Angler spends £15k to fish at Cudmore!

A globetrotting angler showed his determination to fish the venue that hosts the Fish O’Mania final by making a 20,000 mile round trip from his home in Australia!

Lancashire-born Tim Waldron emigrated to Hervy Bay near Brisbane over two decades ago but decided to embark on the long-haul trip back to the UK after he watched the showcase event – which is staged on Arena Pool at Staffordshire’s Cudmore Fisheries – on TV.

And despite spending over £15,000 to spend two days on the prolific complex he is adamant that it was money well spent: “When I watched the final in 2012 I decided I must pay Cudmore a visit and although I’ve had two hip replacements within the last year it wasn’t going to stop me from making this trip,” he said.

“During my time in the UK I visited family and friends but I saved my two days of fishing until last and it was fantastic, with a personal best tench of 4lb and a 12lb ghost carp the pick of the fish caught,” he added.

The 64-year old water supplies expert has fished all over the globe and has already put plans in place to make a return next year. “I'm speaking at a conference in Vienna next spring so it would be a shame not to pay Cudmore another visit!”

Professional angling coach Andy May was hired to provide expert advice during Tim’s stay and he was full of praise for his dedication to the sport. “It was a real pleasure to help Tim and I really enjoyed the day. I thought it was a joke when I first heard someone wanted to come here to fish from Australia but as he’s proved, it was a genuine desire to give this great fishery a go.”