William Lomas on fishing, YouTube and chasing a life less ordinary.

The Drift, Episode 1: William the Fisherman

In the very first episode of The Drift, host Ben Brown sits down with William Lomas, better known as William the Fisherman.

William shares his journey from growing up around Glenbrook Beach and Port Waikato, to moving north and carving out a life built around fishing. He talks about his early days as a deckhand, why that path didn’t stick, and how he pivoted into creating raw, authentic fishing content on YouTube.

The conversation dives into:

• Growing up fishing the Manukau and the Far North
• The shift from school life to chasing a career on the water
• How Wild North Addiction on YouTube began with nothing more than a GoPro and a beat-up “bloke boat”
• The grind of building an audience, finding sponsors, and learning the ropes of content creation
• Why authenticity and a love of fishing remain at the core of everything he does

It is a relaxed, honest yarn about risk, resilience, and following your own current, the perfect way to launch The Drift.

Connect with us:

Instagram | Facebook | TikTok → @builttofish

YouTube → @BuiltToFish