General news

Here’s another little fishy gem from the BBC, sadly only available on iPlayer to folks in the UK. Charles Rangly-Wilson of `Accidental Angler’ fame goes on a fish-based tour of Japan. Find the program here.

I enjoyed the program. It contains quite a few moments for the sqeamish, along with some genuinly funny sequences (the flying panda being one of them..).

Charles seems to be well on his way to becomming the (un)official good face of angling on TV (the bad face honour falling to Extreme Fishing’s interestingly-double-sir-named Robson Green). As one of the instigaters of the fantastic Wild Trout Trust that can’t be a bad thing. Become a member today!

Here’s the blurb…

Charles Rangeley Wilson, author, journalist and BBC 2′s Accidental Angler, travels to Japan to explore the Japanese people’s passionate relationship to fish.

Of all the island nations on Earth, there is, perhaps, none quite so obsessed by fish as Japan. Whether for food or entertainment, fish are at the very core of Japanese identity. From their reverential love of jewel-like koi to the seemingly barbaric world of scientific whaling via the balletic submarine ballet of the drive hunt, there are few corners of Japanese culture that have not been shaped by reference to fish.

Trying to comprehend this ‘alien’ culture, Charles embarks on a six-week odyssey through Japan, determined to use his love of fish and fishing as the common point of interest between himself and those he meets along the way. Since he loves fish possibly even more than the Japanese, they must have plenty in common…