“PEOPLE SAY MY DAD WOULD HAVE BEEN PROUD, AND THAT MEANS A LOT”
Dean Barlow on his new role at the helm of the England Feeder team
FOLLOWING Tommy Pickering as manager of the England Feeder Team is no easy task, but Dean Barlow can’t wait to get started.
Son of the late, legendary match angler Frank, the Nottinghamborn joiner took over the reins recently and this week he spoke to news reporter Freddie Sandford about his new position.
Wouldn’t you rather be fishing?
Dean Barlow: Of course I would! There’s nothing like the buzz of fishing a World Championships. However, as with everything in life, time is a key factor and at this moment the six anglers on the team are the best feeder anglers in the country. It’s always an honour to represent England, and my role as manager comes a close second to actually fishing.
What will you do differently to Tommy Pickering?
DB: Everyone has their own management style, but after the success of Tommy Pickering there is no need for me to make any radical changes. If it’s not broken there’s no need to fix it, so we won’t deviate from the blueprint that Tommy laid out for the team.
I do still want to put my own spin on the role but, as I say, Tommy was hugely successful, and if I can achieve half of what he did I’ll be happy.
How will you command the respect of the team that Tommy had because of his big-match history?
DB: I’ve been there and done it! The lads know that I’ve been involved with the team from the very start and that I dealt with the stick we got after the first World Championships. Now people are on our side and I’ve stuck with the team no matter what. I’ll be able to bring the passion and drive I had during my fishing time into my management style that I hope will continue to bring us success.
What would your dad, the legendary Frank, make of all this?
DB: My dad fished for England in a Home International at Edgbaston Reservoir and was asked to represent England at full international level, but he had to turn the offer down due to the costs, as well as having a young family to look after.
There’s no doubt that this sacrifice, as well as many others, has helped me get to where I am today, so I’d like to think he would have been proud of me. People who are close to me say he would have been proud, and that means a lot.
How many World Feeder Championships have you fished? How did you fare in them?
DB: I fished for one day in Italy in 2011 but didn’t do very well. In 2012 we fished in Belgium and I did much better, finishing 10th overall, however, I was left out of the 2013 squad. I worked hard to get back in and was recalled to fish in Ireland in 2014. Here I had a second and a fourth in section, which played a part in our overall victory.
In the 2015 World Champs in the Netherlands I helped England to claim the title for a second year running, and in Serbia the next year we managed a silver medal. Overall I’m happy with my results, and have two gold medals, two silvers and a bronze on my wall, so I’d say my time with the team was very successful.
What have you learned from Tommy’s management style? DB: Tommy pointed out how much more you learn on the bank,
and by watching your team you pick up so much information. Everyone fishes differently and approaches their peg in a unique way, so if I see someone doing well I know how they will be fishing as I know their angling style. Mick Vials, for example, fishes in a more traditional style than some of the lads, so if he’s catching I know what his tactics will be.
Tommy was also an excellent man manager, and he knew that while some of the team needed a stern telling-off, others needed a comforting arm around them. There are factors people don’t realise the team have to deal with, including the immense pressure we’re under. It’s now my job to help the team out as Tommy did.
We don’t get paid millions like people do in other sports, so we’re doing it for the good of the team rather being financially motivated. Of course, were all proud to represent our country, but spending two weeks away from our families brings its own set of challenges. Tommy was excellent at empathising with the team, and I plan to be the same.
Will you be changing the team?
DB: I think we have the six best feeder anglers in the country on our team, so I have no plan to change the side. We have been incredibly successful over the
years, so there is no sense in me coming and making radical changes to the squad. The team is also young, particularly compared to the international float angling squad, therefore there is lots to look forward to in the future.
What will it be like to manage former team mates?
DB: It will be good to manage them – they know me well and know the values I hold. I’m a team man, and they know how highly I think of their angling ability. This doesn’t, however, mean I’ll be soft with them, and while I’ll be happy to offer a pat on the back I won’t hesitate to kick a few bottles about should I need to! Importantly, I make the decisions and will stand by them whatever the result. I’ll protect my guys 100 per cent, and they know that.
How are you feeling about your first World Championships as England manager?
DB: I’m looking forward to it, but I know it will be a challenge. The venue is the Bloemhof Dam Nature Reserve in South Africa,
and for us it’s the hardest World Champs to win. The South Africans know the venue inside out, and the pegging will also be unknown until a week before the event, meaning we shall have limited time to practise on the actual match length.
We plan to arrive a few weeks in advance to acclimatise to the conditions and prepare our gear, and when the official match length is announced we can begin to figure out the best approach. Logistically, it’s also a massive task getting six sets of fishing tackle all the way to South Africa.
Thankfully the team’s sponsor, Preston Innovations, has been brilliant and I’d like to thank the staff for their support.