Martin reeling in new followers of fishing

But now the world title winning angler has a project closer to his Wolverhampton home.

Hodgkinson wants to get local kids off the streets and hooked on the sport that has given him so much pleasure.

And the 55-year-old is hoping for a helping hand from Wolverhampton's new £6million youth zone, The Way, which opened earlier this month.

Hodgkinson was part of the England carp team that lifted the world championship in Spain in October.

He said: "Rob Hughes, the England angling team manager, has taken on a new role with Sport England designed to get people on the bank.

"That got me thinking and I thought it would be great to get kids involved in the sport.

"I am taking a bit of a back seat with my fishing now and thought it would be a good time to try to do something like this – anything to occupy kids and keep them off the streets.

"I have spoken to people at The Way and will be having more talks. There are a lot of things to organise, but it would be nice to get the ball rolling and see if there is something I can do.

"I have great backing from Nash Tackle and Fattys Tackle in Wednesfield and I am sure this is something they would help support."

Hodgkinson is winding down his globe-trotting days. But after being bitten by the fishing bug just over 20 years ago, he is keen for youngsters to sample the buzz that comes with landing a fish.

The father-of-three added: "It's a great sport to get into. When you show someone how to fish and then they catch something, the look on their face is just unbelievable.

"You can't really explain what it's like until you have caught a fish. It's a great buzz. I want to help others enjoy the sport like I have."

Hodgkinson has been to all corners of the globe chasing the monsters of the deep.

Gambia, Thailand, America, Canada, Italy and Mexico are just a few of the places he has visited, shelling out thousands of pounds in the process.

Hodgkinson, who is a member of RH Fisheries in Shropshire, said: "I was in my early thirties when I took it up.

"I had fished a bit when I was younger, but nothing serious and not regularly.

"I was holding a rod for a friend and caught something. It was just the challenge of landing the fish, I just found it exciting.

"Then I progressed to catching carp, which was more of a battle, and then on to night fishing where the carp tend to be bigger.

"Things just built up from there and I started going abroad."

Hodgkinson's exploits have made him something of a legend in the fishing world.

He is one of only a handful of anglers to have caught 100 fish each weighing more than 100lbs and has established numerous records.

He added: "I don't normally do competitions, it's more about personal achievements for me. I was more into the river monster fishing and I have got a few records that I am proud of.

"I am one of only a few people to have caught 100 fish weighing over 100lbs. I read somewhere about a bloke who had taken most of his life to achieve that.

"At the time, I had about 20 and thought 'I want to do that and I want to do it inside five years.'

"I managed to do it and I am up to 133, but I have got a few back problems and I don't think I will be adding to that. I caught a sawfish weighing more than 1,000lbs.

"And I have got the record for the River Ebro in Spain, which is where the world championships were held."

It was his knowledge of the Ebro that led to the call to represent his country. The former builder said: "Because I know the river so well, Rob wanted me to be a part of the team.

"It was a fantastic experience. To stand on the stage at the end and receive your medal with the national anthem being played was just fantastic.

"It was over three days and we led from start to finish. The whole team were brilliant, they were a great bunch of lads and the win was well deserved.

"Rob was fantastic, he used to keep us going with little motivational speeches.

"He was brilliant and would tell us that if we started to feel a little down and that things weren't going our way, to just look at the flag. We are all patriotic and that used to give us a lift."

One frustration for Hodgkinson was the lack of publicity England's success received, adding: "The sport doesn't get the exposure I think it deserves.

"It's the biggest participation sport in Great Britain. But apart from the specialised angling press, it hardly warranted a mention when we won the world championships.

"I just felt that was a shame, not on any personal level, but for the sport."

While Hodgkinson is looking to reel in a few young anglers, there may be another chance for him to help generate more headlines later this year when England defend their title in France.

He said: "I am not sure if I will be there or not. I will be speaking to Rob about it when we meet up for a sponsors event next month and we will see what happens."