COVER YOUR BASS OPTIONS

I SAW THIS FISHING PRAYER SOMEWHERE: “When I die, please don’t let my partner sell my tackle for less than three times more than what I said it cost.” Fair enough, a lot of anglers view their credit card limits as challenges: “Mastercard’s raised me to two thousand quid, let’s see how quickly I can spend that lot.”

Rods or reels, there is always something exciting to buy. Most of my tackle falls between cheap and mid-priced. I scramble to marks that ought to be off limits to an uncoordinated stumblebum with arthritic knees, so the last thing I need is to damage expensive gear every time I fall on my bottom.

But if you take care of your stuff, and if it gives you pleasure to fish with something beautifully engineered and built, I see no reason not to buy the best your budget will stand. However, if you’re clumsy, tight-fisted or skint, adjust your sights accordingly.

My focus isn’t on the big ticket items anyway, it’s on the cheaper and less visible