Star Profile - Derek Richie
Derek Richie – Born London UK – Age - It’s just a number
Fishing-Adventure Consultant
Top 3 Personal Bests
Carp - 44lb 8oz - Mirror
Shark - 77lb 8oz - Tope
Catfish - 159lb - Wels
Fishing achievements
Still avin em, large!
COMPANY
To have “The Don” on board truly makes our fishing mafia complete. His enthusiasm & sheer love of fishing is clearly displayed every waking moment. You have seen him on the TV & in the magazines, now it’s your chance to fish with the main man. Derek brings a host of fishing achievements to the table but relies on his natural ability in charming fish into the net. Watch out Spain “The Don “is on a plane. Your fishing adventure with Derek will be a non stop barrel of laughs with some of the best fish Europe has to offer.
PERSONAL
I started fishing at the age of 7 with a hand line off the end of South end pier, from then, excuse the pun, I was hooked. Over the next few years, I learnt quite a lot about catching a variety of fish. As there wasn't a lot written about different styles of fishing, you could say that I was self-taught. Catching numerous fish such as Cod, Whiting, Dabs, Mullet, Bass all varieties of sea fish I then started learning how to catch fresh water fish. Evenings after school I would fly down to the local lakes & catch Tench, & Multi-coloured gold fish experimenting with different baits. At the age of 12 my love affair with Carp Angling began. Trying to find lakes & ponds that contained the elusive Carp, as you can imagine this wasn't an easy task. To find a 20lb fish was something very rare in those days. Unlike today, most the fish that you caught were between 3-10lb you could catch them by using all different methods, e.g. Bread, Maggots, different Dog food pastes, that were a learning curve! Over the next few years' lots of other things come into my life for example, womanizing & drinking Beer, the fishing takes a back seat for a while.
I was married at 21 & then concentrated all my efforts between Sea & Carp fishing. Over the next few years I caught several fish, one time holder of the Essex Carp record in 1976, with a fine 36lb Common. I then turned my attentions to big sea fishing, at the time there wasn't a lot known about Tope, & over the next few years I amassed many big fish over 50lb. With the largest 2lb off the British record weighing 77lb 8oz. As the Tope stocks started to deplete I returned to Carp fishing. I was a Carpet fitter for many years, but as people know it's a young man's job my knees & back started to hurt & the only things that I knew about were Carpets & fishing I was fortunate enough to be offered a job in the fishing industry which I have now been in for the last 14 years. For a few years I ran Manor Farm syndicate in Essex successfully & really put Manor Farm in the history books of Carp Fishing. I successfully managed to bank all the large residents of the lake. Whilst there I ran into the Editor of Total Carp Jim Foster & over the years that followed we became best of friends & started a series called Troubleshoot in Total Carp Magazine where each month a reader gets the chance to come fishing with yours truly, & hopefully fulfil all their dreams of beating their Personal Best. In August 2004 I was pleased to receive a sponsorship deal with Svendsen Sports to promote & design ProLogic fishing tackle which has now enabled me to become a full time angler allowing more time to specializing in carp bait & product development. Moving now into the Fishing Adventure scene, I can guarantee the mutts of a fishing adventure with these guys at Carp & Cat Bussters, I am well chuffed to be one of the team & look forward in fishing with you very soon.
View Derek's captures in our Photo Gallery - click here
