It is nearly thirty years since this Norfolk tackle dealer was catapulted into our lives. Go Fishing would help to make John Wilson a household name, but he drove an interesting road to get there.
A former hairdresser and Merchant seaman, Wilson was born in Enfield and first wet a line in the River Lea. In 1971 he opened a tackle shop in Norwich, and built a reputation as a fine angler. He particularly enjoyed fishing the River Wensum where he learned the art of long-trotting for chub and especially roach.
As his popularity grew, Wilson turned a hand to writing, and has had a string of angling books published including Wilson’s Angle and Fifty Years a Fisherman.
He also put his name to a range of fishing tackle, and the John Wilson 11 foot Avon Quiver is one of the best selling rods of all time (even Fishpool possesses one).
Today, Wilson is retired from television work, and has sold his house in Norfolk (complete with carp lakes) and moved with his wife to Thailand.