Persuading the boys in her class to pass her their fishing rod, Jane Henthorn developed a love for the sport as a child, and now she competes for the national squad.

Jane adores fishing, she spends every waking second dreaming up her next catch and studying the local lakes. When she began over 40 years ago, she never would have believed the journey the sport would take her on.

“I went to Ashton West End Secondary school and the boys in my class used to fish on the canal, this was close to my home, so I was always intrigued by it.

“I would always ask them to give me a go, luckily they did, and I managed to find a love for fishing,” she said.

As a female angler, Jane often faced reactions from people who wondered why she would be interested in such a sport. Entering tackle shops, she would be met with funny looks, looks that grew as she began to talk and exhibit all she knew.

However, as soon as she stepped back onto the lakes, she experienced great reactions.

“The guys on the lakes are brilliant, every male angler has been extremely welcoming and supportive, I just feel like one of the guys,” Jane said.

One day, whilst fishing on a lake in Marple, she saw a man catch what she believed to be a monster. From that moment, she worked incredible hard to catch her own.

This monster is more commonly known as a carp, and after 18 months of hard work, Jane caught her very own carp.

She says anglers can spend months studying the habits of a fish. From their swimming patterns to their feeding habits, anglers must know it all to perfect a catch.

Jane’s proudest moment in the sport came as she was chosen to compete on the national team at the World Carp Championships.

“It was the proudest moment in my life hearing the national anthem, fishing for my country, and wearing my England shirt.

“It was truly incredible, and we saw huge success at that event,” she said.

This success came in the form of an overall silver medal, as well as an individual bronze medal for Jane and her partner. Their performance meant they are now ranked first in the world.

Despite this glamorous success, Jane says the best feeling was putting her arms around her teammates and sharing words of encouragement.

Beverley Clifford, the manager of the national team, holds annual trials for those seeking passage into the squad. She also orchestrates a ladies carp academy, where girls of all abilities and learn more about fishing.

Jane will now set her sights on 2023, when she will be aiming to compete in the British Carp Angling Championships and again qualify for England.

But the medals and success are only part of the excitement for Jane. Fishing for four decades, Jane loves nothing more than immersing herself in the culture of nature.

“People have no idea what they’re missing out on with fishing, it’s phenomenal, whether you are a pleasure angler or match angler, it is incredible.

“I love the joy of the nature. You can be out at 4am in the summer, just put a fish back and suddenly a deer will walk across the bank, or you’ll see wildlife in the lake,” Jane explained.

This passion is something that Jane feels very deeply, focusing her life on the sport.

Recently, she has also welcomed a new angler into the family. Jane’s 12-year-old granddaughter has begun to fish and dreams of one day making the England squad. Already, she has caught a 32-pound fish and looks forward to her future.

Immersing herself in the fishing world, Jane loves everything about angling. Meeting amazing people along the way and forming great friendships, it seems fishing is becoming a welcoming sport for women.

Do you know an inspirational sporting woman in Tameside or Glossop?

Women in Sport is a weekly column which shares the incredible stories of ladies involved in sport across the area. We are always on the lookout for fresh stories to tell. To nominate someone for the column or get involved yourself, please email Katie on katie.catherall@questmedianetwork.co.uk 

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