Rockfisher 2 - Rex's Journey
The Rockfisher's Background
Five years ago, we at Rockfish, embarked on something unique in the restaurant world: to manage our own fishing boat, The Rockfisher.
The idea was simple. To run a boat here in Brixham that supplied our restaurants, Online Seafood Market, and even our tinned fish range.
Having our own boat allowed us unvetted insight into the fishing industry, we would get to know the realities of commercial fishing, warts and all. While we already buy a lot of seafood directly from boats, like our line-caught bass from the Happy Hooker, or our diver-caught scallops from Lyme Bay’s Ali Day, owning our own boat would be a step beyond, we could see first-hand what it’s actually like to have a foot in the wheelhouse of Britain’s most dangerous profession.
Nick Fisher
In 2019 a partnership deal was set up between Mitch, and Nick Fisher. Nick was the perfect partner to undertake this immense project with, having built a career in fish himself. Nick had been a fishing broadcaster in the 90s for his own hugely popular Channel 4 show Screaming Reels, he’d presented a fishing radio show Dirty Tackle for Five Live, he’d been a regular contributor to various national magazines and newspapers on the subject of fish and fishing and had written weighty books on the subject too. Nick Fisher loved fish!
Then in 2022 tragic news hit our partnership in the face like a cold and salty harbour wave. It had been like any other Monday in November Nick had travelled from his home in West Dorset to discuss future plans for the Rockfisher. He seemed totally himself. Nick was a hugger, and so at the end of the meeting we hugged him goodbye like we always did, little did we know that this hug would be our last.
Nick drove home, collecting his daughter from school in East Devon. Dropping her back, he announced he was going out to walk the dog. Instead, Nick drove to a hotel in Dorchester, 10 miles from his home, and proceeded to take his own life through an overdose on prescription opioids.
Shockwaves erupted as a result of Nick’s decision. For us at Rockfish, for Nick’s family and for those who loved and knew him. Celebrities like Piers Morgan, Russel T Davies, and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, who’d all worked with Nick throughout his varied career, went online to express their heartbreak. Meanwhile, lengthy obituaries appeared in newspapers like The Times, Telegraph, and The Guardian.
There is never a good time to take one’s own life. The mess it leaves is colossal. Along with so many of Nick’s interests’ management of the Rockfisher partnership fell into the hands of his family. One such was his son Rex, who had worked previously aboard the Rockfisher as a crew. In every storm cloud there is a silver lining, Rex has become very close with us all here at Rockfish.
And today we are excited (and a little nervous) to announce that Rex is embarking on a different journey, he’s undertaking a 3000-mile voyage across the Atlantic Ocean in a rowing boat.
He's made it back!
A massive well done to Rex and his team for completing the race safely and successfully. Their incredible effort and determination have made us all immensely proud. What an achievement!
