Richard Slocock - Guideline

Mike Weaver onthe Dorset Frome.THE TESTERSMIKE WEAVERMike Weaver has been a fly-fisher for more than 50 years and has cast afly on countless trout rivers throughout Great Britain and Ireland, as wellas farther afield. His speciality is river trouting and he frequently fishesthe streams of the South-West, where he lives. He writes regularly forTrout and Salmon and is author of The Pursuit of Wild Trout andcontributor to several other angling books. Now retired, he was the firstchairman of the Wild Trout Trust.RICHARD SLOCOCKRichard Slocock has fished for around 50 years from avery young age, and became qualified as a fly casting instructor nearly 30 years ago. He is the proprietor of WessexChalk Streams, which offers trout fishing on the Piddle andFrome in Dorset. He was the founder of REFFIS and is apast chairman of the Wild Trout Trust,of which he was a founder.THERE IS PROBABLY no such thing as anall-round fly-rod for trout fishing but thecombination of a nine-footer and an AFTM 5line certainly ticks many of the boxes, so this isan important part of any angler’s armoury.This is the ideal rod for any medium to largechalkstream, especially where wading is not permitted and abit of length is needed to reach over bankside vegetation.For fishing rivers of any type or size, whether with a dry-fly,wet-fly or nymph, a longish rod gives extra control. And,although a little river with overhead branches is no place fora 9 ft rod, there are many tiny streams in open moorlandwhere the longer rod keeps the line off the water and theangler in better touch with the fly.Except on big heavy streams, a 9 ft rod and five-weight linecan often be used for sea-trout, as it can in many stillwatersituations – on small lakes where long casting is notrequired or perhaps for light-line boat fishing.For the many anglers who travel to far-flung rivers in theRockies, New Zealand and elsewhere, the nine-footer for afive-weight line has much to commend it. Portabilitybecomes a factor and rods of four pieces or more offeradvantages when packing for air travel – a four-piece rodwill often fit into a large duffel bag, thus avoidingseparation from the main baggage, which can bea recipe for delay or worse.When the testers started fishing about half a century ago,a 9 ft rod in split cane weighed anything from 6 oz to as muchas 8 oz. Today the marvels of carbon-fibre mean that you canexpect a rod of the same length and power to weigh as littleas 3 oz. Testing was done on a cold grey day with rain and astrong wind, which gave the rods a severe testing.Fortunately, there was a bankside hut, which providedshelter for examining the rods and making notes – and achance for the testers to warm up. It’s a tough job, butsomebody has to do it.Airflo Delta Classic AFTM 5/6 Price £59.99A three-piece rod with over-fit joints andalignment spots. Dark brown blank andwhippings. Lined butt ring, 10 single-legintermediate rings and loop tip ring.Keeper ring. Half wells cork handle.Up-locking double-nut screw reel fitting.Rod bag and tube with shoulder strap.MIKE WEAVERThis rod offers excellent smooth casting at all distanceswith a good reserve of power for longer casts. Thecasting performance combined with a high-quality finishand specification at a very low price make it ideal for themost budget-conscious angler.RODSUNDER £150RICHARD SLOCOCKThis rod handled very well. The rod is sensitive and is apleasure to cast with. Superb value, with an excellentfinish for the price.A ROD FOR ALLWATERSMike Weaver and Richard Slocock test 23nine-foot fly-rods for five-weight linesLINDA WEAVERDistinction Moy Fly AFTM 5/6 Price £59.99A three-piece rod with over-fit joints. Darkgrey blank with dark blue whippings. Twolined butt rings, seven snake intermediaterings and loop tip ring. Keeper ring. Halfwells cork handle. Up-locking single-nutscrew reel fitting. Rod bag andtube with handle and shoulder strap.RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 8.5 Value for money 9 Overall 8.75MIKE WEAVERFirst impression was of a rather crude handle – a bitthick for the average-size hand. Although it cast fairlywell, the lack of authority was noticeable when castingupwind, especially as other rods at the same priceperformed rather better.RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 6 Value for money 6 Overall 6RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 8.5 Value for money 9 Overall 8.75RICHARD SLOCOCKCrude roughish handle. Tip section makes rod feel itsprice. Too soft to give an overall feel of any substancebut managed reasonably well.RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 5 Value for money 5 Overall 584 Trout and Salmon May 2008May 2008 Trout and Salmon 85

