AS a child, John Moorwood used to love fishing trips with his grandad. Little did he know there would come a time when fishing helped him through the darkest times of his life.

John, 48, a Sheffield-born businessman, has spent much of the past decade writing a book about his love of angling, which went on to save him when he was made redundant during the pandemic. As we emerge from lockdown life, his inspiring book, The Magic of Fishing, urges us to embrace the healing power of the great outdoors.

The father of four’s memoir is about family, friendship, love, death - and fishing. Its publication follows challenges including the loss of John’s mum to cancer, the agony of two slipped discs, back surgery and unemployment. The book is a celebration of his passion for fishing, one of the UK’s most popular pastimes, which had a surge of interest during the pandemic. The Environment Agency has revealed a 15per cent increase in rod licence sales.

John recalls fishing with his granddad, a retired steelworker, and how the ‘magical’ element of his hobby, and British countryside, helped his mental health. “I was lucky to enjoy an idyllic childhood and was close to my grandad, who taught me to fish,” says John. “Since then I’ve had a deep connection with nature that has helped me cope with the ups and downs of life. Getting out on the bank whenever I can has brought calm, forged strong friendships and eased the pressure of business leadership. Angling is a pastime some may struggle to understand but I’ve tried to write something that will appeal to fellow fishing addicts while also entertaining non-anglers who feel nostalgia for the pre-digital, 1980s era or simply love nature.”

He adds: “Finding a publisher after six years was a dream come true, particularly after dealing with a number of serious challenges during the pandemic including the heartbreaking loss of my brilliant mum.”

The book features cover artwork by John’s sister, artist Anna Stephenson, and pencil sketches by his dad, Rowan Moorwood.

John reveals memorable angling adventures, from Sheffield river banks to a ghostly experience in Devon and battling a giant sailfish off the coast of West Africa.

The book includes a foreword by angling journalist and author Dominic Garnett, who writes: “By his own admission, the author has never fished for England, been courted by tackle giants or broken any major records. Yet perhaps this is precisely why The Magic of Fishing is such an enjoyable, relatable journey. The chapters of this book have been some of the best I’ve had the pleasure of reading. A timely reminder perhaps of the power of the “ordinary” angler to spell out just how precious fishing is and take us back to its fundamentals. I’m not talking essentials like tying knots or killer rigs, but the emotions and experiences that captivate us in a way that is both universal yet intensely personal. And indelible memories made over years of adventure; the smell of homemade bait, the cool of dawn, that “potent cocktail of hope, excitement and a touch of superstition” that precedes the first cast on new water. Like John, I had the KnowHowBook of Fishing and was hoodwinked by its boundless optimism and floats made of ping-pong balls and drinking straws. I, too, reached a point where angling became not just a hobby but deliverance from complete meltdown.

“It’s perhaps the characters that really set the book apart, along with a tenderness and attention to small yet significant details that colour a keen angler’s life. Besides waters explored and fish landed, there is truth, love and loss in these pages. As we emerge from the fear and drudgery of Covid, themes of mental health, mortality and companionship have never been more pressing. Nor has the need to celebrate the finer qualities of this truly magical pastime of ours.”

* The Magic of Fishing is published by Great Northern Books. Visit gnbooks.co.uk

* August is National Fishing Month. For details of events in the region go to awarenessdays.com/awareness-days-calendar/national-fishing-month-2021