Recent content by Haydn Clarke

Hmmn, all these years I’ve been a doubting skeptic and then this utterly conclusive piece of evidence emerges. 😉 I clearly need to reevaluate.

Get with it Mike, the baleful stare” shot is so yesterday! Has it not been largely superseded now by its upgrade: the “needlessly donning Vass waders and immersing yourself in the water baleful stare” shot?

It’s the size and weight that puts me off: one flask with integral cup vs Kelly, mug, large bottle of water, dry fuel - when it’s pi55ing down. I’ve become so obsessed with weigh reduction in the past few years, well, since having major heart surgery, that I now even have three different flask...

I’ve never drunk tea made from a Kelly, but I’ve always imagined it tastes somehow better. Either way, tea always tastes better brewed up in cold weather, in the great outdoors and from a tin mug. Beats the pants off bone china in some quaint village tea room. Unless, of course, there’s...

That would only make me want to use it even more!😉

Might add, I did make a small donation to the charity shop when I sold the Broadland pike book for a pretty sizeable profit. The auction house got Foxxtrot Alpha. 😊

Phenomenal! Luck is being prepared when opportunity presents itself. That’s why, as anglers, you must always put yourself to have a look rather than just thinking “Yeah, it’ll be a load of old Dragon Carp or TFG….” My best haul was at my local auction. What on first inspection was a large...

Agreed. A Speedia would be my first choice, especially once arbored up. Deluxe model, rim mounted variable check, there’s nothing to dislike…. Had a Cortesi but detested it from the moment I picked it up. Mine had a drum so unbalanced that I took to balancing it with some small lead strips...

I was going to mention looking at one of Sugar Ray’s reels. The Severn has a more trad aesthetic and the chesterfield looks like another Okuma Sheffield type clone. I haven’t seen either in the flesh but they look remarkably cheap for what they are. I also see that he’s doing some rods that for...

Yes, a lythe would be lovely. I remember nearly pulling the trigger on buying one for my fortieth, thirteen years ago now. They were £325 at the time and I buckled. I look back upon this decision now as muppetry of the highest order.

Just because he’s asking that much, don’t mean he’ll get it though. The Witcher reels are lovely and there’s a certain amount of cachet in the rarity. It’s a dealer sale, so inevitably there’s a fat lump of profit in that price. However, personally, I think it’s an absurd amount and anyone...

Looks identical to the Relum ‘pin.

I thought the same. Like a dog spike but far less bulky.

Never had that happen. How much line are you spooling up with? Sounds like it’s bedding in and, as you quite rightly surmise, sticking. Maybe as a result of too much line on the drum?

Good idea! I use the NGT ones too and they’re wide enough that I can fit all three sections of a twin tip rod in, which I find handy. Some other I’ve had have been too tight to be able to do this.