Manufacturers are currently bringing new products to market to excite anglers in fly and sea fishing and many are now in the shops.
Glasgow Angling Centre’s well-attended recent Open Weekend provided a showcase north of the Border and among the products which caught the eye was an underwater camera.
Paul Gardner of Westin claimed that the Escape Cam was the world’s smallest and lightest fishing cameras which weighs 40g and which is easy to carry and cast.
It is shock proof and waterproof down to 200m and he said it can be cast out on a normal lure rod around two to three feet in front of the lure and it will tell you what is happening underwater.
He added: “You can catch more fish by understanding how they move, feed and strike the lure and you take the memory card straight out of it and it comes with an adapter which plugs into a phone. You can see straight away what is going on under the water.
“With these underwater cameras we find that there are fish there which you are not aware of. Slight tweaks to what you are doing can really make a difference.”
Another company marketing a camera is Hummingbird and they have an entry level product which will show you the ground you are fishing over and if there are any fish and what depth they are sitting at.
Prices range from £155 for a basic model and that includes everything, said Iain Allan, business development manager. He added: “The top product is a camera costing £3,400 and this is the business.
“It does side imaging giving you 200 feet either side of the boat in high-definition If you are coming up against a pier it will show you the pilings, submerged items and any fish.”
Pete Gibson of Pure Fishing revealed that there are a raft of new products coming to market and one of them is Greys brand who are introducing a range of waders from stockingfoot to bootfoots and three wading jackets priced from £129 to £199 and a three-quarter jacket at £109 as well as overtrousers at £70. Something for everything, he said, at all price points.
There are new Greys reels also being released and lots of tools like fly boxes and nets and other accessories.
Penn is another brand which has something new and Gibson said there is a new top end reel called The Tidal which is a long-cast reel which is causing real excitement.
Gibson added: “This is a absolute benchmark product which, I think, is going to change the perception of Penn reels in the market. Penn has a tradition of producing really robust, solid reel, this is a much lighter and more efficient and ergodynamic reel.”
Hardys have new products and he said the new Marksman single-handed rod range which takes over from the ultra light range. He added: “If you thought rods could not get any better, they actually have. Being a very keen fly fisherman myself, I am really excited about this.”
The Sovereign fly reel, he said, was iconic and it is being brought back to the market. He added: “In its heyday, The Sovereign was Hardys biggest selling reel in history. This is back to the market in a gun-metal gold and black colour.
“The Hardy Marksman rod and Sovereign reels are arriving any day, they are in the warehouse, and the waders and clothing and the Penn reels and rods will be arriving mid-October.”
Paul Johnston of Century Rods UK confirmed that two new entry level sea fishing rods are on the market. He said: “They have a nice soft glass tip on them and then are very, very competitively priced.
“They are made and manufactured here in the UK from a family-owned business in Tyne and Wear so you have that back-up from a UK manufacturer. This is a user-friendly rod for fishing off a beach and at a really good price point.
“A lot of rods are creeping up in price and our top end rods are in excess of £600 but these are coming in a £275, £300 and £325 and this is a really good value product which would also do for fishing off rocks.”
The Fireblade glass tip surf rods come at 13ft and 14ft and the Fireblade original is carbon fibre all the way through and they may be better suited for the rocks.
Johnston added: “They are a great entry level product and suitable for fixed spool and multiplier and they are good for somebody looking for quality and UK back-up.”
If you are using braid on the reel then the glass fibre tipped rods are probably the ones for you, said Johnston, as they have a suppleness and softness as the braid does not stretch and the rods are rated for between four and six ounces and the longer one is four to seven ounces and that will take care of fishing around Scotland.
PICTURE: Pete Gibson showcasing some of his new products at Glasgow Angling Centre. Picture by Nigel Duncan
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