A ROD FOR ALL WATERS continuedRon Thompson V8 Fly AFTM 5/6 Price £59.99Vision Attack AFTM 5 Price £84.99A three-piece rod with over-fit joints. Darkgrey blank with black whippings. Linedbutt ring, nine snake intermediate ringsand loop tip ring. Keeper ring. Half wellscork handle. Up-locking double-nutscrew reel fitting. Divided rod bag andfabric-covered tube with handle.MIKE WEAVERExcellent performance and specification at less than £60,making this another ideal choice for the budgetconsciousfly-fisher. More proof that excellent castingcan be produced at a low cost.RICHARD SLOCOCKRemarkably good value. Came into the testers’ handsimmediately after the Sage but stood up to the peerpressure remarkably well. The perfect budget buy, puttingout a competent line every time for both testers. Thethinnest rod tube on test.A three-piece rod with over-fit joints. Darkbrown blank and whippings. Lined buttring, eight snake intermediate rings andloop tip ring. Keeper ring. Half wells corkhandle. Up-locking double-nut screw reelfitting. No rod bag but dividedfabric-covered tube with shoulder strap.MIKE WEAVERAn immediately likeable rod, which performed very wellon short to medium casts, but with a reserve of power atgreater distances. The short slim handle was verycomfortable. Excellent value.RICHARD SLOCOCKA splendid budget choice. Light in the hand and throws agood loop even in high wind. Overall, a nice feel.RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 8 Value for money 9 Overall 8.5RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 8 Value for money 8 Overall 8RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 8 Value for money 8 Overall 8RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 8 Value for money 8 Overall 8Wychwood Truefly AFTM 5/6 Price £59.99Cortland Big Sky AFTM 5 Price £125.95A three-piece rod with over-fit joints andalignment spots. Dark brown blank andwhippings. Lined butt ring, eight snakeintermediate rings and loop tip ring.Keeper ring. Half wells cork handle.Up-locking double-nut screw reel fitting.Divided rod bag and fabric-covered tube.with handle.MIKE WEAVERAnother rod at less than £60 that did everything asked ofit. The casting performance at all distances was smoothand efficient. Very close to the top of its class.RICHARD SLOCOCKA competent budget-priced rod. None could regret buyingthis rod. Competent but not quite best in class.A four-piece rod with over-fit joints andalignment spots. Dark olive-brown blankwith dark brown whippings. Two linedbutt rings, eight snake intermediate ringsand loop tip ring. Keeper ring. Half wellscork handle. Up-locking double-nut screwreel fitting. Fabric-covered tube withpartitions and “bulge” for holding reel.MIKE WEAVERThe test started badly with problems in tightening thereel lock, in spite of trying three popular makes ofreel. Otherwise, competent if average castingperformance, with a somewhat slower action thanmany of the rods tested.RICHARD SLOCOCKReel seat problem: three reel seats did not tighten.Slightly slow action was somewhat demanding, butcompetent enough when timing of action mastered.RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 8 Value for money 8.5 Overall 8.25RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 7 Value for money 8 Overall 7.5RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 6.5 Value for money 5.5 Overall 6RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 6 Value for money 5 Overall 5.5Guideline Cool Water Outpack AFTM 5 Price £70Fulling Mill World Class Ti4 AFTM 5 Price £149.95A four-piece rod with over-fit joints. Darkblue-green blank and dark blue whippingswith light blue trim. Two lined butt rings,eight single-leg intermediate rings and looptip ring. No keeper ring. Half wells corkhandle. Up-locking single-nut screw reelfitting. Divided rod bag but no tube.MIKE