Team AOF
Here at Art of Fishing we are a group of passionate lure anglers that enjoy any type of lure fishing, salt or freshwater. We hope our enthusiasm and knowledge can be used to help lure anglers develop in the sport we love, both experienced or brand new to angling!
Ben Field - Owner / Director - Art of Fishing
Ben grew up along the rugged coastline of North Cornwall, honing his skills in lure fishing amidst its dramatic cliffs and beautiful beaches. His enthusiasm for this sport led him to establish The Art of Fishing in 2010, aiming to introduce high-quality lure tackle to the UK market. Ben has also become a pioneer in Light Rock Fishing (LRF) within the country, always staying at the forefront of lure fishing technology through his career. He loves engaging with customers, generously sharing tips and insights from his extensive knowledge of the sport. Recently, Ben has launched Art of Fishing Wholesale, distributing renowned brands like Tailwalk, Zenaq, and Ecogear within the tackle industry. Despite the growth of his business, he still makes time to return to his beloved rock fishing spots along the wild North Cornwall coast. Anyone that has had interactions with Ben know very well why he has earned the reputation of the 'good guy' of the tackle industry.
Ben Hollington - Retail / Media Manager - Art of Fishing
Ben [known as New Ben in the company] grew up on the cliffs of Whitsand Bay in South Cornwall fishing the surf beaches for bass. At a young age he transitioned over to freshwater angling and lost touch with sea fishing for many years while pursuing trout and salmon on the fly. After a long hiatus Ben got back in touch with sea fishing when he went lure angling for bass around 5 years ago with a close friend. Since then all other fishing has fallen by the wayside and he is now self a proclaimed 'bass addict'. Ben joined us from the field sports industry where he was first a regional manager for wholesale and then the marketing and media manager for a large wholesale field sports company. You can mostly find Ben during the season up to his waist in a local estuary or going down cliffs on rope to access hard to reach bass marks in South Cornwall.
AOF Pro Team
Danny Parkins - AOF Team Angler
Proud Dad, Angler, Podcaster and international playboy, I’ve working fishing since my early 20’s through angling media and sales/awareness for brands like Costa, Vision, Savage Gear and Shimano. These brands and working within fishing have given me the opportunity to travel quite allot in fishing/hosting trips from the sunny US and Med to wet and wild Ireland and of course around the UK. Working trade shows and consumer shows highlighting the importance of modern fishing methods and affiliated products has been a pleasure over the years! I’ve had the pleasure of catching specimen fish from fresh and saltwater including multiple wild water 30lb+ Pike, Perch to over 4lb large chub and not forgetting my passion for saltwater with Wrasse to over 7lb, double figure Bass and Pollack from the shore! I am proud to be part of the Zenaq influencer program and also working with the great brands we offer here at AOF brands like HPA and Gosen can be found in my everyday fishing! I really look forward to what this next chapter will be and can’t wait to use and promote some awesome forward thinking brands to help AOF grow!
John Wheeler - AOF Team Angler
Specialist saltwater angler based in the south west, but no stranger to freshwater having grown up in the south east. Started fishing local lakes and rivers at a young age, getting into lure fishing as a teenager and never looking back. Studying marine biology and oceanography at Plymouth university gave a unique knowledge into fish behaviour. John is a full time waterman, working in water safety for film and events and for the RNLI as a beach lifeguard. Outside of work he’s either in the surf, spearfishing our obviously lure fishing. Mostly from Morgawr, John and Bens Boston Whaler, which has undergone a custom refit to be the perfect fishing machine. Specialist modern techniques are johns favourite, aiming to fish as light as possible when able to. Utilising techniques such as darting, free rig and slow pitch jigging.
Ben Tregoning - AOF Team Angler
Ben has been a sponsored angler for the passed 10 years now representing Tailwalk and Brands like HPA, Ecogear and other brands that fall under the AOF banner. He worked in the high end tackle industry in London specialising in worldwide lure and fly fishing. Ben now mainly lure fishes in both fresh and saltwater focusing on the latter, fishing all over the world in locations like Fiji, Cuba and Costa Rica catching a variety of species from Giant Trivially, Cubera Snapper, Tarpon, Bonefish, Roosterfish and Snook. Ben has also fished throughout Europe for Trout, Perch, Pike and Zander. Ben Started off fishing from a young age fishing local rock pools with a net and crabline and received his first spinning rod for his 8th birthday and hasn’t put one down since. Ben Grew up spending a lot of time at the local beaches where he became an avid waterman spending his time fishing, spearfishing, bodysurfing, bodyboarding and becoming a beach lifeguard for 8 years. Now based back in Cornwall Ben co-owns Morgawr a custom Boston whaler Montauk with fellow team member John Wheeler which they use to target Bass and other saltwater species, specialising in the latest Japanese techniques like free-rigging, slow pitch jigging and Dart/wind method.
