Why I love...fishing

As Dean Macey recovers from injury, Britain's top decathlete discusses his love for activities closer to water with BBC Sport Online's Mark Ashenden.

Dean Macey likes fishing.

There's no other way of putting it.

Macey came agonisingly close to a medal at the Sydney Olympics and injury prevented him from competing at the World Indoor Championship in Lisbon.

You would think it would be enough to drive someone to drink, or at least a brief sulk. But fishing?

"It's true. I fish once a week and I do it very competitively," Macey admits with unbounding enthusiasm.

An athletic comparison

You almost expect the Essex man to break out in laughter, punch you on the arm and tell you he's joking, but his steely stare emphasises how serious he is.

If statistics are to be believed - and thousands of anglers huddled under their brightly coloured umbrellas with a bowl full of maggots every weekend can't all be wrong - fishing is a serious sport.

Casting a line is no hurdle for Macey

Any thoughts of Macey causally picking up his rod in a nearby lake looking for minnows are soon dispelled.

"I fish within a two hour drive of my home. I only came fifth in a tournament the previous week," he laments, emphasising that a finish this low is a very poor performance.

"I was extremely disappointed with that but I absolutely love the sport.

"It's similar to athletics."

The final sentence is a masterful stroke - so illogical, yet so profound.

"Fishing allows me to focus entirely on the job in hand - on my own - and the after effects are very similar," he adds.

"I get aching limbs in the upper body - it's hard work working that pole.

"Athletics and fishing have always been my favourite. Obviously you have to win all the World Championships to receive enough money to survive on.

"But I usually finish in the top three of most tournaments I enter in."

If Mr Macey ever decides to give up on athletics, there's certainly more than one line of work he could follow.

And before you start casting any doubts, think again - this could be the reel thing.