Name one sport that isn’t age restricted and angling will be at the top of the list. Angling can be enjoyed by all ages and all abilities. For some, the sport is about catching the biggest fish they can! However, for others it is a way of escaping the rat race of life and it can even be an adventure! It brings you so close to nature that if you are lucky enough, you just might be able to touch it.

I started fishing when I was around five years old and continue to enjoy angling to this day. My dad took me on many adventures, from catching trout in the streams of Cornwall to climbing up and down cliffs sea fishing. Then, we started course fishing for lots of different species and that’s when we fell in love with carp fishing/angling. The carp is a very clever fish and to catch one is a very good achievement. My current best is a carp from Argal Lake in West Cornwall where I caught a fish of 31lb 3oz – very large indeed! (Although not the biggest in SWLT).

Having been a tree surgeon/gardener all my life, I volunteered for South West Lakes Trust for about 10 years. One day, I received a phone call out of the blue, offering me a job as a countryside warden. I couldn’t believe it! I was so happy; not only was my love in the countryside, but to be working around the lakes and with fish was a dream come true.

Now, I run a syndicate lake and look after a few other fisheries for the Trust. I enjoy chatting with the fishermen around the lakes and we have built up a good friendship now. I could chat all day about fishing, but this is just a little snippet of angling and the work I do for the Trust.

Greg Reynolds, Countryside Warden