Gear

A practical look at fishing luggage – what earns its place in a session kit and what just adds unnecessary weight.

After going through more tackle boxes than I can count, here’s what I’ve learned about what’s actually worth paying for.

The counterintuitive hook numbering system trips up more new anglers than almost anything else in this sport.

A genuine thought experiment: stripped back to five baits for all-round UK fishing, here’s what makes the cut and what doesn’t.

Why reel size matters far more than reel price for most UK coarse and lure fishing, and where I actually spend money instead.

The backlashes, the learning curve, and why I persisted with baitcasting reels for lure fishing anyway.

Twenty years on the Welsh coast taught me rod choice is about the specific mark you’re fishing, not chasing the latest reviewed model.

An honest look at which coarse rods earn their place in a regular kit, and which ones sit gathering dust after one impulse purchase.

Test curve obsession, wasted money on extra rods I never used, and what I’d tell my younger self about buying carp rods.

Ten trout rods I’ve genuinely fished with or watched clients use, ranked by what they’re actually good for rather than brand hype.