ANGLING: Young Tadhg's in TV spotlight (From Bicester Advertiser)

ANGLING: Young Tadhg's in TV spotlight

10:40am Saturday 19th January 2013 in Sport

A young angler from Headington is to appear in a TV reconstruction of the famous Mr Crabtree cartoon and book series that has introduced millions to the sport over the last 50 years.

Tadhg al-Hassan, aged 12, won through from some 4,000 hopefuls in a competition run by Angler’s Mail to play the role of Peter in a six-part series to be screened by Quest, starting next Thursday.

Well-known angling journalist John Bailey is playing Mr Crabtree, who was made famous by Bernard Venables in the 1950s and 60s via his cartoon strip in the Daily Mirror and a book which sold more than four million copies worldwide.

Cherwell School pupil Tadhg, who took up fishing at nine, features on January 29, fishing for roach and dace on the River Wensum in Norfolk.

There are six hour-long episodes in all, covering tench, rivers, lakes, carp, barbel and pike.

The original Mr Crabtree Goes Fishing is the story of a father who takes his son, Peter, on a series of angling adventures over a year, fishing for a variety of species along the rivers and lakes of Britain. It became the most iconic angling book ever – selling something like four million copies.

Bailey is an original ‘Crabtree Kid’ and one of today’s most internationally renowned fishermen and guides.

It is hoped the show will also send out positive messages about getting kids involved in the sport, of teaching and respect for the environment.