MATTHEW WRIGHT
TV presenter explains how angling is the key to staying happy
MATTHEW Wright, best known as the presenter of The Wright Stuff, has been fishing since a trip to the Norfolk Broads when he was eight years old. His dad bought him a simple starter kit and when its float dipped and a small eel appeared on the end, Matthew’s lifelong passion began.
Back then, it was nothing more than a fun way to spend an afternoon but recently fishing has played a much more important part in his life.
“About 18 months ago I developed insomnia overnight,” he reveals. “When I eventually saw a doctor, they told me it was due to post traumatic stress disorder.”
Matthew had suffered a number of bereavements in quick succession, including a good friend’s suicide. On the face of it, he had been coping well, but under the surface it was a different story.
“Over the previous year and a half, I’d been having a lot of mental health issues, and before Christmas I was really struggling,” he told us.
“I used to get on the bank once a week, with my favourite venue being the fabulous River Usk in Wales. I could get away from all the stuff that was on top of me. But when my baby daughter Cassady was born, fishing had to take a back seat. Work commitments also got in the way. Looking back, I don’t think the lack of fishing helped my health.”
As Christmas approached, Matthew’s wife suggested that he spent a couple of weeks fishing, leaving her and 11-month old Cassady at home.
Venturing to the Caribbean on his own and missing his daughter’s first Christmas was a difficult decision for Matthew to make, but it had incredible results.
“It’s the best thing I could have done,” he reveals. “Fishing gives you the opportunity to step out of the daily grind. You can get away from stuff that’s on top of you and allow your mind to focus on something other than your worries.
“Just feeling the water push past you, as well as having wonderful encounters with wildlife, can really give you a lift.
“I’m feeling much more my usual self now and I’m definitely a better dad for it too. Quite frankly, I was pretty useless before Christmas!”
Fishing has long been heralded a great source of therapy.
Popular fly angler, Marina Gibson, says: “When I was living in London and found the stresses of everyday life all too much, fly fishing offered me an escape.
“It clears your mind as you focus on beautiful surroundings and concentrate on what you’re doing.”
Lisa Wilson, founder of The John Wilson Fishing Enterprise, which was set-up to provide fishing opportunities for disadvantaged children and young adults, also believes fishing can change someone’s mental outlook.
“I believe it can benefit people with post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as vulnerable people who are isolated and lonely,” she says.
“I just can’t recommend fishing enough,” Matthew adds, “which is why I’m going to do as much as I can to promote angling to a wider audience.”