WEAVERThis rod did everything well and cast efficiently at alldistances. The price makes this a good choice for thebudget-conscious angler, though without the protectivetube of others in its class.RICHARD SLOCOCKAction totally uncomplicated, an easy rod to usefor any standard of fisherman. An excellent rodat a budget price.A four-piece rod with over-fit joints andalignment spots. Grey blank with blackwhippings and red trim. Two lined buttrings, eight snake intermediates and looptip ring. Keeper ring. Half wells corkhandle. Up-locking single-nut screw reelfitting. No bag but divided tube with strap.MIKE WEAVERThis rod cast well enough but there was no sense ofbeing at one with the action. Being at the topend of its price bracket, it faces stiff oppositionat lower prices.RICHARD SLOCOCKThis rod had a thicker blank than many on test. It put theline out well enough but feel, sensitivity and castingpleasure were all a bit lacking. A better performance tobe found for less money.RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 8.5 Value for money 7.5 Overall 8RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 8 Value for money 7 Overall 7.5RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 7 Value for money 7 Overall 7RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 6 Value for money 7 Overall 6.5Shimano Biocraft EV AFTM 5 Price £79.99A three-piece rod with over-fit joints andalignment lettering. Dark blue blank andwhippings. Lined butt ring, eight single-legintermediate rings and loop tip ring.Keeper ring. Straight cork handle withrounded end. Up-locking double-nut screwreel fitting. Divided rod bag and tube.MIKE WEAVEROh dear! The casting performance of this rod was farbehind that of any other rod tested at any price. The floppytip section was very disconcerting and lacking in any realcontrol of the line. The straight handle was not particularlycomfortable.RICHARD SLOCOCKAlas, it would have been better if this blank had neverleft the drawing board. Utterly spineless tip actionallowing no sort of presentation.Very poor indeed.Snowbee Prestige AFTM 5 Price £159A four-piece rod with over-fit joints andalignment spots. Dark brown blank andwhippings. Lined butt ring, nine snakeintermediate rings and loop tip ring.Keeper ring. Half wells cork handle.Up-locking single-nut screw reel fitting.Divided rod bag and metal tube.MIKE WEAVERA well-finished rod that casts highly competently at alldistances, with very good presentation at short to mediumrange. The slim handle offers instant comfort. Excellentvalue for money at the bottom end of its price band,holding its own with far more expensive rods.RODS£150-£300RICHARD SLOCOCKCompetent in every way. A smart rod that lays down aneat line reliably, particularly at short distances. Notquite as powerful as some but not a disadvantage forriver fishers.RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 3 Value for money 4 Overall 3.5RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 2 Value for money 2 Overall 2RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 8.5 Value for money 9 Overall 8.75RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 8 Value for money 8 Overall 886 Trout and Salmon May 2008 May 2008 Trout and Salmon 87

A ROD FOR ALL WATERS continuedPartridge S-series Model 1650.268 AFTM 5 Price £190Scierra HM3 AFTM 5/6 Price £239.99A three-piece rod with over-fit joints andalignment spots. Mid blue blank with darkblue whippings. Two lined butt rings, sevensnake intermediate rings and loop tip ring.Keeper ring. Half wells cork handle.Extension butt. Up-locking double-nutscrew reel fitting. Rod bag; tube with strap.MIKE WEAVERA very competent rod at a reasonable price, though thebright blue blank might not be to all tastes. Casting wassmooth and it delivered the line well at all distances. Theonly rod on test with an extension butt; an unusualfeature on rods of this type.RICHARD SLOCOCKThe bright blue blank is an acquired taste. Action verysimilar to the Marryat. An excellent rod, which meets allthe requirements with style. Three pieces resulted in alonger rod tube than most.A three-piece rod with over-fit joints andalignment spots. Dark brown-green blankwith brown whippings. Two lined buttrings, seven snake intermediate rings andloop tip ring. No keeper