Life Since A Passion for Angling - The Bob James Interview

We join legendary angler Bob James on the banks of the prolific River Wye as he talks about all things fishing and his life in fishing since the making of the epic TV series 'A Passion for Angling'. Bob talks about some of the best moments of the series as well as revealing his fishing passions since the show including why he loves fishing for barbel and chub on his own stretch of river...

[@Arfabiscuit]

The magic of a passion for angling was Bernard Cribbins narration fairy dust .

[@jakehamilton9352]

👍👍👍👍

[@markdonohoe4884]

100 % 👌

[@buddha1736]

There is something about passion for angling, it has a warmth to it goes really deep & gives me goosebumps, absolutely classic reminds me of years passed. 😍

[@DynamiteBaitsTV]

definitely Alan :)

[@mickclarke5741]

A better time.

[@JWHarris........]

Definitely

[@specimenfishing]

What a lovely guy. I hope Bob and Chris one day will become friends again.

[@VinylFrontier81]

magic. i havnt seen bob on a screen since i watched the last episode of passion for angling all them years ago as a kid. there has never been anything better.

[@melissakampers]

A Passion for Angling is like Lord of the Rings. A timeless masterpiece. A thing of beauty and pure poetry.

[@TheMidlandAngler]

What a legend! Some great advice and some serious knowledge Bob has to offer- “Fish a method that most importantly you enjoy” That part I most agree and is what resonated with me most.

[@mickclarke5741]

Depends on your mentality, I love angling but I have a ego and need to satisfy that, enjoying and satisfying clash.

[@thecarpingsaint7143]

It is so great to see Bob and know he is content with everything he has accomplished in fishing. A Passion For Angling is without a doubt the greatest fishing programme ever. Every episode was incredible and both Bob and Chris were a superb duo. There will never be another like APFA but if would be good to see both Bob and Chris return to the old venues and see how they have changed in the intervening 30 years or so. Life is too short and fishing is far too important so we should all seize the day. A bucket list simply means completing a multitude of once in a lifetime dreams before you literally kick the bucket.

[@johnsmith-rs2vk]

Yep . Bravo .

[@portcullis5622]

It is a shame that Chris Yates and Bob James fell out with each other, not long after the series was first shown.

[@johnsmith-rs2vk]

@@RobertMCGAULEY I remember , Mr Crabtree goes fishing .I was so fasinated with this book .

[@peterdunraven2294]

passion for angling was brilliant, Bob's catch of roach I will remember to my grave 👍👍

[@kieranfoster902]

Thanks KZbin for recommending this. A beautiful interview.

[@paulcorbin7495]

Just Fantasic

[@dface6447]

i’m 51 now and started 🎣 at the age of 6 in the woods catching brown trout in derbyshire 😊,glorious days!,then we started fishing Barlow 😊 a duel fishery in the early 80s when REX owned it and it was a private fishery (we we’re lucky) that’s when i 1st got into Carp 🎣 as well as fly 🎣 with baby dolls for stockies 😊,i remember a passion for angling from the 📺 as a kid and i still get as much if not more pleasure watching it now as i did back then,thanks Bob and Chris and everyone involved!!,they’re still some of the most evocative 🎣 shows to this day👍.

[@WSFScotland]

This is a brilliant interview, especially his thoughts on interference with nature. Top man 👍👍👍

[@charlesbarnett2724]

I was a super keen 23 year old carp angler when Passion for Angleing came onto our tv's. I loved it. Everyone loved it. So atmospheric.

[@charlesbarnett2724]

Wonderful interview. Thank you Bob and all concerned.

[@robertmedzai8163]

H i Bob , it's a pleasure to see your face again. Man you bring back memories . I used to be sat in front of the tv back in 93 watching every episode of Passion for Angling. great series . I only wish you and Chris would have done a round 2 of that , I think all your fans would have enjoyed that . good to see you again.

