I get why we're in lockdown and I absolutely support it...but what is the point of looking after our physical health if you don't do anything about our mental health? Matthew Wright on the impacts of COVID-19 and political response.
In our video chat below, we cover the joys of immersion in the outdoors, memorable fishing experiences & characters who enrich our lives. We also talk about the risks of ignoring our human need to have experiences of this kind (while protecting the environments where they happen). SCROLL down for links and extra information below the video:
In Conversation with Matthew Wright: Links and Resources Discussed
Photo: Glen Pointon (Matthew Wright collection).
Help and Support Links
First and foremost: international suicide helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org examples include:
- UK - The Samaritans Call 116 123
- US - National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Call 1-800-273-8255
- Australia - Lifeline Call 13 11 14
Fishing's role in Addiction Recovery
Here's a great article (complete with additional resource links) written by Cris Weiss who is 100% "Walking the Walk" on Benefits of Fishing to those in Recovery.
A recent Guardian Report highlights both direct (neurological) and indirect (isolation policy) impacts on mental health in the COVID-19 pandemic as potentially "deep and long-term".
My chat with Matthew included many other references to valuable and interesting sources of information. To help you find these more easily, I've split them up into the categories of Environment, Mental Wellbeing, Impacts on Society, Inclusiv and Physical Health. Of course, some resources will belong in more than one category. I've tried to pick out the most important theme for each based on how they featured in our conversation.
You can also jump to a rapid-fire/potted Bio of Matthew at the bottom of the page.
Environment (Matthew Wright is a VP of the Wild Trout Trust)
- The Wild Trout Trust: https://www.wildtrout.org/
- Salmon & Trout Conservation: https://www.salmon-trout.org/
Mental Wellbeing (Including Adam Hart's Book)
- Prof. Adam Hart's Book "Unfit for Purpose": https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/unfit-for-purpose-9781472971012/
- Casting for Recovery (UK & Ireland):
- https://www.countryside-alliance.org/charity/casting-for-recovery-uk-ireland
- Casting for Recovery (HQ): https://castingforrecovery.org/
- Fishing for Forces: https://www.fishingforforces.org/
- Project Healing Waters: https://projecthealingwaters.org/
Impacts on Society
- Get Hooked on Fishing: https://ghof.org.uk/
- Schools: Fishing for Schools
Economic Case Study in Rural Economy (Assynt, West Coast of Scotland):
- SUBSTANCE "The Social & Community Benefits of Angling" MAIN REPORT (SECTION 5, Pages 63-76)
- Assynt Case Study Interim Report 2009
Inclusion:
- Gender Parity - Orvis 50/50 on the water: https://5050onthewater.orvis.com/
- Racial Diversity - "Brown Folks Fishing" & Chris Hill Profiled by the Outdoor Collective and featured in the Orvis blog: https://news.orvis.com/fly-fishing/video-finding-community-in-fly-fishing
Physical Health
As well as physical/therapeutic benefits identified in Casting for Recovery (see Mental Wellbeing section above), measured physical health benefits are explored in SUBSTANCE's "Participation in Angling" Study:
- Average Exercise intensity (across all different types of angling) x long days burns more calories than many "traditional" exercise disciplines including mountain biking and horse-riding (often shorter in duration): https://www.substance.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Theme-Paper-3-Angling-and-Physical-Activity.pdf
- The vast range of types of angling make it extremely adaptable - from very low-intensity/seated activity through to much higher calorific burns (see next bullet point). The act of fly-casting (for instance) is an ideal, intermediate, level of intensity to aid post-operative recovery in breast-cancer patients (see Casting for Recovery above).
- I can neither confirm nor deny that I was "Thomas" the 37-year old fly fisher whose heart rate/calorific burn of 1075 calories over 3hrs 50 minutes was measured during "competition-style" river fly fishing in rapid water for Chart 2, Page 19​ of "Fishing for Answers"
and shown below...
This graph is on P19 of Brown, A., Djohari, N. and Stolk, P. (2012) Fishing For Answers: The final report of the social and community benefits of angling, Manchester: Substance and can be accessed by clicking here.
Substance Director Dr Adam Brown and team have continued with follow-up work to the "Fishing for Answers" project and have since published the "Angling for Good" report (Brown, A.(2019) Fishing for Good: The National Angling Strategy 2019-2024 , Bristol: Environment Agency) as part of the National Angling Strategy.
Matthew Wright: Quickfire Bio
Matthew Wright
Broadcaster & Journalist
Matthew Wright fronted Channel 5’s The Wright Stuff from 2000 to 2018, his career also includes entertainment news journalism, presenting BBC1’s Inside Out, his TalkRadio show with Kevin O’Sullivan and even an appearance on I’m a Celebrity. ​All this began at age 14 with his role in The Children’s film foundation 1979 production: Big Wheels & Sailor. He graduated from Exeter University in English & Drama and his first job in Television was with the Richard Littlejohn Show when he was 28.
Matthew is husband to Amelia and Dad to Cassady – and a major fan of the band Hawkwind. He is also fanatical about angling and a Vice President of conservation charity The Wild Trout Trust. Matthew recently spoke candidly on TV about the value of fishing to his own mental wellbeing – and that of others.
At the time of publication, Matthew is a regular contributor to This Morning – corresponding via video link amid COVID-19 lockdown conditions (which can involve juggling childcare duties on live TV)
More like this?
My interview with Luke Jennings (Author of Killing Eve, Bloodknots and more) touches on his voluntary work with his local youth angling project and the deeply therapeutic aspects of fishing. You can also find Matthew on Twitter: @Matthew_Wright
Find out more about "Unfit for Purpose" and the complexity of managed game reserves from Prof. Adam Hart on Twitter: @AdamHartScience
Your comments welcomed below,..
Paul
[…] Matthew Wright: Presenter Champions Mental Health Benefits of Fishing […]
I genuinely believe that fishing saved me from becoming extremely mentally ill. Two and a half years ago my daughter suddenly and unexpectedly died. I didn’t cope very well at all, and was struggling at work and if being honest, was drinking far too much for too much of the time. I ended up on medication which didn’t really help but dampened down all emotions. I somehow knew that I needed to get back out fishing and that would give me the mental space to sort myself out. The first few times out I didn’t really fish but just to get back to a river and sit on the bank was enough. Of course over the months I did get more fishing in and it was definitely that which got me through a very difficult time. Although I will never get over the loss I can deal with it and I am not on any medication now, but I do need my fishing fix to keep me mentally well. During the present times we are going through I feel frustrated that I can’t get out and fish, but I am lucky that I live in the countryside and can get out to green spaces and walk. I can even walk to a canal within a mile of my home and although I can’t fish I can walk along and think of the day when I can put my new found knowledge on “Lure Fishing” into use, this is following a lesson with J.P. just before the lock-down. Fishing may not have saved my life, I never quite got to the suicidal stage, but I an definitely in a better place that I may have been without it.
Peter – this is the kind of story that, when people say “calm down it’s only fishing” or “shut up and fish” really gets my back up.
Thank you so much for sharing that experience “as it is” – no more, no less. I have a feeling that it might well inspire some other folks who, perhaps, have some challenges to face now or in the future.
I look forward to a time we can get on the water together.
Paul