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Christmas already..? Where has this year gone? If like me your year has flown by at an alarming rate, then like me, you probably haven’t done a tap when it comes to buying presents and sorting the shopping! What’s more, you’re probably getting nagged about what you want off various relatives and friends for Christmas. Well, to ensure you don’t end up with a dodgy bottle of Hai Karate aftershave and the latest ‘Busted’ DVD (God forbid!!) I’ve rooted out a few items to suit all budgets that I think would make any anglers stocking look a whole lot better!
If your bookshelf is looking a little untidy, then have a look at these bookends from www.justfish.co.uk; the two delightful resin pieces are hand painted and depict charming angling scenes, priced at just £8.95. In all honesty, I could probably do this whole piece on items from Just Fish Gifts; they have hundreds of items to suit all budgets, species and angling types. Their website is full of items from a few pounds up to a few hundred pounds - definitely worth a browse. If you are always losing things in the dark then these little keyrings are the perfect pressie. The Glowring X2 from www.H3products.com can be fastened to almost anything so you know where it is when you need it! Available in either vibrant pink, cool green or ice blue, these nifty little key rings are finished with a coloured acrylic housing and anodised alloy casing. They have a single-sealed glass tube containing a minute amount of permanently reacting gas; resulting in a light source that lasts for 10 years! They were first used in submarines, apparently - Not that you’d lose too many of those! A great buy at £9.99 each. The guys at H3 tell me that some people have even used them as lures!
Another keen little lighting product from H3 is the Inova MicroLight. It measures just 2.3cm x 1.7cm yet projects light over 8m. A quick squeeze of its intermittent switch engages the Inova LEDs which will last for over 100,000 hours! When carp fishing at night I’m always scrambling around for a head torch when trying to guide a fish to the waiting net - This little LED torch is so small and complete with it’s own quick-release lanyard that you could keep it constantly attached to your clothing so its always there when you need it – a fantastic buy at just £9.95. Now, how about this for something a little different; If you’ve ever fancied learning more about aquatics or more about the environment of the quarry we love so much, how about a course in Aquatics? Before you ask, you don’t even have to attend a College; it’s all done via distance learning with Barony College. You don’t even have to have any experience or qualifications to take part, just a genuine willingness to learn and an interest in the subject.
The main course themes of the OATA Aquatics Certificate are fish biology, water characteristics, fish health and fish husbandry. Once completed, you can go on to do a Diploma using the same system. With over 20 years experience in delivering aquaculture education you can be sure you will receive excellent support from Barony and the course costs just £100.00 - excellent value for money. You can view more information on this and other distance learning courses available at: www.barony.ac.uk
Feeling peckish? If you enjoy mouth-watering country-style smoked fish (or meat & sausages for that matter) then the Mini Chief Home Smoker from www.harrisangling.co.uk could be the ideal gift for you. Sue Harris tells me it’s their best selling Christmas line at the moment! It would certainly make a great gift and at £89.95 it’s well priced.
The Mini Chief is easy and fun to use, and comes complete with all the kit you’ll need; as well as a 48 page recipe book and instructions. You can use it for smoking: trout, salmon, mackerel, herring, cod, haddock, chicken, steaks, game, sausages, cheese and even vegetables! Sue explains that many people think that smoking your own fish can be difficult, but in fact it couldn’t be easier, with just three simple steps between you and your delicious home smoked foods; step 1 – Soak the food overnight in a brine solution (salt, sugar, flavourings of your choice and water. Step 2 – In the morning, allow the food to dry in the air for about an hour. Step 3 – Smoke the food in your Luhr Jensen smoker for between 5 and 8 hours, depending on food type and quantity. Then simply eat the resulting delicious home smoked food… straight out of the smoker if you want!
One thing many anglers suffer from when out on the bank at this time of year is cold feet. I’ve been field-testing some 100% waterproof but breathable socks from www.sealskinz.com for quite some time now, and to put it simply - They are brilliant. I’ve used them in conjunction with trainers and boots and the performance is outstanding, they will keep you warm and dry for as long as you are wearing them - and with no sweating.
I did a work party the other day wearing my chest waders in very cold water for most of the day; these socks from SealSkinz kept my feet warm and dry *all day*. You can even get thermal liner socks which fit inside the outer sock for under a fiver. They also do gloves of the same design; Elton put these to the test last year - They also passed with flying colours.
The socks are priced at £24.99 and gloves at £22.49. As far as I’m concerned these products are some of the best investments you can make. Many of you will be familiar with Ray Mears who does the survival programmes on T.V. I was not surprised to learn that he uses SealSkinz products. As the dark nights will be around for many months to come; a nice read could be order of the day. I reviewed Carp Life by Mike Willmott about a year ago and since then I’ve not seen my copy! It’s done the rounds between most of my angling companions, and after reading it most of them came to the same conclusion as I did when writing my review – It’s one of the best publications on carping for years! You can check out the review for more details, but in essence it’s a detailed account of Mike’s carping life and all the trials, tribulations and successes that have gone with it.
The book is written in a style that makes you think you are right there with him and covers some amazing captures from the UK and Europe. Also, if you have an interest in the formulation of bait, then this book is a must. It’s available from www.essentialproducts.co.uk or by phone on 01278 427634 at a cost of £25.00 +£5.00P&P. First Edition signed copies are still available, but be warned, stocks are nearly gone and Mike informs me that a second print run is highly unlikely, thus a collectors item for the future.
