I was sat in the bivvy at the week-end thinking about the various bit of kit we add to our arsenal and how every so often one item will become one of those you really couldn’t do without and would replace immediately should anything happen to them.
There have been four items of kit for me this year which really have really impressed me to say the least so now is the time to share these little gems after continued use rather than one use and shout about them as is so often the case.
I think the first one worth mentioning just has to be the Spomb. It has totally revolutionised my favourite way of fishing with boilies over boilies. Never have I been able to get a bed of bait out as quick from the bank without spillage as I can now. I used to hate the thought of spod spill being between my rigs and my rod tops just where the lines were going to be running. the last thing I ever wanted was to be spooking carp eating free bait.
The Spomb has totally eliminated any of this and what is more I can cast them as far as all the spods I have used in the past. A big thumbs up from me.
Next bit of kit has to be the Serengeti polarised sunglasses I have been using because like the Spomb they get used every trip. I had originally forked out for a very expensive pair of Bolle sunglasses which to be fair I absolutely loved. Being in the fortunate position of still not requiring normal spectacles I have found over the years a lot of polarised glasses to be rather uncomfortable for me to wear for long periods. Also when I have tried to keep the weight down by using plastic lenses I end up with them steaming up when I least want them to. After looking at lots of different types I finally convinced myself to bite the bullet and part with my hard earned cash for a pair of Bolle’s but ones with no frame around the lens just a bridge support and arms for the ears. These were as light and as comfortable to wear as any I had seen and kept me going for some time before I had an accident with them and broke them.
I was really quite upset by this – not just because of the cost of replacements but the fact I had liked them so much. I returned them to the people who import them to see if anything could be done by way of repair as I really liked that particular style which had since been discontinued. Just a couple of days later I received a pair of Sarangeti glasses in replacement which looked very similar in style to my original Bolle’s. Unbelievably these have been even better than my Bolle’s with no eye reflection in awkward light. I find I really look after these now and as you can see from the picture I never even took them out of their case for the picture!
Next on my list is the Kevin Nash Trax Micro Barrow. Yes, again I paid money for this – it wasn’t a freebie and again I would replace it tomorrow if I had to. This barrow folds down tiny if required to fit in the smallest car boot although I never have folded it since I brought it. I purposely chose the Micro (narrow version with no side arms) as I use my bed upside down as a base for with the legs sticking up which act as side arms so couldn’t see the point in a wide barrow. This ended up having the huge advantage which I hadn’t anticipated in as much as it fits in the boot of my Discovery with all the seats still in place and the only thing I have to take off is the handle which is a mere 2 bolts to unscrew.
Once in place I load the rest of my tackle under it and on it. Certainly a breath of fresh air after my previous barrow which took forever and a day putting it together before it could be used. The mesh top and hinged piece giving access to the under bag is a very nice touch. Everything simply seems to fit it and it’s the easiest to push barrow I have ever used.
Finally we have the Surefire Saint Head Torch which was supplied by Edgar Brothers. Now these really do need to be seen to be appreciated. Again not cheap bits of kit but definitely something I would replace straight away should anything happen to mine. These are used my the military and as you would expect seem to be practically unbreakable.
Rather than lots of modern mini LED’s the Surefire Saint has a ‘proper bulb’ but the beauty of this is that it will adjust from just enough light to be able to read by to an incredible long beam which is more powerful than you would probably ever need but it is there in case.
The use of this facility really hit home on one of the first nights I used it. A fish had kited on a long line and left my line stuck on something further down the bank. I was at a bit of a loss what to do not wanting to pump the fish back to a snag. I then remembered about the massive adjustment in the power available from this micro head torch so turned the beam up to maximum. I was amazed how much it illuminated but what’s more I could clearly see my line on the thinnest of twigs which saved me any worry, I pumped the fish back to the twig and the line simply slipped off – panic over.
The battery lasts for ages (I run it off a single battery although it did come with a battery pack for more if required).
A great bit of kit which you really should check out. If you want the best head torch I have ever seen then this is it.
Best fishes, Shaun Harrison
This article first appeared on the Quest Baits Blog& is reproduced with kind permission.
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