If and when the boat comes in...

'Andy Nicholson's on the river!' Two people immediately left the shop to watch

Prince Charles once told me that he hated name-droppers. But I swear that the following stories about John Bailey and Andy Nicholson are true.

The Nicholson story took place on the home of the Duke of Abercorn, the beautiful and exclusive Belle Isle estate in Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. I had been invited along as part of a press party to sample the pike fishing (fabulous), and the party contained the amiable Nicholson. He is most famous for his videos, the best of which, The Occasional Salmon, is still one of the best films made about the fish. A former racing driver, he's one of those rare people who can rebuild a gearbox or a house. As well as being multi-talented, he is also responsible for the website www.anglingnews.net.

A friend once told me, "The trouble with Andy Nicholson is that he thinks everyone is as nice as he is." In southern Ireland, Nicholson is a small god. I was in a tackle shop in Ballina when someone burst in and said: "Andy Nicholson's on the river!" Two people immediately left the shop to watch. He can't walk down the street in the fishing towns without people nudging their wives and saying: "That'll be Andy Nicholson." People ask for his autograph, for God's sake.

Anyway, we're off pike fishing. I'm with the Norfolk ghillie Richard Furlong, who's caught so many 20-pounders that he doesn't bother to count them now unless they're over 25lb. Nicholson's in a boat with the Irish writer Nick Parry. We agreed to meet up at lunchtime. They were very late for our rendezvous, and it soon became apparent why. In the distance, we saw their boat rowing towards us. The engine had packed up.

We had lunch, and Richard went to look at the engine. He gave the engine cord a casual tug – and it started. He went round in a few circles, and pronounced it fine. Nicholson, ace mechanic, looked suitably embarrassed.

That evening, the other pair were late again. Yes, you've guessed it. The engine wouldn't start. Richard said jokingly: "All you need to do is pull the rope like this," ... and it started.

We swapped boats the next day. Never had a scrap of trouble with that engine, either. But Nicholson, the man who could strip a Formula One engine while saying "Ken Dodd's dad's dog's dead," without a mistake, hasn't lived it down. Every December, Furlong sends him engine catalogues for Christmas.

The point of all this is that later this month, you can spend an exclusive pike-fishing weekend on the Belle Isle estate with Bailey and Nicholson. I'll tell you more about it next week, along with the Bailey story. I should warn you, though, that the fishing could involve spending time in a boat with Nicholson. You'd better be good at rowing.

For more information: www.anglingnews.net