Tesco To Sell Fishing Tackle

[Leon Roskilly]

In today's Independent

 

See: http://sport.independent.co.uk/general/article1090153.ece

[Dick Dastardly]

Is that this Monday ie the 19th? I ask as I thought they were starting on the 15th but took a look in my local Tescos Extra (Ashford,Crooksfoot) on Thursday and couldnt see any.

[DavyR]

Now you mention Ken Whitehead, Steve, I'm pretty certain that he was the technical adviser for Winfield tackle. When I get home, I'll have a look for an Angling Times logbook that was given away free in the late 70s. It's got an ad for Woollie's tackle on the back of it and it might mention his name.

 

Steve - I've found the logbook, and it wasn't Ken Whitehead at all, it was Michael Prichard, who I assume is the same bloke who wrote the Guide to Fish reviewed here by Julian:

 

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/Book-And-Media...de_to_fish.html

 

The ad in the logbook (dated 1976) is headed "Winfield fishing tackle isn't cheap. It just costs less."

[Steve Burke]

Thanks, Davy. Yes, that's the guy. I guess old age is creeping up on me!

 

Leon, thanks for the link to Keith Elliott's article - very amusing as well as interesting.

[lyn]

They had a few bits in Aldershot Tescos this weekend. It was 'Kingfisher' like they sell in Argos. I got a small tube of mixed floats for £4.77 for 10, ideal for Liam at the rate he loses them! They had small seat boxes for just under £15. Rod/reel set looked a bit 'ify' and some other bits & pieces.

 

I suppose for someone starting out on a tight budget they would not be too bad, a bit like a lot of us here that started with Winfield tackle.

 

My Matthew's first rod/reel set came from Woolies and he's only 23!

 

lyn

[KAYC]

Had a quick look at the range in Lakeside after a meeting there today and was not overly impressed by anything even for the new/novice angler and although you could put together a kit and catch on it surely we have moved on from glass fibre rods now and a cheap composite would not be much dearer and with tesco buying power could probably offer for the same sort of money. ( by the way I work for them!!)

[Dick Dastardly]

You said it mate! with their buying power and the quality of "cheap" tackle comming out of China at the moment they could have done well with a modern equivelant of the 70's Woolies range.

 

Old story though the guy who sourced it would have known nothing about fishing unlike Woolies Mike Prichard back in the 70's.Maybe I should contact all of the big chains and offer my services.....might help me pay my council tax bill they "arrested" me for today?

 

Bring back rates and Winfield tackle I say and call me 70's boy!

[Newt]

surely we have moved on from glass fibre rods now and a cheap composite would not be much dearer

 

I think there is still a place for glass rods. I know I own and use a few myself for specialty purposes and for basic angling, they work fine except for being a bit heavier than carbon.

 

For new anglers buying low cost gear, I'm guessing they can get a good glass rod for the same price as a fair carbon rod and probably have a better tool. Certainly glass is not nearly as fragile as carbon so for youngsters, I prefer starting them with glass.

[Dick Dastardly]

I think there is a lot of truth there Newt.

 

IMHO the only real advantage carbon offers is weight reduction.Never felt a carbon/boron/kevlar or whatever else they want to call it blank with the same "sweet" action as top class glass.

 

That I reckon is why the US lads still use it so much as when your talking about 6' rods then the weight benifit of carbon is negligable compared to glass's advantages.

[Steve Burke]

I agree, glass or carbon/glass mixes can make good rods at low cost. Indeed, I actually prefer glass for some specialised techniques.

 

However it does depend on the type of fishing. I certainly wouldn't want to go back to a glass float rod! Luckilly there are some excellent budget carbon float rods on the market these days - although I've no idea what materials are in the Tesco float rods.