When Ashley Mullenger signed up for a fishing trip off the Norfolk coast, she was completely unaware that the course of her life was about to change.
That was 11 years ago, and since then, Ashley, 37, quit her nine-to-five job to pursue fishing full-time and earned the title of 2022 Angler of the Year, making her the first woman to do so. .
The antithesis between his previously chaotic nine-to-five office environment and the tranquility of being at sea ultimately led to the decision.
In conversation with the BBC woman’s hour, Ashely said: ‘When I sat in an office, I relied on my mind to drive me through the day. Whereas now, not only do I trust my mind, but every muscle in my body matters and I feel like I’m really living in all of me, rather than just existing in my head.’
Ahead of the release of her book, ‘My Fishing Life’, Ashley has revealed how her journey on the sea has indefinitely enriched her life, while empowering other women to delve deeper into the male-dominated field.
Speaking to BBC Woman’s Hour, Ashley Mullenger (pictured), 37, revealed how fishing has enriched her life.
His career change was unexpected. He had no childhood ambition to take up fishing, nor did he have any experience.
But when he first went on a fishing trip in 2012, he quickly resonated with the isolated environment, a dramatically different condition from that of an office.
‘I went out on a charter fishing trip and, just being there, I fell in love. I fell in love with the environment,” Ashley explained.
“I think a lot of that is because I was working in an office, where I was constantly getting phone calls, emails, people saying, ‘Oh, Ash, can you do this, can you do that, or can you solve this problem by yourself?’ my.”‘
And then I went to sea and all that just disappeared. It is completely isolated, and I think having that calm and the environment being the only important thing impacted me.”
‘When I sat in an office, I relied on my mind to drive me through the day. Now, not only do I trust my mind, but every muscle in my body is important.
‘I feel like I’m really living in all of me, rather than just existing in my head to solve problems.
“I think it’s very comforting to be in an environment where the only thing that matters is the real here and now.”
When Ashley went fishing in 2012, she didn’t know it would change the course of her life.
Not only has Ashley’s career path changed, but so has her personality. She explained: ‘I have changed as a person because of work.
“I see differences in myself, I feel more confident and more able to make decisions.”
When asked if he felt happier in his new profession, the answer was clear. ‘Yes absolutely. She couldn’t go back to the nine to five now.
“It’s like I’ve opened Pandora’s box and it’s an exciting world where every day is different and every day challenges you. I couldn’t go back.”
Ashley’s daily routine may vary because she works at a tidal port. While some shifts may extend from nine in the morning to seven in the evening, others are not so attractive.
The 37-year-old, who won the 2022 Angler of the Year title, would never work nine to five again.
She explained: ‘Days can change because we work from a tidal port. So, we can start at nine in the morning and we will arrive at seven at night. Sometimes I start at three in the afternoon and we come back at two in the morning.’
“But then in the summer, when you wake up at two in the morning, the sunrise starts and you see all these different colors in the sky, and you feel like it’s just for you because there’s no one else there.”
Now, Ashley is on a mission to encourage other women to consider a career in fishing, and has already witnessed growing interest.
Ashley said: ‘In the last six years when I started I knew two other women active in boats, and now that number is over 20.
‘I got a message the other day from a 14-year-old girl in Scotland, and she said thank you for coming because it made me feel like it was something I could do.
“It’s those young women who need to see women in roles like this to think, ‘Yeah, I could see myself doing that.'”
The days may be isolating, long and cold, but the 37-year-old wouldn’t change a thing about his job.
He added: “I think it’s very important to see that we are accepted in the industry and that we occupy a space.”
But Ashley isn’t just taking up space, she’s recognized as one of the best in the field or 2022 Angler of the Year.
‘It was incredible to be nominated in the first instance, to be recognized in the industry. Winning was really unique, I had to hold back tears.”
Critics have criticized Ashley’s decision to keep the title “fisherman” instead of exploring alternative titles, such as “fisherman” or “fisherwoman.”
However, Ashley has her reasons: ‘I choose to say fisherman simply because it is respect for the predominantly male fishing sector who came before me and worked hard, and in some cases gave their lives, to put fish on tables.
I’m not going to come in and take that away from them.
‘In short, I love what I do. You could call me whatever you wanted and as long as I do the work it wouldn’t matter.