The Old Gear

The Hopeful Match Fisherman

Do you remember Bennetts of Sheffield?  I loved this tackle shop although I never went there.  For more years than I can remember they ran a regular back page on the Angler's Mail listing out all the gear they had for sale.  I used to spend ages drooling over the possibilities of new gear.  When I got my first full-time job aged 18 I phoned them up and placed a big order for gear, all of which I paid for with a weekly payment book.  How times have changed!

In fact that gear was to last for a very long time - 26 years in fact and I still have most of it in my garage.  But in order to step up as a match fisher I finally had to replace it, and with a little sadness.  My old kit list is an exercise in angling history and many of those my age will nod knowingly from their own experiences.

For years I sat on the old Shakespeare seatbox.  I think it was indestructible.  Even with two side trays it still only consisted of four parts.   I don't think there has ever been a seatbox with more storage space.  I also got hold of a Shakespeare Omni pole, 8m and all glass.  It weighed a ton and lasted about a year.  Rods were a Normark Silver Medallion, which served me faultlessly (even for Pike!), an ABU wand, Daiwa and Mitchell Match reels (which was heavy even back then), Steadfast nets and Nash bags.  Like everyone I had stacks of Drennan hooks, feedlinks and Maxima line.

All this was used faithfully for years, right up until May this year when I had its last outing - a fitting catch of over 100 pounds of bream from Gold Valley.  The whole collection is still sitting in the garage and I can't bring myself to get rid of any of it.

Hopeful