[@MrDorsetD]

Brilliant! There will never be another Passion for Angling. To me, it will never be equalled. Great to catch up with Bob's angling 👍👍

[@justinsteel6360]

Passion for angling is like a hot mug of tea and your favourite jumper on a frosty morning

[@DynamiteBaitsTV]

:)

[@Pvanderborg]

Wonderful movies , nature , passion , friendship . can watch them endlessly. greetings from the Netherlands

[@stephengibbons9994]

class ! Passion for angling will always be the finest angling showcase and is a refreshing change from some of the present day antics.

[@andrewclack4881]

it was the show that really started my PASSION FOR ANGLING. Ever since then I have wanted a centre pin reel and a split cane rod. I grew up by the Thames in London and all I knew was night fishing for eels!

[@johnbloor4376]

Wow! What a great interview in the company of a true gentleman and amazingly gifted angler. Thoroughly enjoyed every minute. Thanks to Bob and also the Dynamite team for this beauty of a video.

[@DynamiteBaitsTV]

thanks for the comments John

[@SilverScalesFlyTyingandFishing]

Brilliant, would love to see more from Bob. He's absolutely right that you should fish in a way that you enjoy and suits you, not feel under pressure to fish like everyone else. Inspirational stuff!

[@marciabaldwin2506]

Absolutely loved a passion for angling when it was on the TV all them years ago, Bob and Chris were so iconic it was just pure magic almost like being there sat with them. I managed to find the hard back book that came out at the time. I did have the Vhs video pure class, sadly over the years I sold it will have to try and find it on Dvd ❤

[@simong6049]

Bob and Chris back together for just fishing trip on tv that would be something

[@simong6049]

@Old greg oh f##k really dint know that

[@kasperz.5218]

@@simong6049 it's not true, but the rumor has been around for years

[@simong6049]

@@kasperz.5218 ok cheers

[@portcullis5622]

@Old greg What actually happened (if I remember correctly), was that Chris Yates' wife at the time was a good friend of Bob James' wife. James left his wife for someone else, so the Yates' stopped talking to him. Mr and Mrs Yates split up at a later date.

[@tinabaker4662]

@Old greg he did not run off with Chris’s wife. I would be careful what you write. You may be committing liable.

[@paulmeredith8349]

Hugh did a truly amazing job with PFA, and you 2, made it..... it's akin to a religion...

[@stigma1911]

Been waiting decades for this. Well done dynamite baits. Nice to see Bob on the river banks. Great interview. 👍

[@DynamiteBaitsTV]

thank you. yes we really enjoyed making this one. it was never really planned either we just found ourselves out with bob and he has so many great stories. glad you enjoyed

[@iainshaw5108]

Agree with that. Cheers!

[@richardparry9655]

Spent a bit of time on that bit of river with Bob, lovely guy and an amazing place

[@matthewpizzey3261]

Absolutely mesmerising and having had the pleasure to fish his stretch on the Wye on many occasions, its fantastic hearing his happiness and content still. Brilliant work Dynamite

[@DynamiteBaitsTV]

thank you Matthew for the kind comments, glad you enjoyed :)

[@medicine_man_sam]

Biggest respect for the natural ebb and flow of nature. 🙏

[@richardneale6828]

What a treat to listen to this man again. 👏👏👏

[@DynamiteBaitsTV]

for sure richard, we really enjoyed our time with him on the bank. a fantastic angler with so much to talk about

[@ianbarker1506]

Bob yates and chris james are by far the best anglers in europe by a country mile ✊ nuff love.

[@w2tb36]

I love you Bob. Thank you for everything.

[@Retirement_Life]

What a fantastic interview with a really humble angler. If Bob does go back to Redmire or any estate lakes, could you please ensure you catch this for all of us to enjoy for the future? I’m an old fashioned angler and I wish there were more like Bod around to be paradigms of our sport.

[@DynamiteBaitsTV]

thanks john, watch this space we hope to be working with bob again soon ;)

[@rogergoulder3821]

Delightful. Thank you so much for taking the time to put that together. Loved every minute of it.

