Te Awamutu teenager Tim Fairhurst couldn't believe his luck when he landed a starring role in one of New Zealand's popular TV fishing shows — ADOS Addicted to Fishing — with by Nicky Sinden.
Tim, who eats, breathes and sleeps fishing, works at Smart Marine in Hamilton by day, and in his spare time, runs the social media page '2keenfishos' aimed at showcasing young anglers and encouraging more young people into the sport.
Tim says show host and producer Nicky Sinden was impressed with his commitment to gaining experience by volunteering as a deckhand on local charter boats.
When he got the call he says he couldn't sleep for a couple of weeks, but says the experience was "pretty special, especially for a young fella," and he feels privileged to have the opportunity.
Nicky, the only female full-time fishing show host in New Zealand, is passionate about encouraging more young people into fishing, so when she heard about Tim's efforts to do the same through his social media page, she was keen to feature him on the show.
"Tim just loves his fishing and his whole family is fishing oriented", says Nicky.
"It's really cool to be able to rub shoulders with people of all different ages that have one thing in common — they all love to spend time out on the water, going fishing."
Tim's TV appearance on ADOS Addicted to Fishing is this Saturday at 5pm on Prime TV, when he and Nicky head over the Kawhia bar in search of spring snapper. The episode can also be watched on the ADOS Addicted to Fishing Facebook page the following week.