Angler • World Champion • Author • Storyteller
About Clive Branson
More than sixty years in angling — from the banks of South Wales to the World Championship stage.
A Lifetime in Angling
Fishing has been part of my life for more than sixty years. What began as the enthusiasm of a young angler in South Wales developed into a lifetime of match fishing, international competition, friendships and unforgettable experiences.
Along the way I was fortunate to meet, fish with and compete against many of the anglers whose names became part of the history of our sport.
Some were rivals. Some became friends. Others were heroes who inspired me long before I ever imagined competing at the highest level myself.
Portugal • 1987
World Champion
In 1987, on the River Mondego in Portugal, I achieved the greatest competitive success of my angling career when I became Individual World Angling Champion.
The World Championships also gave me the opportunity to compete alongside many of the finest anglers of the era and created friendships and memories that have lasted throughout my life.
The International Years
My international career produced some extraordinary memories. I won Individual Silver at the 1986 World Championship in Strasbourg before winning Gold in Portugal the following year.
Two years later, in 1989 at Plovdiv in Bulgaria, I was part of the Wales team that won the World Championship team Gold medal.
But when I look back, the medals are only part of the story. Just as important are the characters I met, the friendships that developed and the remarkable anglers I was privileged to watch at close quarters.
Why Legends in My Lifetime?
As the years passed, I realised that many of the great anglers I remembered so vividly were becoming names from another era.
I wanted to preserve not only their achievements, but also their personalities, their stories and my own memories of them.
That idea became Legends in My Lifetime — first through the written word and now through music, photographs and film.
Still Fishing. Still Remembering.
Angling has changed enormously during my lifetime, but the fascination remains exactly the same.
I still enjoy fishing, writing and sharing the stories of a sport that has given me a lifetime of wonderful memories.
“The trophies record the victories. The memories record the people.”
My First International Success. 3rd Luddington, England, 1981
Continue the Journey
Discover the Complete Legends Collection
Discover the book and explore the music collection on CD, USB and digital download.
EXPLORE THE LEGENDS COLLECTION →
The Anglers • The Stories • The Memories • The Music
The anglers. The stories. The memories. The music.
— Clive Branson