[@pauljones7806]

As mesmerising as ever Bob.

[@grahamj194]

Bought one of Bob's limited edition centre-pins many moons ago. Loved it so much it's in a display cabinet still unused. Don't want to damage it. Thanks Bob.

[@darrendimmock1229]

Loved a passion for angling deffo should make another a great series and 1 i have never tired of watching

[@DynamiteBaitsTV]

agreed :)

[@anthonyflint5725]

Bob James legend ... loved it .

[@DynamiteBaitsTV]

thanks Anthony

[@wadiolopez]

Wonderful. Love Bob and Chris. Could listen to them all day long. Well done Dynamite 🧨

[@robshaw3655]

Thanks Bob and Dynbaits...took my rods on honeymoon too.. Chris Bob and Hugh were angling angels sent to inspire and reinspire the fishing fraternity..

[@alexavfclineham7301]

I have grown up in Herefordshire and used to live on a farm where the Wye ran through our fields, unfortunately I wasn't an angler then but have many good memories of fishing it through my twenties, I haven't fished it for a few years now but will be back on its banks sometime soon hopefully. Great interview with Bob, I'm pretty sure I know roughly the area he fishes, lovely part of the county

[@alexavfclineham7301]

@@RobertMCGAULEY I do consider myself very lucky to live around here, I go walking by the wye quite often. My memory as a kid on thr farm was talking to an angler who had a bag full of eels one evening, I'm not sure if that was his target species or not, and also salmon fishermen used to turn up on the bank, it was private land but we didn't mind. I'm biased but the wye Valley is stunning. And of course the famous redmire is in this county too

[@mattmatt6878]

I remember Passion For Angling, brilliant to watch, with some magical content with great banter between Chris and Bob 👍

[@neilhalley8897]

Nice to see you again.

[@roseybut]

Brilliant! Thank you.

[@carpenter284]

What a nice man .. I was lucky enough to meet Bob many years ago . Thank you for the film

[@DynamiteBaitsTV]

yes bob is such a gent. thanks for the comments :)

[@chrish3030]

Enjoyed this, love the passion, my brother fishes similar spots while I’m left to chase wild browns in the shallow lagoons of the Central Highlands in Tasmania. Made me think of my late teens spending summers in the river

[@silvertourist]

Hi Bob...great video some lovely camera and drone shots of your section of the Wye. Passion for angling was, and still is the best fishing videos ever produced. The combination of Chris Yates, Hugh Miles and yourself was just magical. Thank you for sharing.

[@christhomas5794]

Lovely river we’ve got in Herefordshire

[@stevensmith8454]

I'm a match angler these days but I still look back on Bob's net of 'big roach' as the most outstanding catch I have seen.

[@Kevin-rh5li]

Magic video Bob

[@domgarnettfishing]

Great interview, nice to see Bob still doing what he loves best.

[@DynamiteBaitsTV]

thanks dom

[@stevenrichardson1843]

Funny man. Great memories.

[@matthewwilkes6065]

Fantastic interview and always happy to see Bob on our screens(whatever screen that may be). Would love to see him in something similar to mortimer and whitehouse.

[@betachannelfishing]

Very good fishing video

[@apersian7174]

may god always give u good health sir🙏we love your video's

[@garyolsen3089]

Really enjoyed this thanks!

[@andrewclack4881]

Great to see Bob on screen again. He was kind of the forgotten man of Passion. Lost none of his love for Fishing. Content.

[@addictedtoangling]

A real legend

[@davidatkin2806]

This is like listening to the Yoda of fishing!

[@sinad153]

I agree!!!

[@portcullis5622]

No mention of the Angler's Co-operative Association missing funds scandal in the late 1990s then? It would be good to hear Mr James' version of what actually happened.

[@davvo1234]

No mention of Bob being caught poaching on the river in June 2012 either!

