I caught my first fish when I was five years of age and it fired my imagination and curiosity for all things piscatorial. I have advanced through coarse, sea and game fishing disciplines and, for the past 30 years am passionate about fly fishing for trout and other species in rivers, lakes, reservoirs and sea, primarily in Sussex and Surrey, South East of England.

To enable me to share my passion for fly fishing and to enable me to teach both children and adults I embarked, a quarter of a century ago, upon becoming a qualified and licensed Game Angling Coach specialising in Trout. To this day I continue to develop my skills as a fly angler and as a coach / instructor through continued professional development to ensure my clients can be assured of the very best service using the most up to date techniques.

• I am a Game Angling Qualified Instructor
• I am a member of G.A.I.A. (Game Angling Instructor’s Association) The Professional Body for Game Anglers in UK.
• I am a Level 2 Angling Coach (Game)
• I hold a current Angling Development Board (ADB) Coaching Licence
• I am fully insured and have undergone safeguarding and protecting vulnerable persons training and have a current CRB Certificate
• I hold a current First Aid Certificate
• I am a member of the Salmon & Trout Association; Bewl Water Fly fishing Club and Crawley Fly Fishers
• I am a ‘Castor’ for the Masonic Trout and Fishing Charity and have been CRB cleared by them
• I am also proud to be a member of the Angling Trust


I have been involved in Game Angling tuition for over twenty-five years and have extensive experience of teaching all ages and levels of competence, including vulnerable persons and those with special needs, as well as appearing at County Shows and Game Fairs and at the National CLA (County Land Owners Association) Game Fair.

I offer one to one or small group coaching sessions in addition to specific guiding and or corporate days.

For the absolute beginner, individual tuition is recommended and I can tailor this to suit each individual’s needs and budget. Tuition will include health & safety considerations, tackle requirements and selection, roll cast and overhead cast, basic retrieves, playing, landing and humane despatch (or safe release) of trout plus provision of all tackle required for the session. All participants must wear safety glasses and suitable headgear (baseball style hat is ideal) which I can provide on request.

For the more experienced fly fisher, sessions can be arranged to trouble shoot faults or to develop advanced techniques, such as single and double hauling and casting efficiently into a head wind.

I also work with a team of dedicated qualified fly fishing coaches and can provide inclusive day or half day experiences for corporate groups or private parties for up to twenty persons. All tackle can be supplied and all levels of experience catered for. All participants must wear safety glasses and suitable headgear (baseball style hat is ideal) which I can provide on request.


For current date availability and prices lease contact me alanpurnell@msn.com