If carp are not your thing www.NewHollandPublishers.com may well have something to suit. Back in March of this year they published three books by high profile angler John Bailey; Improve Your Bait Fishing, Improve Your Fly Fishing and Improve your Lure fishing. Having seen these books first hand I can only say that they are stunning; the images are spectacular and the use of underwater photography takes you right in to the environment of the quarry.
Bait fishing covers most coarse species; barbel, carp, roach, chub and even masheer. There is a slant towards care and conservation which I really like and overall this is a fantastic read. The other titles are of the same feel and all contain spectacular images.
Fly Fishing explains how to approach the many different types of waters, problem solving and conservation, as well as some interesting adventures with the author in Mongolia. The Lure fishing title covers predator behaviour, dead baiting, the predator’s environment, surface fishing, and how to use the myriad of methods at one’s disposal. All three titles retail at £12.99; however, Amazon sells at around £10.39, worthy additions to any bookshelf!
If you don’t fancy watching The Guns of Navarone for the twenty-fifth time and have a few hours to kill, how about knocking up your own batch of lead weights? www.DCAMoulds.co.uk offer everything you need to get you started making your own weights; they cater for boat and shore fishing, coarse fishing and distance casting. There are loads of moulds to choose from and it will save you plenty of dosh in the long run - You can view all the styles and sizes on their website. Whilst on the subject of getting your hands dirty (although gloves are provided!), The Soft Bait Shop are offering a great Christmas present which allows you to colour and dye your own soft baits. The kit comes complete with carry case, 10 bottles of dye, thinning solution, a selection of test baits, gloves, swabs, and full instructions on how to start colouring your own soft baits. Colouring your own soft baits is a great way of ensuring you always have the right colour for that particular day’s conditions and once you’ve get a feel for how the kit works you can buy extra colours, pearlescants, and glitters. The kit retails at £39.99 and can be purchased online at www.thesoftbaitshop.co.uk
If I asked you to name the first brand that came into your head when I said hand tools; chances are you’d think of Stanley. They have been producing innovative tools for home and industry since 1843 and have released no less than 400 new products in the last four years! One of their latest products is the Sports Utility Knife. This handy knife has the usual retractable blade that Stanley are synonymous with; however, at the other end there is a 2-in-1 pull out blade with a serrated and single edge. The knife is extremely robust yet only weighs around 400g.
It is very well designed and will cope with plenty of stick. I’ve used one for various tasks on my last few sessions and with its blade lock mechanism you know the blade is not going to fold on you when its put under real pressure; a top product from a top company. The knife comes with its own carry pouch & belt strap and a pack of ten retractable blades. Retails at around £25.00, though I’ve seen it for as little as £19 at: www.tool-up.co.uk Ideal product for use on the bank and around the home.
Regulars on AN will know we’ve championed products from Aquapac for some years. Basically, they produce a massive range of completely watertight bags for loads of different uses; mobile phones, video cameras, maps, and general use - to be honest the list is endless. Both Elton and I have used their products and they are excellent. Prices start from £9.99 and if you place an order before Christmas you’ll get an 8-in-1 Aquapac survival card worth £9.99 free of charge. Visit www.aquapac.net for more details.
At this time of year, keeping warm is a high priority. However, it can be quite difficult to stay warm when you’re just sitting on the bank fishing. Red Hot Apparel has come up with the perfect solution in the form of a heated waistcoat! The waistcoat takes two small batteries in little pockets and when attached, keeps a constant trickle of heat going for around three hours. To be honest, when I first heard about this product I was less than convinced. I imagined the batteries would be inconvenient, heavy, and make movement very restrictive. Furthermore, I did not think the heat output would be all that impressive. Happily, I can report that I was totally wrong on all counts! The product is quite amazing. The tabard style waistcoat has adjusting straps on each side and two pockets where the small batteries fit in place. Once you place the batteries into the tight-fitting pockets you just push the connector into the battery, push down the Velcro flap over the pocket and you’re away!
The heat output is almost immediate and very impressive. I’ve used the waistcoat in a number of situations and to put it simply, it’s brilliant! I was even wearing it when I was climbing awkward trees up at the Top Pool a few days ago whilst baiting up. The batteries are so small and tight fitting in the pockets that you don’t even know they are there. I’ll be doing a proper review very soon, but suffice to say, it’s a good product that will benefit many anglers, especially those who suffer ailments relating to the cold. Retails at £74.99, available from: www.redhotapparel.co.uk
And finally, it wouldn’t be a proper Christmas review without including a decent pair of boots! I’ve recently been asked to review a pair of Power Winter Boots from EQ Products. Initial results are very pleasing and a full product review will be up shortly. In essence, they are similar to most quality winter boots; they have a heavy duty PU outer padded shell and sole and an acrylic / wool thermoinsolative lining giving protection up to a claimed -40ºC. In the past I’ve always sworn by Skee-Tex, however, they can be quite cumbersome when you are out on the bank. The Power Winter Boot has the same inner lining and is much easier to get about in as it doesn’t feel like you’ve got two buckets on your feet! I’ve climbed trees and manoeuvred down steep slippy banks with ease, something the Skee-Tex weren’t particularly good at. Priced at around £49.00 and available from EC Products Ltd on 0141 423 3986 Well, there should be something amongst that lot to brighten up your Christmas; for best results print this list off and leave it lying around the house for the next week or so! Best wishes for the forthcoming festivities and tight lines for 2004 from all at Anglers Net. Julian Grattidge |
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