Meet The Guides

Team Members

Ben Keedwell

I started my fly fishing journey when I was 10. I was in a hide watching birds at Chew Valley Lake and asked “why can’t I get as close to the birds as those people… Oh, they’re fly fishermen” came the reply and so it began. It wasn’t a smooth start, it took me 6 months to catch my first fish, a rainbow of about 1lb 8oz on a gold ribbed hairs ear from Barrow Tanks. I learned to tie my own flies at 12 and was fishing almost daily. I began to compete in local and national competitions. I improved steadily and attained a decent standard whilst young, culminating in representing England internationally at 16. Notably I won the boat knockout competition on Chew Valley against all the top competition anglers at 17 (the youngest ever to win it), in the final I beat the, then, English national champion to win, this was back in the competitions heyday.

Post university I found competition angling no longer practical, my fishing graduated to a new stage. Rivers and wild fish gave a stronger pull (not always literally). The love of fishing, wildlife and wild places remains as strong as ever. Any free time is often spent wading a river in South Wales namely the Ebbw, Usk or Taff. Happiness is to be found casting to rising trout last thing at night on Barrow tanks or chasing bass on the South coast or maybe even further afield catching trout in the Pyrenees. I hope I can share the joy I find from fly fishing with you.

Mark Withyman

I have fished for over 50 years. I started on tiny streams and ponds catching roach and eels with a rod tied to my push bike. I discovered Fly fishing in my early twenties and never looked back, the thrill of the tug or rise of a fish got me hooked, as much now and it did then. 
I have enjoyed many years competing in all sorts of fly fishing competitions and have been lucky to have represented England in my chosen sport over 20 times, in loch style, 5 Nations, European and world championships. I have captained my country on four occasions. I am currently the England world team manager. 
I coach fly fishing for all abilities from beginners to experienced anglers wanting to improve technique. This coaching includes rivers, boat and bank fishing with the latest developments from the very best anglers, whether washing line method, straight line buzzer fishing on the Stillwaters to French style nymphing or duo and dry fly styles on the rivers. 

I hope you like the website and look forward to meeting with on the water.

Tim Curley

My passion for fly fishing came from a childhood spent exploring the natural world.
Growing up in the West Country I developed a real fascination of wild places and and the variety of species that could be found in them. This led me to a career in conservation working for the Wildlife Trust where ultimately I would manage a variety of habitats from species rich grasslands to wetlands. Landscape scale conservation is where I ended up. 
My fly fishing started in my back garden. My Dad a life long fisherman taught me to cast at targets on my lawn and this pushed me to pick up a rod and explore.

I’m really a river fisherman at heart. Although I’ve spent many hours fishing the lochs of Assynt in the Scottish highlands and caught bass wild camping in West Wales, I always feel the pull of a river the strongest. The River Chew, the Monnow and the West Dart have always been happy hunting grounds for me. Whether I’m stalking early season rising trout or nymphing for grayling in the bitter cold my interest has always been in wild fish and wild rivers. There is a rhythm to it like nothing else, reading the water, the ever changing flow, the opportunity around every meander. It’s an immersive experience like no other. More than just escapism, it’s an opportunity to continually learn and improve a skill that you will never truly master.

I have always found that my fishing has improved the more I fish with others and this is the of focus of Fly fishing Guides. Whether it’s your casting stroke, choice of fly or how you read the water. We’d like to help you develop your fishing andshare our knowledge and experience