I’ve already highlighted some of the LRF tackle at the T&G Show but it’s also worth noting that there were a few familiar faces from the world of lure fishing, working on some of the trade stands this year
Tub Gurnard, Number Twenty-something
Like lots of fellow anglers I like to keep a tally of species every year and I enjoy the challenge of seeking out a particular species to tick off the list. In the old days of bait-only fishing I would hit maybe 18-20 species a year, but now I mainly lure fish that total has risen year on year. Before any bait-boys get there bait elastic in a twist, this isn’t because fish all of a sudden like plastic more than food. It’s purely down to the fact I am fishing more.
Autumn Bassing
As the heady days of summer disappear so does my late evenings spent wandering the shore looking for a Bass or two. There are still Bass to be caught from the beaches this time of year but to really get amongst a few fish, a boat is needed to get offshore a few miles and look for the shoals of Bass that are starting to feed up for winter. On a recent trip out we headed to some sand banks where we know the baitfish hang out this time of year and watched the fish-finder intently looking for the screen to show mid water clouds of prey that would give away the predators location.
Brown Trout on Reins Lure
Quiet on the River Kennet this morning but managed a nice Brown Trout of 42cm. Good fun on my Garbolino Magister Micro Lure rod. Lure was a Reins Saturn G-Tail in Lemon Pepper fished on a Daiwa jighead fished fairly slow. The fish went back fine – the second escape it had had judging by the marks on both flanks
Shimano Sustain & Vanquish Spinning Reels
Shimano only ever has a small selection of its tackle at the trade show but these two spinning reels were stand out for me – the £400+ Shimano Vanquish and the £250+ Shimano Sustain.
Fox Rage & Dietmar Isaiasch
Really enjoyed listening to Dietmar Isaiasch on the Fox stand demonstrating the Fox Rage range of lure tackle. Dietmar is clearly a lure fishing veteran with many years experience fishing and designing lures. The stand featured a metal lure tank which was remarkable at highlighting the vibration and sound of different lures – much better than a plastic tank. Although I got the feeling that Dietmar predominantly fishes for freshwater predators he showed knowledge of fishing for ‘sea bass’ in Europe. I learned a couple of nice tips.
Boat Fishing Magazine Covers LRF
Very interested to hear Dave Barham of Boat Fishing Magazine talking enthusiastically about LRF gear for use on the boat. I had heard about its use in the recent species tournament in Weymouth from another source and this confirms it. Exciting times!
Shallow Spools from Shimano
It was good to see that Shimano has finally started designing spinning reels for the UK market with shallow spools for use with ultra thin braided lines – even if they haven’t yet released smaller models suitable for light rock fishing.