Neville Broad from England is a passionate fly fisherman particularly specialising in saltwater fly fishing.
He is 54 years young and have a PhD in pharmaceutical sciences, and has been a passionate fly fisherman for the past 25 years.
Neville started fishing at the age of 7 years, and was a junior competitor on the South East UK saltwater bait fishing match scene. He says: “I always remember winning a Christmas open completion at 10 years of age beating adults anglers to a significant first place, which the judges in their wisdom gave me alcoholic prizes and not the more significant cash winnings.”
Where Neville lives in the South of England there are superb opportunities for bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) on the fly in saltwater, which is arguably his favourite species to fish for. He has had numerous bass on the fly, whether it’s using sinking lines from boats or topwater methods in shallow harbours.
He also love sight fishing for mullet – This can be quite a challenge but something he has conquered for both thin and thick lipped species in estuaries as well as the open coasts of England and Ireland.
Neville regard learning new techniques, innovative ways of thinking and meeting passionate anglers as very important.
He has been blessed to have fly fished many parts of the globe including Canada (largemouth and smallmouth bass), Ireland (European bass, mullet, pollock, wrasse), Mexico (Bonefish and Tarpon), Norway (Coalfish, Cod, Halibut and Pollock), and the USA (largemouth bass, bluefish, bonita, false albacore and striped bass). Neville is also a contributing writer for Sea Angler magazine.
Some of Nevilles proudest fly fishing achievements have been winning the UK Saltwater Fly Fishing Festivals of 2016 and 2017, as well as runner up in the 2021 Orvis UK Saltwater Fly Fishing Festival – as Neville says: “I guess I do have a competitive side!”
In September 2021 he caught a 164.5cm halibut in shallow Norwegian saltwater on a pink streamer pattern using a 12wt fly rod – as you can imagine it still feels like a dream (come true) for him….
The photo of that great catch is taken by Stina Didriksen. In the photo you see Neville together with his Guide; Jonny Stephenson from “Wild Pursuit Guiding”. (If you missed the fish you need glasses…..)
Neville personally believe the future significant advancement in fly fishing will be radical fly line development, where he envisage thinner lines with enormous casting distance potential but not spooking fish upon landing and minimising glare…….just like we design most of the flylines at A.Jensen.