There was a time when angling equipment was not mass-produced carbon fibre or precision-engineered alloys, but instead handmade with care and artistry. The split-cane rod, in particular, remains an icon of traditional coarse fishing, the unmistakable honey-coloured varnish gleaming in the morning sun. These rods were not only functional but beautiful – crafted by skilled hands, each with its own subtle character. To fish with cane is to embrace both the sport and its history. The centrepin reel, too, is a symbol of that heritage. Its design is simple: a drum revolving freely on its spindle, allowing the line to peel off naturally with the flow. There is no clutch, no gearing, no mechanical complexity to separate the angler from the water. Instead, control comes from touch, thumb against rim, and an instinct for timing that only develops with practice. To hear the steady purr of a centrepin as a fish runs downstream is to hear music from another age. For many anglers today, using cane a

When you are really, really into fishing, it’s natural to be interested in anything even remotely associated with it – I mean, I can barely pass a puddle without getting the itch! Match, coarse, carp, or specialist… it’s all good with me, as long as I can get a line in the water. Fly fishing is another area that I dabble in, but am by no means experienced, or good at. When conditions are right and time is short, I’ll occasionally take my lightweight starter kit to target a few roach and rudd, usually in a quiet corner of my local reservoir. With the summer sun shining and non-existent wind, I had an hour and a half to chuck some fluff, so I logged out from work and raced to the waters edge to chase some silvers. The session didn’t start so well when I opened my line grease pot to find it almost empty (having clearly melted in an overheated shed), surrounded by a large greasy stain on my fishing case! There was a tiny bit left for the session though, so out the fly went in search of a s

Angling brings with it a veritable smorgasbord of wonderful species to chase and catch, each with their own endearing set of characteristics. Some of us love the way certain species look, others become obsessed the way they fight, or the way in which they take a bait. My very first ‘favourite fish’ was the golden tench. I remember fishing a couple of lakes that stocked a few golden tench along with the more common green variety – the remote chance of catching one of these golden wonders added an additional layer of excitement… poised for that bright orange paddle-like tail to flick the surface water every time I hooked a fish! As I grew older, my local canal started producing some monster stripies, and the perch soon became my fixation. I could think of nothing better than building a swim with lovely stinky natural baits like worm, caster, pinkies (and a good helping of predator plus), with a huge snake-like lob worm hookbait suspended over it. I can still remember the float delicately

For many anglers with a river fishing obsession, that period ending 14th March to the 16th June leaves us longing for a cast into the unpredictable and exciting ebbs and flows of running water. Traditionally, I always make a big fuss of the 16th, with trips booked well in advance with family and friends, making that date even more special and anticipated. This year, in 2025, it was no different, and a week on the mighty River Severn at the wonderful Bank Cottage was the chosen destination to kick off the new season. This angling mecca (comprising beautiful accomodation just yards from a private stretch of river) had historically produced some memorable fish for me and my dad, including bream close to 8lb, double-figure barbel, roach over 2lb, and the rarest catch on my life... a twaite shad! As we arrived on the eve of the 15th June, the river was running clear and low (just as it had been for the two months previous). However, by early evening the heavy rain quite a way upstream a few

It’s been a while since I got on the end of a large carp, having been blitzed by bream and tench on my local syndicate during recent efforts. With a slightly amended strategy of a boilies-only approach, a squid-Scopex snowman concoction was my chosen bait to target something a bit bigger. Sure enough, around 6 hours into my day session, the alarm sounded and I was in! It felt solid, but very little movement indicated a bream had likely taken the bait and picked up a large helping of weed from the bed I was casting over. Almost immediately, the fish broke the surface (about 70 yards out), which was classic bream behaviour, cementing my suspicions. As the fish wallowed toward me, still on the surface at about 40 yards, it looked strange – like a very long bar of gold – this was no bream… My Dad was manning the landing net, and as we looked on, a lovely big carp was voluntarily swimming towards us with absolutely no fight in it whatsoever. With a thick lily pad bed to my left margin, I wa

The humble loop tyer is a very basic bit of kit – to put it simply – it ties loops! While this is of course true, the loop tyer actually offers so much more than this. Imagine yourself latched into a huge fish… now throw in the heavy flow of a bulging river, plus rakes of weed straddling your mainline. When your gear is under this kind of additional pressure, it is essential you have 100% trust in your loops and knots. A failure there is not an acceptable way to lose a fish, and you will never forgive yourself if that is what ultimately lets you down. Tying a neat and trusted loop can give you additional confidence, so when you do have to pull that bit harder, you can rest assured that loop and knot won't let you down. While there are many loop typers on the market, the vast majority are made of plastic, and more often than not in some hideous fluorescent shade. If this is not your cup of tea, there is an alternative… Made from beautifully sanded and varnished iroko wood, complete with