Why I decided to ditch the ratrace to work in fishing full-time

• Ashley Mullenger spoke to BBC Woman’s Hour about how her life has changed
• READ MORE: I’m a female joiner and applied for a job at building firm… but what they said made my blood boil – now I’ve had the last laugh

When Ashley Mullenger signed up for a fishing trip on the coast of Norfolk, she was completely unaware that the course of her life was about to change.

That was 11 years ago, and in the time since, Ashley, 37, has ditched her nine-to-five to pursue fishing full-time – and bagged the title of Fisherman of the Year 2022, making her the first woman to do so.

The antithesis between her previously chaotic nine-to-five office environment and the calmness of being at sea ultimately led to the decision.

In conversation with BBC Woman’s Hour, Ashely said: ‘When I sat in an office, I relied on my mind to propel me through the day. Whereas now, not only am I relying on my mind, but every muscle in my body is important and I feel like I’m truly living in all of me, rather than just existing in my head.’

Ahead of her book release, ‘My Fishing Life’, Ashley has revealed how her journey on the sea has indefinitely enriched her life – all while empowering other women to delve into the male-dominated field.

In conversation with BBC Woman’s Hour, Ashley Mullenger (pictured), 37, has revealed how fishing has enriched her life

Her change in career was unanticipated. She had no childhood ambition to take up fishing, nor did she have any experience.

But when she first went on a fishing angling trip in 2012, she quickly resonated with the isolated environment – a condition dramatically different to that of an office.

‘I went out on a charter angling trip, and just being out 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 for me.”‘

‘And then I went out to sea, and all of that just goes. It’s completely isolated, and I think having that calmness and environment being the only thing that’s important just resonated with me.’

‘When I sat in an office, I relied on my mind to propel me through the day. Now, not only am I relying on my mind, but every muscle in my body is important.

‘I feel like I’m truly living in all of me, rather than just existing in my head to solve problems.

‘I think it’s really quite grounding to be out in the environment where the only thing that matters is the real here and now.’

When Ashley went on a fishing trip in 2012, she was unaware that it would change the course of her life

It’s not just Ashley’s career path that’s changed, but also her personality. She explained: ‘I’ve changed as a person because of the job.

‘I see differences in myself, I feel more confident and feel more empowered to make choices and decisions.’

When asked whether she is happier in her new profession, the answer was clear. ‘Yes, absolutely. I couldn’t go back to a 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 can vary because she works on a tidal harbour. While some shifts might run from nine in the morning until seven in the evening, others aren’t so inviting.

The 37-year-old, who won the title of Fisherman of the Year 2022, would never go back to a nine-to-five

She explained: ‘Days can change because we work from a tidal harbour. So, we can start at nine am and will be in at seven pm at night. Sometimes my start is at three pm and then we’re back at two am.’

‘But then in the summer when you get up at two am in the morning, the sunrise is starting and you see all these different colours in the sky, and you feel like it’s just for you because there’s no one else out there.’

Now, Ashley is on a mission to encourage other women to consider a career in fishing, and she’s already witnessed a growing interest.

Ashley said: ‘In the last six years, when I first started, I knew of two other women active on boats, and now that number is over 20.

‘I received a message the other day from a 14-year-old girl in Scotland, and she said thank you for showing up because it’s made me feel like it’s something I could do.

‘It’s those young women that need to see women in roles like this in order to think “Yeah, I could see myself doing that.”

The days can be isolated, long, and cold, but the 37-year-old would not change a thing about the job

She added: ‘I think it’s so important to see that we’re accepted in the industry and taking up space.’

But Ashley is not merely taking up space, she’s recognised as one of the best in the field, or Fisherman of the Year 2022.

‘It felt amazing, just to be nominated in the first instance, to be recognised in the industry. To win, it was really unique, I had to hold back tears.’

Critics have slammed Ashley’s decision to maintain the title of ‘fisherman’ rather than explore alternative titles, such as ‘fisher’ or ‘fisherwoman’.

However, Ashley has her reasons: ‘I choose to say fisherman purely because it’s respect for the predominantly male catching sector that’s gone before me and worked hard, and in some cases, given their lives, to put fish on tables.

‘I’m not about to breeze in and take that away from them.

‘Ultimately, I love what I do. You could call me anything you wanted, and as long as I’m doing the job, it wouldn’t matter.’

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