TT 2023 round up!

[Thomas Turner]

What a year 2023 was for us at Thomas Turner Fishing!​

Lot’s of change during 2023 for TT! We opened our first Thomas Turner ‘Head Quarters’ in Weston- super-Mare in May 2023 and we have been amazed the amount of people that just ‘drop in’ to either buy or sell. This always works well for us and turned up a few surprises including a very rare Hardy Fortuna. There was a knock at the door in July and a smart looking gentleman confirmed if he was at the right office. He explained that he was on business passing on the M5 and thought he would drop in on the ‘off chance’ and had various tackle he wished to sell including a fine 3.5” Hardy Fortuna and other vintage reels. After a cup of coffee and a quick chat a deal was agreed, and the gentleman carried on his way southbound on the M5 to his next customer. Being positioned ½ mile away from junction 21 on the M5 is ideal for us and customers alike.

We attended our yearly calendar of valuation days at Blagdon Fishery, and Sportfish in Reading and Hereford. We really enjoy these days out, not just for buying but chatting to the various people that have taken their time to attend the event and come and see us.

Sportfish is always a successful day out and didn’t fail to deliver the goods at both events last year. First customer up the stairs and into our lovely temporary office overlooking the lake, was a chap that was ‘on his way’ fishing and called in to see if we wanted to buy various items he had in his car. I asked my son William to help him up the stairs but he said he ‘had too much!’. We walked over to his car and a boot full is exactly what he had! Amongst some very nice Abu and later Hardy reels and we also purchased a very rare Hardy CC de France presentation set. Only 100 numbered sets ever produced. That sold very quickly as expected!

In June, we were proud to become members of the Angling Trade Association!

In July we attended The Game fair at Ragley Hall which was a great weekend away, apart from the wind that swept right up towards the fishing area! Our new Thomas Turner rods were a great success, selling right across the range as well as buying some rarities to include some lovely Hardy cane rods. The event was extremely well organised and good to chat to many old and new faces alike.

We are busy making plans for 2024, so keep your eye on our event calendar, as new dates and locations will be added!

Trends​

We have noticed following in trends in the second hand tackle market over the last year. The vintage tackle i.e. Hardy Perfects, and Silexs etc have certainly slowed down. We are inundated with people wanting to sell their cane rods. Most we don’t buy unless they mint examples like the Hardy Phantoms, Hardy Marvels which I think are the most popular Hardy cane.

We sell lots of Hardy Carbon salmon and trout rods, salmon deluxe and the shorter 9 and 10′ Hardy graphite fly rods. Lots of customers are looking for Thomas and Thomas trout and salmon rods along with Sage rods, particularly the Method. Popular models we sell the Sage RPLXi and the Sage Graphite III.

Loop, Greys, and Vision reels I feel are becoming more and more popular with lots of calls for certain models by these makers, particular models with their original boxes and paperwork. Loop ‘Classic’ salmon reels are extremely popular as well as the Ted Juracsik reels.

Modern Hardy trout reels such as the MLA, Sovereign, Ultralite, particularly if numbered and with their original boxes and paperwork are always strong sellers. People are starting to put these numbered limited edition sets away for a rainy day. The Hardy tackle sets such as the CC de France and the Hardy Smuggler sets will always be great investments for the future if in mint unused condition.

We are constantly buying fishing tackle from all over the UK so if you have any tackle you wish to sell, please get in touch! Come to the office in Weston super Mare, pop in for a coffee and a chat.

Here’s to another great year!



davetownsend@thomasturner.com

01275 261099 / 07535 590617

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[Ray Roberts]

I borrowed a Hardy Fortuna from a guy whose guest house I was staying in at Looe when I was seventeen. I caught a blue shark over the 100lb qualifying weight for the S.A.C.G.B on it. I was sad to have to give it back.