My other life - Robert Croft
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How did you start fishing?
I'm basically a boy from the
country, from Hendy in West
Wales. It's something I started
doing in those long school
holidays in the summer. My
grandfather fished, my father
fished and it just gets handed
down like playing rugby in
Wales is handed down from
generation to generation.
What was your first fish?
Like a cricketer I started with a
net. My parents took me down
to the local river and I caught
a trout. I didn't know at the
time that they had taken out
it of the freezer earlier. But I
didn't care I was, er, hooked
after that.
What sort of fishing do you specialise in?
Although I do some sea fishing
I mainly fly fish. A friend of
mine owns a stretch on the
River Tawe and that's where
you will see me going after
salmon and sea trout.
What has been your biggest catch?
My biggest fish to date was a
beautiful 15lb salmon I landed
last September at a stretch
of river in Capel Dewi in
Carmarthen - one of the most
prolific sea trout rivers in the
UK.
And the one that got away?
I lost a massive salmon last
year - it was like a crocodile
coming out of the water. It
was that big (Croft extends his
hands to about 4ft). I played
with it for about 15 minutes,
during which time we grew a
healthy respect for each other,
until the line broke when I
got it snagged on a bush. I was
gutted. It was like dropping
Brian Lara on nought off your
own bowling.
How does it fit in with cricket?
Fishing is a great way of
switching off from the cricket
whether it is going well or
badly. It's something I really
love. You get countryside,
peace, fresh air and there is no
mobile phone network there.
I like golf as well but after
a hard day's cricket the last
thing I want to do is go chasing
a little white ball around
grass for three or four miles.
Sometimes I want to stand in
one place and let everything
come to me.
How has fishing aided your cricket?
It was fishing that helped me
bat for three and a half hours
to help save the Old Trafford
Test match against South Africa
in 1998. At the time we had
someone helping the England
players with switch-on, switchoff
techniques. To relieve the
pressure of the moment I kept
thinking of the fishing I was
going to do the next day when I
got home. That was a memorable
day. I started off batting with
Ramps and then Goughie and
Gus. Though fishing helps me
switch off I find that on a quiet
stretch of river it can sometimes
help you think about things
more logically.
Any other cricketers you have fished with?
I've fished with Ian Botham,
Mike Atherton and John
Emburey. I have also spent
plenty of time on the river
bank with one of Wales's rugby
legends Gareth Edwards.
How well suited are cricketers for fishing?
I suppose like cricket it takes
up time and you need to be
patient, but I can't imagine fast
bowlers doing it. It tends to be
batsmen and spin bowlers.
Where's the furthest afield you've fished?
I lost a fantastic brown trout out
in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Gorgeous it was. I remember
Athers landed a lovely 7lb trout
that day. On that trip Alan
Mullally caught a 55lb mako
shark and we took it back and
put it in Athers' bed with his
toothbrush placed in its teeth.
Athers was a bit snappy with
me after that and I didn't play
another game on the tour.