WORDS

Main man at ESP Dave Ellyatt is a stickler for shaving a few ounces off his kit wherever possible - the nature of his fishing dictating it to be the wisest option. In the second of a series of loosely termed 'reviews' we explore some niche and slightly more obscure items of kit and find out exactly why they suit the situations so well.    I’ve rambled on in print on a few occasions about my obsession over the last few years of pruning kit to the bare minimum as I tend to carry it all the time now rather than...

The 5th of January 2012 marked my return to Silvermere Lake. I had spent the morning in a meeting and by late afternoon I was stuck in traffic on the M25, chewing on my fingernails and drumming the steering wheel, but not even my singing could make the traffic move any faster. Normally, traffic on the way to the lake was nothing more than an occupational hazard, but today I couldn’t afford to be late. I didn’t even have a ticket yet and if I missed the 5pm curfew I wouldn’t be able to get into the office, and purchase...

For those in the know, this was a book that had been talked about for years. Spoken about in hushed tones, every so often you'd chat to someone who had a Tom Bankes story.. even better if it was a first hand one - it was the stuff of legend, and folklore. The biggest question was always 'would it ever happen?' The copy that is finally in our hands bears testament to the fact that it has eventually happened, and Tom's writing, amazing old shots and illustrations are now something that is no longer just part of folklore, but something...

Good friends of ours Fortis have blazed the trails when it comes to pushing the boundaries with collaborations and materials, having already worked with high end UK based outdoor brand Snugpak to forge the path and bring higher quality, better technical clothing into the angling market, a Realtree range is a fun addition to the growing Fortis range. Somewhat forgotten, the 90's and early 2000's fashion for Realtree, undoubtedly popularised by Terry and co has been given a 2022 shake up and re-worked into a full new range - you know the shots... The Causeway one, Sonning, the Tol Pits mirrors... Lovely little video below of...