[@briandion9894]

Wonderfull 😊

[@markrich4360]

Brill! 👌🏻

[@lukeframpton3671]

Legend

[@geoffreymeare3406]

I wonder if he still fishes with a Rod Licsense.......I think he got caught once and was fined.

[@trytellingthetruth.2068]

Does anyone remember a fishing programme that was broadcast on a Saturday morning around 1970. It was introduced by a heavily built gentleman with an Edwardian style beard. I can see his face but can't remember the name. As a very small boy it started me off on my fishing journey to lakes and rivers, near and far.

[@dannyboy7715]

I'd love to have Bob looking over my shoulder during a day's fishing, correcting and giving me advice. I've never caught a barbel. No chance in my local area.

[@ShotawayFilms]

Well Bob has been a long time.Too long some might say.I know exactly what you mean about airports and globetrotting.So glad I did it when I did.A bit late on parade but enjoyed the show.

[@lightmyfire378]

Do you remember the 2 pratts falling out of the tree on top of the fish they were watching

[@phils2180]

A 21st century Izaac Walton. 👍

[@drcarp7377]

I would love to see Bob and Chris fishing together again, but I’m not even sure they are still friends. I believe both families were really close until another lady caught Bob’s eye, more easily than a trout gobbles up a juicy nymph……lol! Anyway, rumour has it Chris wasn’t too impressed about that back in the day. But, as you get older, and the currents erode away your immediate pain, eventually in life you may reach calmer waters and look back up the stream in retrospective reflection and laugh at yourself. Laugh at how foolish you were in the heat of youth. And two old boys reflecting on life, watching a float Bob down a stream whilst sharing hilarious legends and anecdotes, would seem a nice antidote to today’s mindless hustle and bustle.

[@kasperz.5218]

He is talking about the secret estate lake that once housed the monster carp Harry and maybe going back sometime. The estate lies in Wimborne St Giles, at that time 30 years ago very much a secret and not open to the general public. The story of the - then - Earl is actually quite a sad story, but luckily now his son has restored the estate to its former glory. Bob must know that the lake (completetly overgrown and silted) was dredged a number of years ago and the foliage was cut back. The fish that were there in 1992-1993 are long gone.

[@jbradshaw4236]

From memory the lake was in the grounds of St Giles House. It was fed by the river Allen or at least in part in addition to a spring

[@kasperz.5218]

@@jbradshaw4236 yep that’s the one!

[@jackbramley5771]

One of my favourite swims on the Trent. Bob's a true gentleman.

[@DynamiteBaitsTV]

this is on the Wye jack. but yes hes a proper gent ;)

[@jackbramley5771]

@@DynamiteBaitsTV is it really, it looks the spitter of peg 22 on the tidal just before the cattle drink. Eyes must be failing on me.

[@garethdavies9367]

Wat a gentleman

[@justinjones2297]

Would love to see a return of the monster myth

[@JLSGamingYT]

He didn't mention the time he got caught and fined for fishing on the river in the closed season 🤣🤣

[@tinabaker4662]

He’s had a tough time since “ Passion””. Divorce, ACA debacle, prosecuted for fishing out of season. It may be that being a so called” fishing celebrity went to his head but I feel a certain sympathy with what he has had to deal with nevertheless.

[@timspeller5558]

Can anyone please let me know how one can book this beat and location .....The name of the beat, a location address, phone number, contact details.... anything would help. Thank you

[@grayeve7918]

Nothing as come close to Passion for Angling on tv since the 90s in my opinion

[@troywales983]

the lower wye is fecked from all the farming going on on and near the wye

[@richardparry9655]

The amount of fish and fry in Bobs stretch is incredible

[@tinabaker4662]

Problems with chicken farming in the upper river are causing massive ecological problems.

[@davvo1234]

Great programme was a passion for angling.i can watch it time and time again.. but I have to say that im a little guttered that Bob was poaching in 2012.would expect it from some little kids but from a TV angler I'd never expect it.. never the less without a passion for angling I wouldnt be sat on a river/lake catching big carp and barbel.