6th January and the omens on the Wye are poor with heavy rain forecast in the Welsh mountains and the word going around that proper flood levels are on their way. It didn’t take much head scratching to decide on a Friday afternoon session-again short and sharp, barbel in mind. To be frank, given the […]
Category Archives: Thomas Turner Classic+ blogs
Collection of blogs written by the experts behind the creation of the Thomas Turner Classic+ range of rods.
John Bailey's weekly blogs, Thomas Turner blog, Thomas Turner Classic+ blogs, Uncategorized
Conjuring Coarse Magic – January is for bombing!
21
Feb
Feb
January 4th and I’m picking the Bomb adventure up after a few days working in Scotland but I’m happy to be home, to take the Bomb rods to their limits and back. (A bit OTT I know but I’m really fascinated to know what the design can do for us.) But what do I mean […]
Reels, Thomas Turner blog, Thomas Turner Classic+ blogs
VR reels of Ukraine, Salar Incomparable 4/0 Classic salmon fly reel
08
Feb
Feb
We are pleased to announce we have available a limited number of the stunning VR Salar Incomparable fly reels as part of our TT Classic+ collection. These are very special reels, designed and developed in Ukraine by Vladimir Rachenko, ex-Hardy designer/developer, aerospace engineer, passionate fly fisherman and CEO of VR Reels. We are always excited […]
John Bailey's weekly blogs, Thomas Turner blog, Thomas Turner Classic+ blogs
Conjuring Coarse Magic – Re-learning the Bomb rod
30
Jan
Jan
To be honest, something I’m always hoping to be, I wasn’t really on board with the Bomb rod, not now, not in 2022/23. I could see that match anglers might well have a use for them but I wasn’t entirely sure that the obvious Thomas Turner Classic+ audience would find them a must have item. […]
John Bailey's weekly blogs, Thomas Turner blog, Thomas Turner Classic+ blogs
Conjuring Coarse Magic – Lost Art Of The Float – Part 4 – Laying On In Rivers
19
Jan
Jan
He/she who is tired of float fishing is tired of life said some sage, perhaps Dick Walker! There are endless aspects to the float I could describe in this, the last part of this mini series. Stret pegging. River wagglers. The Lift Method. Controller floats. Antenna floats. Pole floats. Dibbler and ducker floats. Loafer floats […]
John Bailey's weekly blogs, Thomas Turner blog, Thomas Turner Classic+ blogs
The Lost Art Of The Float – Part 3 – The Stillwater Waggler
11
Jan
Jan
Can I make it clear that I only write what I know about so you won’t get any advice from me about using a waggler on rivers, for example. Whilst I have had excellent advice on how to do it, notably from Bob Roberts I remember, this is not an approach where I would be […]
John Bailey's weekly blogs, Thomas Turner blog, Thomas Turner Classic+ blogs
Conjuring Up Coarse Magic. Float Fishing – Trotting
04
Jan
Jan
I have been lamenting that the float in general coarse angling is nearly an extinct animal but not necessarily so. This week it is trotting under the microscope and the art is absolutely alive and well down on the Test, at Broadlands, if a trip there a couple of winters back is representative. That winter’s […]
13
Dec
Dec
BIG WATERS Longer float rods are good for tackling larger venues, such as the River Trent in this instance, where a 14-footer provides that vital extra reach to help mend the line when trotting a stick float at distance. This type of rod works well in deeper stillwaters too, especially when launching big wagglers and […]
John Bailey's weekly blogs, Thomas Turner blog, Thomas Turner Classic+ blogs
CONJURING COARSE MAGIC – BARBEL PART 3 – FLOAT FISHING
09
Dec
Dec
There’s no doubt that to the purist, float fishing is the preferred way to catch these superb fish and indeed the method is effective, challenging and always glamorous. Back a while, I travelled to the Trent with float maker maestro Andy Field and there we caught extraordinary numbers of barbel on 5BB floats and maggot, […]
01
Dec
Dec
So, after blog 2, we have the outline of how I go about things. It’s all about travelling light, fishing light and fishing where the fish are. In essence I take a rod, generally now a Thomas Turner Classic+ Avon, a reel loaded with 10lb line, pouch full of replacement hooks, SSG shot, scissors and […]
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