Matt Hayes gives i2i television an exclusive video interview here »

Join the i2i television mailing list for the latest news, exclusive downloads and special offers.

Matt Hayes Profile

"I was 28 and Sales & Marketing Director for Pirelli Tyres. One day I just walked into the office and decided that I'd had enough. Shimano had offered me a consultancy contract and this, coupled with some video work and marketing work for companies in the industry enabled me to launch my career in fishing - I've never looked back."

"I won specimen fishing's top prize, the Drennan Cup in '98 and then dropped out of serious big fish angling to rediscover pleasure fishing. I still like to catch big fish but for me, what really counts is experiencing fishing in all of its forms. I came to realize that measuring success in pounds and ounces is a road to nowhere and these days I seek out fishing adventures wherever I can find them."

"The places I fish, the people I fish with and the mastery of so many different styles of fishing are my driving forces - I just love the big, wild places and the wild, uncaught fish. To me, the magic of fishing is mystery and uncertainty. I've been so lucky to fish in some of the greatest places in the world and the best part is that there are so many more blank pages in the fishing diary to fill… I have written a column in Angling Times for almost ten years and starred in every issue of Improve Your Coarse Fishing since issue 3."

Other T.V work:
Fish Tales (Sky Sports), Total Fishing (Discovery), Mainstream (Discovery), Wet Nets (Discovery), Buena Vista Fishing Club (Discovery)

Outstanding fishing ambitions:
To catch a seven pound chub, a big ferox trout, a broadbill swordfish, a forty pound pike and a permit on a fly.

Born:
Born 24 November 1961 in Smethwick near Birmingham.

Lives:
Shropshire

Education:
Law Degree Wolverhampton University

Favourite food:
Cheese and onion sandwiches.

Favourite countries:
Sweden and Cuba.

Favourite Hotel:
Cragwood House Hotel, Windermere.

Marital Status:
Married with two kids.

Vehicle:
Mitsubishi Pick-Up.

Favourite Music:
Led Zeppelin, Travis, Avril Lavigne.

Favourite Track:
'Ramble On' - Led Zeppelin.

Favourite Football Team:
Man United.

Hero:
Ryan Giggs.

Favourite Fishing:
I love it all but believe it or not, after all the places I have fished and all the fish I have caught I still look forward to a good day's chub fishing on a small river in winter more than anything else.

Visit Matt Hayes' website for fishing tips, exclusive 'How to Fish' video podcasts and more...