Interesting Snippet

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Mick Thill


One of the world's most charismatic match anglers, "Captain America" Micky Thill delivers a Trans-Atlantic take on his former Essex County team-mate...

If you think angling is a massive sport across Europe, multiply that a dozen times and you'll have some idea of how popular it is in the USA. And among that vast nation's household names is Mick Thill. A former team-mate of Nuddy's, Chicago-based Mick's services as an angling guide and tutor have been called upon by US sporting legends including the world's greatest ever boxer, Muhammed Ali and .80s American Football superstar Walter Payton. Mick has fished stacks of World Championships, earning individual silver and bronze medals plus three section wins. He's also a top ice angler, tackle designer, presenter, writer and coach, whose status within the sport was cemented with his 2005 election to the American Fishing Hall of Fame. Over to you, Mick...
An American Angler In London

My memories of Bob? Woooooooooow, where do I begin?
A bit of my own life history first, I guess! I was born in Chicago, Illinois, and moved to London with the family when I was 12 years old. I had the good fortune to meet many great British anglers who taught me the basics, and by 18 I was fishing and winning in some of Londons top teams. Between 1964 and 1996 I worked in Benwoods tackle shop in Paddington where I met, among others, specimen legends like **** Walker and Fred J. Taylor.
I also became friends with Andy Partridge who was the same age as me and already a member of Ospreys, led by the great Bill Gardner and Charlie Chapman. I joined and finished second in my first two club matches, later going on to win the club.s individual points and shield. .I loved learning the art of float making from Harold Martin, Stan Preater and Jim Peters. My next club was Ashburton, led by Freddie Leach. I was mentored by Les Harrison, twice winner of the London AA Shield. In my first year we reached the semi-finals, and we were beaten finalists in 1966. .After that, Andy and I were asked to join the ambitious Arding and Hobbs team which went on to become the LAA.s most successful side ever..

The Nuddy Years

Mick moved back to America, this time New York, in 1973 but returned to London in 1977 and got straight back into the match scene. Moving out of their teens, Mick and Andy were founder members of The Circle match squad and were eventually recruited by Dennis Salmon for the fledgling Essex County AA. Another member was a certain Mr. Robert Nudd, little known back then outside a modest radius of Chelmsford, Essex.

Essex's big break came when we won the 1981 NFA Division One National on the River Ancholme. I had a terrible day, losing a small roach which would have given us a huge victory margin. Bob did well, and I remember Tom Boulton's section-winning bream catch boosting us to the title. This allowed us to go to Italy the following year for the second World Club Championships. I have to say here that Dennis Salmon was the man who put all the pieces together and made Essex the best ever team in the 80s. We are still the only English team to win CIPS World Club Champs. In my opinion he was the best ever English manager. His record proves it, winning 98% of team events he picked!

Dennis used old Greek Logic, first laid out by Socrates. Let us discuss things together. He watched everyone fish, and listened to those that caught. Simple! This also picked the team, then Den would let everyone have their say. He was a good angler too, although Jimmy Randall was our true superstar back then. Bob and I were in every one of Dennis's teams in matches against Ireland (twice), Wales, Scotland, The Midlands, The North, Sweden and even Germany including the great Wolfgang Kremkus. We both won one individually. I recall Gordon Blanks, ****ie Carr and Richard Borley part of our team. After we won the World Clubs in Florence, with Bob as top individual, **** Clegg rightly picked him for the England team and the two of them worked together with brilliant results for the next two decades. All the advance practice sessions that we take for granted these days are a result of Bobs influence. He was always extra-keen to be fully prepared, right from the start.
Back In The USA

I'm sure others not to mention Bob himself - have talked about his many subsequent World Championship medals, both team and individual, so I wont go there. Its well-documented already, and rightly so. As for me, I moved back to the USA permanently in 1987. Well, I'm here nine months a year at any rate. But I still love my fishing as much as ever, despite the hindrance of a very painful shoulder and leg injury sustained two months before the Paris 2001 World Championships. Its been slow to heal, and until last year I couldn't even do one push-up! There's always new challenges, new places to travel to and fish. I'm just back from my first trip to California, which was amazing. As for the scene in England, how can I forget everything I loved? Well, before carp puddles that is! I suppose I might have gotten into them if I was still there? Out here, the fishing is still wild but different in many ways because the fish are different.
I'm proud of the five World Championships medals that I've picked up in my career, and also of my days in England with Essex County. Bob was a real gentleman back then and he still is today. He deserves everything he's got out of this wonderful sport of ours.
Bob On Mick

Here's Bobs reaction when we told him wed lined Micky up for the latest Me and Bob;

"Micky Thill? I cant believe it! What an amazing guy. He always was a total one-off. A very dedicated angler who put in some absolutely priceless performances in the early Essex County days, and came so very close to becoming World Champion on two occasions.

My favourite memory of Mick though not at the time it must be said was when we drove out to Italy for the 1982 World Club Champs. He'd only gone and forgotten his passport! I was on tenterhooks all the way out there, dreading being turned back at the next border. But somehow we got waved through every time, and the rest is history.
Good luck mate!"