One of our customers, John Brown of Australia had tracked down a very rare reel. Turns out it was in a shop only 30km from where he lives on the Gold Coast of Australia. John’s passion is wooden and vintage big game reels. His impressive cabinet display holds rare and desirable vintage fishing reels, many […]
So, it’s Boxing Day morning, and I fear the rain that started late afternoon yesterday has not relented overnight. Plans made a few days ago need to be rethought, or abandoned. But isn’t Boxing Day a traditional day to be out somewhere, anywhere? I look at the Wye river gauges which don’t enthuse me. Levels up […]
15
Dec
Dec
With a little help from Keith Elliot’s Classic Angling, onto Jeff Dela Mura and other tackle friends we have managed to solve the riddle. Who is BJ the float maker? Bernard J Mason of Totnes, between Torbay and Dartmoor in South Devon, is the artisan float maker/painter responsible for these stunning handmade creations. Chatting to […]
07
Dec
Dec
As I’m a part of the Thomas Turner group, I wonder if I can prevail on my great pal John Stephenson to fill me in on the reel pictured? It would be of interest to me, and hopefully others. A friend in Spain who I have not seen for well over a decade recently sent […]
05
Dec
Dec
Part 6 – The 1973 Letters I have to admit that deciphering Alston’s handwriting does not get easier, and I hope that anyone interested will find more in them than I am commenting on. I have to say, I always experience a sense of spine-tingling magic when I handle these pieces of paper, and read […]
29
Nov
Nov
I’m delighted there has been some reaction to the pieces both I and John Stephenson have written on last week’s tackle show, and I especially liked the reaction to the pictures of “Old Man River’s” landing nets and handles, which were truly exquisite. Exquisite and surprisingly inexpensive, considering the work involved AND by comparison with […]
28
Nov
Nov
Merlin Unwin Books 2016 (Reprinted 2017) Here at Thomas Turner we are looking forward to a meeting with Jonathan White in a few days. He is, of course, chair of the Rivers Trust, but also a highly respected angler and author of the excellent book on nymphing, especially the French leader way. I felt that […]
28
Nov
Nov
A very dear friend gave me a strange dish a few weeks back, something I guessed had once been used as a cat bowl or the like. However, he told me to look up its origins and of course, it proved to be a charr pot and today, highly collectible. As a result, it is […]
27
Nov
Nov
I’ve already mentioned I came so very close to buying an Andrew Davis Avocet at the Redditch Tackle Show, and the more I look into the history of this rod, the more I wish it were mine. Historically, the Avocet owes its origins to the Nottingham area and the Trent school of anglers, primarily famous […]
27
Nov
Nov
Well, what a complete treat. Had it not been for the admirable John Stephenson of Thomas Turner, I wouldn’t even have known this cornucopia of delights was happening. From the moment I met John Andrews on the door, I knew I was in for a grand time. Not only did I meet up with seemingly […]