Botham on the Fly - Eric Clapton

" The chalk streams of Southern England is said to be the soul of fly fishing. It's something I'm not really that familiar with. I have to say I've fished the bigger rivers for the bigger fish, but I am looking forward to this special. We're here on the test at Fulling Mill and behind me fishing is someone who's got a lot of experience on these rivers, great old friend of mine. I'm sure someone you all recognize, Eric Clapton. He is looking forward to. I'm looking forward to and this is a very famous river; you read about it everywhere you go. Talked about trout fishing, the test we're gonna mention, and it starts at a little place called Ash and goes for 39 miles until it goes and reaches the Solent. Well, I'm looking forward to this, and let me tell you, this is special. It's only a head start, but I think we'll get some fish today."

" Helping us today is Gerry Whitefield, a local Angler and guide. Like all trout stream anglers, Gerry is very watchful of the trout's behavior, constantly identifying what they are feeding on and whether they are taking from above or below the surface."

" I only have time for 2 casts, and much to Eric's amusement he's into his first fish, but it's not a trout, but is a very big grayling."

" There you go."

" I didn't know you can eat it them."

" It looked great."

" Yeah. Some people love them."

" Look at that fin there. Isn't it beautiful?"

" Blimey, that's a--"

" Yeah a grayling, absolutely superb grayling. That would be half my lifetime's achievement if anybody's does grayling fishing."

" Just look at that."

" You see? One mill."

" The beginning of the end, I think."

" No, there're lots more. There's gotta be lots more."

" Fishing is so different from what I do for a living, but it is a complete time. It's almost like meditation for me, I suppose. I can treat it as a rest time, really. I think just being out away from all of the demands of my professional life. I don't really need long, but a couple of hours, 3 hours, to recharge my batteries and then I go back, you know. Because I'm a country boy, I need to get back in touch with the power of nature."

" While Eric gets in touch with nature, I get in touch with a nice one-eyed trout to level the scores."

" 240"

" Whoops, whoops, whoops."

" First to catch."

" Round 1."

" My fish is cool, yeah."