‘Lady of the Stream’ photographer Amber Banks Brumby captures her own angling journey

Amber Banks Brumby is an angler, photographer and educator based in rural Staffordshire, West Midlands. Her work explores environments, people and nature, with a documentary approach to photography. Graduating from Nottingham Trent University in 2014, she has been teaching photography for eight years.

Her most recent work, featured in her upcoming photography book ‘Lady of the Steam’, will shine a light on the presence of women in angling as a traditionally majority male sport, and ‘seeks to break down barriers and reshape mindsets’. She has been particularly driven by the insight that while there has been a 45% rise in female anglers in the UK, women constitute less than 20% of total anglers, still remaining the minority.

While Amber is well versed in visually depicting the nuances of the female angling experience through her art, she has never before shared imagery that reflects her own angling journey. We were therefore honoured to commission Amber to produce a collection of images that share more on her own angling story in collaboration with our Get Fishing Instagram page and as part of the #WeFishAsOne content creator fund.

Her website notes: “In 2020, angling became my sanctuary amid the chaos of the pandemic—a tranquil haven where nature unfolded in front of me. The rustle of wind, the melody of birds, and the earthy scents enveloped me as I sought that perfect spot by the water, creating a sensory tapestry.”

“Capturing these moments with my camera, I wondered about the absence of women on the bank.

“I later found that there had been a 45% rise in female anglers in the UK. Yet, women constitute less than 20% of total anglers, still remaining the minority.

“Fishing binds us together, a shared pursuit beneath the unseen depths. My earliest memory of a dream involves dipping my head into a rock pool, unveiling a whole universe of fish in front of my eyes, I have always been fascinated with life underneath the water.”

Her unique images reflect her talent, where her work has been shown most recently with FORMAT Festival 2023, East Meets West Masterclass 2022-2023 and the RBSA Gallery Photography Prize 2023, among many more accolades and magazine features including Black River Magazine.

 

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A post shared by Amber Banks Brumby (@cilla_bobby)

The Instagram collaboration post coincides with an announcement from Amber on her upcoming book, collating her Lady of the Stream series, where Amber adds the following thoughts on her website:

“Angling has a proven impact on emotional well-being, now being prescribed as a treatment on the NHS. The therapeutic value of angling is bigger than ever, despite this, many women have yet to explore it, and altering these stereotypes can encourage growth and accessibility.

“The first known book on angling was written by a woman. British writer Juliana Berners wrote the Treatise on Fishing in 1496, which then 150 years later inspired the more well-known book The Compleat Angler by Izaak Walton. Berners wrote that angling was “principally for your solace and to promote the health of your body and specially of your soul” 528 years later, angling is more crucial than ever.

“From personal experiences and interactions, I’ve witnessed angling’s positive effects on women’s well-being. It serves as an avenue to escape, recover from stress, build social connections, and, in some cases, even save lives. My goal is to empower women, elevate awareness about the beauty of angling, and redefine the ‘fisherman’ image. I want women to know that angling has something for everyone, transcending gender, age, demographics, and knowledge. Nature’s embrace is ever-present, welcoming anyone to its waters.”

 

Discover more on Amber’s upcoming book and photography work here.