James Murray

The actor, artist, angler and activist talks to John Bailey about the healing power of fishing and how he is fighting for the future of Britain's beloved yet beleaguered rivers

- ANYA CAMPBELL

JAMES MURRAY, or Jim as he likes to be known, is a phenomenon. He's a celebrated actor, a talented artist, a gifted angler and a conservationist and campaigner who is truly making a difference in the murky waters of river management.

When he was recently awarded the MBE, along with his wife Sarah Parish, rarely was a gong more richly deserved.

Many will know Murray for his varied roles on television: Colonel Harding in Masters of the Air, Prince Andrew in The Crown and Colonel Spencer in Lee constitute only a fraction of his screen career. Murray, however, plays down his success, commenting only that "it pays the bills".

This is probably because he is primarily an outdoorsman and it is by the water where his heart lies.

"I grew up in rural Cheshire and then Herefordshire. I had freedom and independence, and there were huge adventures to be found," he recalls. "Summer holidays were spent in North Wales, which anyone will tell you means mackerel fishing in the rain. If you can find joy in that, the rest is gravy." It was in Wales that Murray's paternal grandfather recognised his angling passion and introduced him to fly-fishing for sea-trout in the rivers around Betws-y-Coed.