendous knowledge and expertise. He has written over 40 specialist angling books, so you can be sure he really knows his stuff about angling and is passionate about making the best products for anglers like himself. He tries and tests every product to perfection, and this rod passed his test. If you’re looking for a reliable, affordable, and easy to transport rod, these John Wilson Rods are for you.
From Fly Fishing to Predator Angling, the John Wilson Rods and Reels continue to support anglers in their own adventures.
John Wilson was voted “the greatest angler of all time” by the readers of the most popular fishing magazine. This accolade was awarded for a lifetime of service to the angling community, from presenting TV series, writing angling Books, producing magazine articles, and attending hundreds of public appearances that John was so good at. Many of today’s top anglers grew up watching his famous TV series ‘Go Fishing’ and aspired to follow in the footstep of this great man themselves.
John Wilson’s Go Fishing
John’s famous ‘Go Fishing’ show was one of the most popular shows on TV. It spanned over 20 years in production, something that has never been done since. During this time, John inspired countless people to take up angling and showed them how to enjoy now just the angling itself, but the wildlife and world around them while doing so! John’s infectious energy for fishing was something that resonated with the majority of the show’s viewers, no matter their level of interest in angling, natural history, travel or merely entertainment, the show had something for everyone. ‘Go Fishing’ very quickly became the must-watch show of the time.
The Fishing History of John Wilson
John Wilson was born in Enfield, London, where he attended the Chace Boys School. Wilson fished on several local waters, one being the River Lea. He later fished further afield. John had careers in hairdressing, the Merchant Navy, and printing before opening his own fishing tackle shop called; ‘Johns Tackle Den’, which was based in Norwich, in 1971.
In later adulthood, John Wilson lived at Great Witchingham, Norfolk, where he fished on his local River Wensum for his favorite fish species, the Roach. While living in Norfolk, John excavated and created two lakes at the house. This was a labor of love for John. It took many years to create and perfect, but once complete and matured, this created a modern-day Shangri-la to escape to after long days in the tackle shop or planning shows. The lake complex featured in many of his TV series and was a paradise for fish, nature, and anglers alike.
John Wilson’s Perfect Fishing Tackle
John’s expertise in angling was not only based on knowing where and when to fish but also on the fishing tackle required to catch fish comfortably, and with finesse. Wilson was never an advocate of stiff rods and heavy lines as he opted for the classic through action rods and light lines and proved their effectiveness by catching many specimen fish while using this tackle.
John Wilson’s knowledge of angling led John to start designing rods for Masterline, the tackle brand. At Masterline, John designed the world-famous ‘Avon Quiver’, a fishing rod that was deemed the best-selling rod ever! With its distinctive white tip, forgiving action, and all-around versatility, the Avon Quiver that bore John’s name, must surely be one of the bestselling rods in British history! Everyone has either owned an Avon Quiver rod or knows someone who does. The ‘Avon Quiver’ was so popular due to its unique makeup, the fact it could be used for all styles of fishing by utilizing the multi-tip configuration meant that one rod could do it all, from rivers to lakes, big Carp to bags of Bream and Roach and everything in between, something that had never been seen before.
John went on to develop a whole range of best-selling fishing tackle products over the span of 30 years. John Wilson became one of the best-selling brand names in the business. His tackle was always designed with a roving approach, finesse, with enjoyment in mind.
John Wilson’s Favourite Fishing Spots
John’s fishing not only focused on UK waters, but he was also well known as a big fish man who just loved to explore the globe, in search of hard-fighting species. John’s favorite of all these monster fish was the mighty Mahseer in India. John made many visits to the Cauvery River, in south India, in search of the Mahseer, where he recorded some fantastic catches while fishing on the river. John’s passion for angling was not just for freshwater either as he loved to fish for all species, both in fresh and saltwater. John Wilson was the most famous angler and ‘all-rounder’, that has ever lived.
Fishing in Thailand
In late life, John decided to leave the UK, setting up a new life in Thailand. John enjoyed the laidback lifestyle, warm weather and exceptionally hard-fighting fish that inhabit the lakes and rivers in Thailand. Whilst in Thailand, John created another fantastic fishery on the grounds of his home. He stocked it with huge specimen fish from around the world. John also created several TV shows in this part of the world, where he caught and released some huge fish for the cameras. Wilson’s famous catchphrase: ‘That’s a Clonker’, really took on a new meaning in Thailand!
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