About the event

Richie Blake is the Chairman of the Teign Angling & Conservation Association (TACA), a lifelong fly fisher and passionate advocate for Dartmoor’s rivers. Introduced to fly fishing at an early age by his father, Richie’s love for the pastime grew into a deeper fascination with river habitats, aquatic ecology and restoration - quickly discovering that there is far more to rivers than catching fish. Now living on Dartmoor, Richie combines science, community action, and tradition through his work with TACA to safeguard migratory species such as Atlantic salmon and sea trout and to improve the resilience of the wider Teign catchment.

Richie is happiest on the riverbank (or in a good pub), sharing his enthusiasm for rivers, inspiring others, and getting stuck into practical work to ensure Dartmoor’s rivers remain healthy, biodiverse and thriving for future generations.

"What makes the Teign special is not just its water, but what that water carries — memory, migration and meaning. These rivers have shaped the lives of salmon for millennia, carved out valleys, fed woodlands, and taught people how to read the land long before we kept records. For me, working on this catchment is a way of honouring that story and helping it continue. When you begin to see the river through the eyes of its fish, its insects and its volunteers, the whole landscape changes. My hope is to give people that lens — to help them understand not just what lives here, but why it matters that it survives."