‘I thought I was too weak to do a “man’s job”’
Ashley Mullenger, 34, lives in norfolk And works As A female fisherman
Before I found my love of fishing I spent 10 years as a resident liaison officer, sitting at a computer looking after contracts for social housing in my area. Dealing with complaints was stressful.
One day, in 2009, in search of a release, I invited my mates to go sea fishing at the weekend. We turned up at the harbour at Wells-next-the-sea on a sunny day, clueless but up for it. As soon as we took to the water in the boat I thought, “I need to be here.”
I took the next week off work and joined the skipper every day catching small sharks and fish. My passion snowballed and two years later, the skipper Nigel invited me to join his crew. Spending the summer gutting fish and helping customers with rods and reels was a dream, but then I had to return to my office job.
NAVIGATING LIFE AT SEA
Then, in 2018, Nigel asked me to work full-time on his commercial fishing ship. I’d always been put off by the fisherman stereotype – angry, burly blokes – but they’re genuinely lovely, hardworking and considerate. “But
I’m a girl… I’m too weak,” I worried to Nigel. “What if a man risks his life to save me?” He laughed and told me he had faith in me.
The sea is hostile. If the weather turns, you’re in for a rough ride. Slips, trips and falls? They’re a daily occurrence – you get used to it. Luckily I don’t get seasick.
When I’m on the boat I use a hydraulic winch to haul up pots full of fish from the sea. Then I empty them, stack them up and shoot them back into the water. If my hand gets near the rope when it’s flying back to sea,
I’ll lose it.
Initially, Nigel treated me like a china doll. But he soon saw I could haul up pots as well as anyone else. I can’t remember the last time I had a day off, but I don’t care. We could be at sea all day and night fishing for crabs, lobsters and whelks. It’s a physical job – some days I’m sweating buckets in my plastic suit, with no make-up on and a beanie on to stop my hair flying around. On others I’m watching a gorgeous sunrise. If I have a spare five minutes you’ll find me sunbathing on deck! I’ve experienced such moving things at sea. Once a pod of dolphins and their young approached our boat and honest to God, I cried.
I’m supported by the local fishermen and my fishing adventures are also followed on Instagram. I haven’t had a bad word in my inbox. Instead, people applaud me. My family is happy for me, but Mum worries. She thinks I’m going to dissolve when it rains!
Last time I checked there were 14 female fishermen in the UK, compared to about 11,000 men. I insist on being called a female fisherman – that’s my title, I’m not a fisherwoman.
There’s no reason why women can’t be fishermen too. You’ve got to love the outdoors, be resilient and be able to get up at ungodly times. A sense of humour is a must and being able to be alone – your colleague might be the only person you see that week.
Boats are hard work and expensive and it’s not a steady income thanks to the weather. But you can earn great money if you’re prepared to work hard. Just because fishing is a male-dominated industry, it doesn’t mean it has to stay that way.
Follow @thefemalefisherman on Instagram