Recent content by Howard Cooke

Good question Paul. For me, buying a few handmade pins had far more to do with owning something that had been built with a high degree of craftsmanship and I imagine, passion. These reels are a fantastic expression of the art and there is just something quite special about them. As functioning...

I absolutely love pins and some years ago went through some sort of psychotic episode that may or may not have involved overdosing on sherbet lemons. Anyway the point is that one of the side effects was a tendency to spend money I really shouldn’t have on some beautiful reels. There was this...

I agree with Cliff and on the Wye I have lost count of times when upstreaming out-produces fishing downstream in the same swim. I like to allow a large bow in the line to maximise the upstreaming approach and think it can offer a superior or just different bait presentation. It’s also bought me...

Yes thought the Dee looked incredible and made me just want to wade waist deep with a trotting rod. Stunning.

That is very sad news. As I recall he really knew his pins and I loved his traditionalist take on fishing and fishing tackle. RIP Steven.

A few years ago I made the mistake of finding out that I lived a couple of miles from Mr Barder’s workshop. I compounded that mistake by popping by and having a chat with him. Mistakes followed thick and fast after that. He operates in very unassuming surroundings, renting a barn from friends...

It’s just a silly thing to suggest let alone write about. Like many people, I don’t fish for barbel at night out of pure choice (although over the years there are aspects of it that are very appealing), it’s because work and home commitments mean fishing late in the day is my only chance of...

Facebook can often present a somewhat distorted view of life. For every cretin that posts something cretinous , I’m hopeful there are at least 100 other folk that you would happily introduce to your mother or lend them a shoe. The cretins do stand out a bit though. One of my favourite posts...

Alex I wonder if it’s also about what sh*t gets taken back into the watercourse? Do more pollutants end up in the river after a severe flood versus a normal one.

The Wye has been patchy for me. I’m probably getting out once or twice a week but only for a few hours at a time and it’s mostly in the evenings. I’ve had a few barbel blanks (especially at the start of the season) but catching quite regularly now. However it’s a couple of fish each trip and the...

Not sure this is a big deal. If I had spare leads on me I would absolutely hand a couple over if it meant the chap could fish. If he’s wearing dungarees and holding a banjo, I might raise the threat level a bit though.

Flipping heck Richard don’t know where you fish but on my local waters a request to “borrow a lead” isn’t code for an invitation to engage in man love.

Yes, I’ve used allsorts.

Agreed Mike!

I used to send Chris a card on the anniversary of my order but had missed a couple of years recently so it was a bit out of the blue when he said the reel was ready. I’m only teasing really because I know he’s had spells of being unwell and that has set him back. He’s a lovely chap and as an...