A lifelong river conservationist, John Bailey taught History and Classics at A level before leaving teaching thirty-five years ago to write, travel, and present programs on fish, fishing and rivers. He has written over 50 books, including our very own How We Fish with Paul Whitehouse, made endless TV and radio appearances and become acquainted with hundreds of rivers in 64 countries. His work (he has been Fishing Consultant on BBC 2’s Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing for eight years) has taken him to virtually every watershed in the UK and it is doubtful if anyone has a better working knowledge of the UK’s rivers in their entirety.