Aardvark McLeod celebrates 20 years in business this year, a milestone we are delighted and proud to have achieved. While it’s not all been plain sailing – a worldwide pandemic, volcanic eruptions and various financial crises being just a few of the obstacles we’ve overcome – we are thriving and excited about what the future will bring.
This quick delve back over the years highlights a few of the key moments in our history:
2005 – Peter McLeod meets future chairman Peter Opperman while fishing on Alphonse Island in the Seychelles. A plan is hatched to start a fishing holiday business and Aardvark McLeod opens its doors later that year. Amazing what can be achieved (at speed) when chasing a dream!
2006 – Charlotte Chilcott joins and begins to create order out of chaos.
2007 – Aardvark McLeod takes on Latin American Fishing Company.
2008 – We bring the extraordinary fishing of Tsimane, Bolivia to the European market.
Charlotte catches her first fish on the fly; a sailfish.
The golf ball incident: An errant golf ball flying through the office window, skimming Charlotte’s ear, nearly finishes it all! The ball is still with us as a memento.
2010 – The unpronounceable Icelandic volcano erupts. Peter is stuck in Venezuela but finds new tarpon fishing while he’s there.
2012 – Alex Jardine, a walking encyclopaedia on all things fishing, joins.
2014 – Charlotte catches four out of four milkfish.
2015 – Peter starts writing his book, A Fly Fisher’s Guide to Giant Trevally.
Alex guides his first IGFA world record.
2016 – Peter finally finishes his book on GT fishing – a publishing success with plenty of inspiration on how to target these ‘gangsters of the flats’.
Peter visits Providence Atoll for the first time and discovers a saltwater paradise.
2018 – Alex catches his first permit at the Punta Allen Fishing Club, Mexico.
2019 – Olly Thompson, our once globetrotting guide, joins the business bringing a wealth of experience from across the world.
Alex makes ‘Coast to Coast’ Australia film with Todd Moen.
2020 – Covid bites but our Chalkstream business keeps us afloat.
Olly returns to the Rio Grande, Argentina to host a trip on a river he used to guide. Later in the year, he moves to Northumberland and starts guiding on his local rivers, the Tyne and Eden.
2022 – Peter finally catches his first metre long GT in Providence.
Alex hosts his 10th trip to Iceland.
2023 – Justin Hancock, city trader turned fly fishing expert, joins to look after our Chalkstream business.
Aardvark McLeod takes on Castaway Fly Fishing.
Sister company and safari specialist Ganders Travel opens for business.
2024 – Aardvark McLeod buys its own premises and moves across the car park from the original office.
2025 – Charlotte to host her 20th trip to Alphonse Island in the Seychelles.
We host a party in London to celebrate 20 years
As ever, we’d like to thank all our clients for their support over the years and we are looking forward to exciting times ahead.’
If you would like more information on any of the holidays we offer here at Aardvark McLeod, whether fly fishing, safaris, bespoke, or shooting, please contact us by email or call us on ++44 1980 847389. Alternatively click HERE if you would like us to contact you.