Andy Kitchener

Fly Fisher, Fly Tier, Author, Observer

His passion for fishing began at the age of six when his parents took him to the River Great Ouse at Oakley, just a few hundred yards from their home. Fishing got into his blood early, and it has never left. His mum, dad, brother and he often went fishing as a family. He can still remember the sound of trains crossing the bridge overhead as they fished for roach and perch using maggots and worms. Nothing complicated. They collected worms by mixing washing-up liquid with warm water and pouring it over the garden.

Fishing remained a family activity throughout his childhood. His father was a self-employed plumber, and when work was scarce, money was tight. While his father was working, his mother often took the children to Oundle Country Park. On one memorable outing, they caught an enormous bream and carried it home in a bucket to show their dad. Unfortunately, the fish died along the way, and their father suspected they had simply netted an already-dead fish. To this day, he isn't sure his father ever entirely believed their story.

Fishing continued to be a central part of his life. Early in his marriage, he rushed home to fetch his wife, Ann, so she could see his first ten-pound barbel at Harrold Bridge. Some fellow anglers had kindly kept the fish in a landing net while he went to get her. Ann was less than thrilled with the experience, which ended up costing him a new pair of jeans. Sorry, Hun!

Over the years, he pursued just about every kind of fishing. He started with barbel, moved on to pike, and eventually competed in the British Pike Finals. Later, he and Ann moved with their children to Yorkshire. At their home in Thorp Arch, he kept more than twenty fishing rods hanging from nails on the garage beams, always rigged and ready for a trip to the River Wharfe.

Then a friend introduced him to fly fishing, and everything changed. His first fly rod, purchased at a car boot sale, was as stiff as a broom handle and completely unsuitable for the job. Nevertheless, something about casting a fly captured his imagination, and he was hooked.

Until 2006, his career in the computer industry took him around the world, and wherever he traveled, his fishing rod went with him. He fished for sailfish in Australia, Spanish mackerel in Cuba and Jamaica, and kob in South Africa. Even family holidays were planned with at least one eye on the fishing opportunities.

He never intended to enter the fishing business. Fishing was simply in his blood, and there was no getting it out. Eventually, his passion led him to establish The Essential Fly, a specialist fly-fishing retail business. When he discovered that many fly-tying materials didn't meet his expectations, he founded Semperfli to develop better materials for fly tiers. By then, fishing was completely under his skin.

His fishing adventures continued to take him to remarkable destinations, including the Ramganga River in India's Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve in pursuit of golden mahseer; Norway, Sweden and Finland for grayling; and destinations throughout Europe for trout, carp and whitefish. He even had the opportunity to cast a fly on the famous Firehole River in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.

His enthusiasm for fishing also became a family tradition. When his daughter Sarah was just three years old, she announced that she wanted to go fishing with Dad. During a family outing, he assumed she would lose interest within minutes, so he simply set up a leger rig and cast out. An hour later, Sarah turned to him and asked, "Daddy, will I catch a big one like you?" He felt terrible, having just landed an 18-pound pike himself.

Today, Sarah runs operations at both Semperfli and The Essential Fly, proving that the family's passion for fishing has paid unexpected dividends.

Now a grandfather, he is delighted to see the tradition continuing with his grandson Louis, who is already learning to fly fish and tie flies with a little help. Fishing has clearly gotten into Louis's blood as well.