…unless you’re making ‘Fishing in the Footsteps of Mr. Crabtree’, in which case we’d have a very poor show without both. If you’re currently watching the first series, you’re seeing the results of a years worth (and in some cases, years and years) of efforts from a dedicated group of people we like to refer to as Team Crabtree.

Our ‘Peters’, all of whom are everyday kids who simply love fishing, all did a fantastic job. None of them have TV experience – and that was a very deliberate decision on our part – so they had to get to grips with a filming schedule, being surrounded by a production team at all times, waiting around when they wanted to be fishing and, even when they were fishing, being directed and chivvied to do a million and one other things! They all coped brilliantly, and we’re immensely proud of every one of them, so Sam, Tadhg, Henry, Michael, Jaynie, Claragh & James – if you’re reading, give yourselves a HUGE pat on the back!

There are lots of ways to approach a project like this, and as a viewer you’ll have your opinions on everything you see before you, and rightly so. What you don’t see are the months and months of planning, the days and days of footage that will never be shown, the waiting, the baiting, the things that go wrong, the things that go right but the cameras go wrong, the people stood thigh deep in the lake to assist in getting the perfect shot (at least that’s the reason we were given), and the hours and hours of smiles and laughter, the passion and the belief in what might be possible.

If you enjoy ‘Fishing in the Footsteps of Mr. Crabtree’ and you get what we’re trying to achieve, it’s thanks to Team Crabtree. Here’s a selection of comments from some of them….:

Luke Thompson, Editor:

“It’s actually been a very long time since I have picked up a fishing rod, but despite this, a few great memories came back to me whilst I was editing Mr Crabtree. I never caught any monsters when I was younger but just the feeling of being out in the fresh air, in the sunshine or pouring rain, catching whatever might bite, is what it’s all about. I certainly felt that way whilst editing the three episodes I worked on. ‘Rivers’ in particular made me reminisce. Hopefully that message and feeling comes across when they are watched by others. They were great fun to edit and have certainly made me want to get out onto the bank again.”

Nigel Mercer, Director:

“I had a great time working on the series.  Always good to film with John and he really pulled out all the stops to create a ‘Crabtree’ like atmosphere.  Going into production during one of the wettest Summers on record was always going to be a challenge and with a few exceptions, we were tremendously fortunate to have chosen the good weather days to film.   The ‘Peters’ were perfect and the talented crew produced the results you see on the screen. We are all proud of what we achieved and I think we raised the bar a little, thanks in no small part to our producers; their enthusiasm inspired us all.”

Sacha Austin, Graphics (Opening credits, bumpers and end credits):

“Bernard Venables’ richly evocative drawings were a gift from a graphics perspective and, coupled with the great team at Toast, working on Mr. Crabtree was a joy.”

James Worby, Cameraman:

“More of my time these days is spent filming fishing than actually doing it myself. So I often get my ‘fishing fix’ through watching other people doing it. And watching the delight on the faces of the Mr Crabtree ‘Peters’ took me back to my own early fishing days when I remember the all consuming excitement of a day out fishing. Over the course of the filming we witnessed some magical dawns and savoured the English countryside at its finest, not forgetting some truly spectacular catches!”

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