Marc Haiselden - AOF Team Angler
Marc or "hazy" to his freinds grew up in Sussex and worked in a tackle shop as a young teen, it was during this time in the tackle shop that his obsession with Bass fishing started. He moved to Newquay at the age of 20 to surf and fish and fell in love with the rugged North Cornish coastline. Fast forward 34 years and marc is married with 3 children, he surfs whenever the waves are good and is still just as obsessed with his Bass fishing as he was in his teens. Blasting metals while deep wading surf beaches, stomping shingle fishing Zonks on the mighty Chesil Beach, to stalking Bass in the shallows over quiet estuary mud flats. His Bass fishing has evolved and has multiple double figure Bass to show for it along with plenty of 'the one that got away' stories!!
Ainsley Bennett - AOF Team Angler
A lifelong fascination with water has shaped his journey. Growing up on the Isle of Wight, he spent most of his time fishing—starting with netting small river fish before moving on to Flounder and Trout in brackish waters. His first taste of lure fishing came with Thin-Lipped Mullet on Mepps spinners. As he grew older, he fished local beaches with his father and competed in club and open competitions. Summer Smoothhounds in the Solent became a specialty—one he now plans to target with lures. In 2012, he picked up a camera and spent the next decade immersed in landscape photography, with fishing taking a back seat. His passion for photography led to a professional setup and a website selling prints and calendars. In July 2022, while walking the northwest coast of the Isle of Wight in search of white-tailed eagles, he noticed an angler consistently landing bass. Watching from afar, something reignited within him. Soon after, he bought a new rod, reel, and lures—unaware a new obsession had begun. Since then, he has become a dedicated bass lure angler, revisiting old spots and refining his technique, now favoring soft plastics, especially for night fishing.
Tom Baron - AOF Team Angler
Tom has already made a mark in the angling world, with multiple competition wins, including the Cornish Lure Festival 2023 Junior Bass title and the BIG LERF WEEKENDER Junior category, where he also placed second overall in the adult section with 30 lure-caught species in just two days. Despite his young age, Tom sees this as an advantage in his fishing journey, having spent over three-quarters of his life immersed in the sport. His expertise spans a vast array of lure fishing techniques. Fishing is more than just a hobby—it’s an obsession. He spends every waking moment planning trips across Devon and Cornwall, studying weather patterns, tide movements, and scouting new marks. His dedication has led to impressive catches, including Wrasse nearing 7lb, Pollack up to 15lb, and Bass well into the high 60cm range, alongside notable freshwater and offshore captures such as Pike to 18lb, Bluefin Tuna, and Triggerfish taken on lure tackle. Having completed his GCSEs—including photography—Tom is now pursuing a Marine Engineering course at South Devon College. Based in South Devon, he has access to some of the UK’s best salt and freshwater fishing, allowing him to consistently produce high-quality angling content.
Tim Howe - AOF Team Angler
Neuroscientist and AI engineer Tim has been fishing since the age of 6, when he accidentally caught a ballan wrasse while crabbing. That first catch sparked an obsession with lure fishing that’s taken him to over 30 destinations around the world, from landbased casting to giant trevally in the Indian Ocean to slow-pitch jigging for halibut in Alaska. At home in Cornwall, Tim is most often found chasing bass along wild coastlines and estuaries, but his passion for UK lure fishing runs deep. Whether it’s targeting wrasse and pollack on remote rock marks, hunting canal predators, or fishing ultra-light setups for trout, mackerel, and aji, Tim is always in search of the next bite....
Enzo Speight - AOF Team Angler
Enzo is lucky enough to call the pristine fishing grounds of the Isle of Wight home. He’s been fishing since the age of four, and the sport has shaped his life ever since. With a background in coarse and beach fishing, his passion is now firmly focused on targeting bass on lures along the coastline. Beyond fishing itself, Enzo is fascinated by the technology and progression of modern fishing gear. He’s constantly researching new tactics and equipment, particularly innovations coming out of Japan and the US. The idea of testing and experimenting with cutting-edge tackle is something that truly excites him. With a commercial photography degree from Bournemouth University, Enzo enjoys using his skills behind the camera to capture the beauty of fishing—whether it’s dramatic coastal scenes, detailed shots of gear, or the thrill of landing a catch. Combining his love for photography with his passion for angling, he’s always looking for new ways to tell a story through his images.
