This weekend we celebrate our Queen’s 70-year reign on the throne. The Queen and most of the Royal family have always had a passion for angling, which started way back in 1952 when our Queen came to the throne and continues to this day with the youngest generation of Royals.
Her mother was a keen angler, which is no doubt where Queen Elizabeth got her passion from. Many other members of the family have also fished, often during holiday trips to Scotland and all around the world.
The Queen Mother was a fine angler, and fished wherever opportunity offered, at home and abroad and enjoyed many fishing trips with her late husband King George VI. In 1927, when she and the late King visited Australia as Duke and Duchess of York, she managed to fit in a little fishing between her public engagements, and her catches received quite a lot of publicity.
She also found time to study the art seriously, and the late Neville Chamberlain — himself a keen fisherman — lent the Queen Mother a number of books from his angling library.
The Queen herself has done little fishing in Britain, except on the Dee, though that river would content most salmon fishers. It is the second most famous salmon river of Scotland and for fly fishing probably the best of all — a royal river indeed, and one that has produced fish of more than 50lb. The record rod-caught salmon for the 20th century (larger fish were recorded in the 18th and 19th centuries) was caught by a woman, Miss G. W. Ballantine, in the Tay in 1922.
Other members of the Royal Family followed suit in the family sport of fishing. Prince Charles taught both William and Harry to fly fish from a young age, and their nanny and confidante Tiggy Legge Bourke is one of the most experienced fly fishers in the UK. Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex’s son James, Viscount Severn, 14, is said to be a “young but talented fly fisherman.”
Even Prince William proposed to Kate during a fishing trip to Kenya…….. luckily Kate said yes, but he still didn’t catch any fish!
The Royals have always had a connection with Hardy, using one of the best tackle names in the trade for the last 70 years and they continue to do so. Hardy have held a Royal Warrant for many years, with the current Warrant held on behalf of Prince Charles (as Pure Fishing).
In 1937 Hardy named their Catalogue ‘Hardy’s Anglers Guide Coronation Number’ for the Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
In 2012 Hardy brought out the stunning limited edition Perfect to celebrate the Queens Diamond Jubilee.
In 2011 Hardy’s brought out the St George Royal Commemorative fly reel to celebrate the wedding of William and Kate.
Without a doubt the Queen has had an impressive hobby fishing with her late husband and family, having fished all over the world using some of the finest fishing tackle provided by many legendary makers. We hope that the tradition continues through many generations of Royals to come.
