Adrian Smith | Iron Maiden's Guitarist on Fishing as Meditation & Life on Tour | Ep. 381

Adrian Smith is the legendary guitarist of Iron Maiden, one of the biggest heavy metal bands in history, and the author of Monsters of River and Rock: My Life as Iron Maiden's Compulsive Angler. Smith has fished all over the world — from bonefishing in The Bahamas to pike fishing in cold English lakes to casting in The Thames and even fishing by himself near a bridge in Miami. What makes his story remarkable isn't just that he's a world-class musician who happens to fish — it's that fishing became his lifeline during the insane pressure of touring stadiums in the eighties. In this conversation, Adrian reveals how he went from fishing with his dad as a kid to quitting completely when he got into music, then rediscovering it as Iron Maiden exploded into one of the biggest touring acts on the planet. He opens up about fishing solo in Central Park between concerts, why he prefers DIY trips over guides, and how sitting by a river became "meditation but with a punchline" during the most intense years of his career.

From Childhood Fishing to Music — And Back Again

Adrian Smith's fishing story starts where so many do — with a father and son by the water. Growing up in England, Adrian fished local lakes with his dad, learning the rhythms of coarse fishing and the patience it demands. But when music took over his life, fishing disappeared completely. As Iron Maiden formed and began their rapid ascent from London pubs to clubs to arenas to stadiums, fishing wasn't even on his radar. Then something shifted. As the pressure mounted and the tours became more intense, Adrian found himself craving something he'd lost. That rediscovery happened on the road, and it changed everything. Hear Adrian explain how fishing came back into his life during Iron Maiden's explosive rise starting around 02:30.

Fishing in The Thames: An Unlikely Urban Comeback

When Adrian talks about fishing in London, he's not talking about some pastoral countryside escape — he's talking about The Thames, the massive tidal river that runs right through the middle of the city. As a kid, The Thames was black and lifeless, polluted to the point where nothing could survive. But decades later, improvements to the sewerage system transformed the river. Now there are sea bass — actual sea bass — swimming through central London. Adrian has been fishing The Thames again, and he's catching fish in one of the most unusual urban fishing spots you could imagine. It's a full-circle moment for him, reconnecting with the water where he started, now cleaner and alive again. The full story of fishing The Thames starts at 18:00.

The Day a Tarpon Changed Everything

Adrian Smith had always been a freshwater guy — pike, carp, and coarse fish in England. But one day off during an Iron Maiden tour in Miami, he went out on his own near a bridge with fairly light tackle and no real plan. Then he hooked into a tarpon. He had no idea what he was doing. The tarpon jumped. It was chaos. He lost the fish. But that single moment — seeing that tarpon explode out of the water — opened up an entirely new world for him. From that point forward, saltwater fishing became an obsession, leading him to bonefishing, tropical flats, and destinations all over the world. That one lost fish in Miami was the gateway to decades of new adventures. Adrian tells the full tarpon story starting at 22:08.

Why Adrian Prefers Fishing Alone

When you spend your working life surrounded by people — bandmates, crew, massive crowds — solitude becomes precious. Adrian has been on plenty of guided trips, and he understands their value, especially in unfamiliar waters. But he gravitates toward fishing alone. There's something about catching a fish when nobody else is there to see it, just you and the fish and the connection with nature. No audience, no pressure, no performance. It's the opposite of everything else in his life. That solitude is part of what makes fishing restorative for him, a way to reset and prepare to face the real world again. As he puts it, when you're alone on the water, you're completely zoned out, only thinking about fishing — and then suddenly a fish takes and you're fully in the moment. Adrian explains his preference for solo fishing starting at 17:44.

Final Thoughts from Tom

I've got to tell you, this was one of the coolest interviews I've ever done. I was nervous going in — I mean, this is Adrian Smith from Iron Maiden, one of the biggest bands in the history of the world. But he was just such a genuine, down-to-earth guy who truly loves fishing. Not for the cameras, not for the image, but because it's something that grounds him and keeps him sane.

What struck me most was how much fishing meant to him during those insane years in the eighties when Iron Maiden was playing to hundreds of thousands of people. The idea that he would sneak away to a river or a lake just to reset before a show — that's powerful. And the fact that he still fishes alone, still seeks out that solitude even now, says everything you need to know about his relationship with the sport.

If you're a fisherman, you'll love this conversation. If you're a music fan, you'll love it. And if you just appreciate people who have found something that keeps them balanced in an unbalanced world, you'll definitely want to listen to the whole thing.