Russ and I have fished a number of features together over the years and I have always thoroughly enjoyed his company and his attitude towards angling. Russ exhibits an infectious passion for the sport combined with considerable versatility and a degree of precision all too rare amongst ‘pleasure’ anglers; a quality which doubtless stems from his match fishing background.
On this particular occasion I didn’t fish but simply sat alongside Russ as he emptied Bonds Lake on the Bury Hill Complex for a forthcoming FishingMagic feature. When he was done and we were tidying up at the end of the day I asked Russ to open up to FM browsers and reveal the bits and pieces of kit he would never go anywhere without:
Clicker
As someone who has never fished a match in their entire life I have to confess I had a somewhat puzzled expression on my face when Russ pulled this one out of his seat box but it became clear within seconds!
Russ explained that on the commercial match scene strict net limits are now imposed on almost every fishery and competitors have to have a fairly precise idea of what weight of fish they are retaining in any one net at any one time to avoid weight penalties or even disqualification.
A clicker allows him to accurately record the number of carp placed in his keepnet and, given a reasonable estimation of the average weight of carp he is catching, he is able to calculate the total weight of fish in the net with a reasonable degree of accuracy. Something a surprising number of competitors seem to get wrong.
“Of course, you do have to remember to click it every time” he commented…
Bits Box
Every angler has one and Russ is no different and this is a simple clip-sealed box containing those totally essential bits and pieces which he needs to have to hand for every session, be it match or pleasure. Inside this one are plummets, baiting needles, Quickstops, beads, spare leads and clips and sundry odds and ends.
Rig Box
Having rigs tied up ready to go is essential for any match angler as time wasted is potentially a fish missed and Russ has a large number of favourite rigs stored separately and neatly on rig boards.
Favourites include Lasso and Quickstop rigs but different fisheries call for different approaches and Russ will prepare his rigs accordingly and in advance. But it’s not just about match fishing.
Russ explained: “I sometimes fish short pleasure sessions and having a selection of my favourite rigs to hand buys me extra fishing time – if I’ve only got an hour I want my bait in the water straight away, I really don’t want to spend time tying hooks!”
Drake Wagglers
Most anglers carry a wide selection of floats and Russ is no different, and his box holds a few large float tubes in addition to the usual drawers containing pole floats. As far as the essential kit is concerned though Russ only had one choice:
“I carry a lot of float tubes with various patterns but these handmade Drake Wagglers are my favourites as they suit my style of fishing perfectly. They are semi-weighted, cast exceptionally well, the shot loadings are precise and they are brilliantly sensitive for fishing for bream and silvers.”
Long-handled Worm Scissors
The next item out of the box came as no surprise to me as the first time Russ and I fished together I saw them and immediately coveted them! Russ very kindly ordered me a pair and to this day they are one of my essentials – when perch fishing at least!
“I knew you would like these Ian!” Russ said, “As you know they are more ‘shears’ than ‘scissors’ and they chop through worm in a fraction of the time and with a lot less effort than standard worm scissors. I use chopped worm a lot and I wouldn’t be without them.”
Permanent Marker
Russ’ final essential item is one I think all anglers who float fish should carry but I suspect many don’t – the humble permanent marker pen. It has quite a few uses in the tackle box but the prime one, and the one Russ employs it for, is changing float tip colour.
“I would say that 99% of the floats we sell in the shop are fluorescent orange” he said, “and yet a lot of the time light conditions are such that a black tip makes your float so much more visible. I carry a black marker so it is simple to change tip colour and it can make a massive difference to bite detection.”