ring. Half wellscork handle. Up-locking double-nut screwreel fitting. Rod bag and metal tube.MIKE WEAVERThis rod has a rather stiff uncompromising action,without the sympathy desired for presenting a flydelicately at short to medium range on a stream – but itcertainly casts a long line without effort. The reel insethas a distinctive outline of a trout.RICHARD SLOCOCKThis rod is not for the delicately inclined. Stiff andrather disappointing. Falls well short of mostothers on test.RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 8.5 Value for money 7.5 Overall 8RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 7 Value for money 8 Overall 7.5RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 7 Value for money 7 Overall 7RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 6 Value for money 6 Overall 6Loop Multi AFTM 5 Price £190Redington CPS AFTM 5 Price £249.99A four-piece rod with over-fit joints andalignment spots. Sage-green blank withgreen whippings. Two lined butt rings,seven snake intermediate rings and looptip ring. Keeper ring. Half wells corkhandle. Up-locking double-nut screw reelfitting. Rod bag and tube with handle.MIKE WEAVERA competent casting tool that did not quite set the worldon fire. The slowish through action worked well at shortto medium range but lacked a bit of authority whendealing with wind and distance. Very comfortable slimtapered handle.RICHARD SLOCOCKThis rod has a fuller action than most on test,giving a slower casting feel. Pleasant but notsensational.A four-piece rod with over-fit joints andalignment spots. Dark green blank andwhippings, green and silver trim. Twolined butt rings, eight snake intermediaterings and loop tip ring. Keeper ring. Halfwells cork handle. Up-locking single-nutscrew reel fitting. Rod bag and tube.MIKE WEAVERThe stiffish action lacked immediate appeal, though itcertainly punched the line into the wind. A perfectlycompetent rod but it lacked the sympathetic feel thatmakes a rod stand out.RICHARD SLOCOCKA little on the stiff side and so needs to be worked harderthan most. Results a little unpredictable.Not very exciting.RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 7.5 Value for money 7.5 Overall 7.5RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 7 Value for money 7 Overall 7RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 7 Value for money 7 Overall 7RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 6 Value for money 7 Overall 6.5Guideline LPXe AFTM 5 Price £229.99A four-piece rod with over-fit joints andalignment spots. Grey blank with blackwhippings. Two lined butt rings, eightsnake intermediate rings and loop tip ring.Keeper ring. Half wells cork handle withgrey ends. Up-locking single-nut screw reelfitting. Rod bag and tube with strap.MIKE WEAVERThe medium price and excellent casting performancemake this a very attractive package. The smoothsympathetic action provides effortless casting at alldistances, even into a strong wind. Slim, comfortablehandle with wood inset, and overall a well-finished rod.BEST INTESTRICHARD SLOCOCKWow! What a delight – perfect in every way. Slim blankgenerating the ultimate silky smooth, effortless action.One to covet. Did not want to hand this one back!Marryat Tactical AFTM 5 Price £295A four-piece rod with over-fit joints. Darkgreen blank and whippings with gold trim.Lined butt ring, nine single-legintermediate rings and loop tip ring.Keeper ring. Half wells cork handle.Up-locking double-nut screw reel fitting.Divided rod bag and tube.MIKE WEAVERAn instantly likeable rod with a smooth casting action thatdelivered the line efficiently at all distances and copedwell with the wind. The combination of castingperformance, finish and product quality put this rod closeto top place in its price band.RICHARD SLOCOCKA delight with no faults. A sensitive rod, yet handled thestrong wind effortlessly. A pleasure to handle and use.RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 9.5 Value for money 9.5 Overall 9.5RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 10 Value for money 9 Overall 9.5RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 9 Value for money 7.5 Overall 8.25RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 9 Value for money 9 Overall 9Bromanodell World Series AFTM 5/6 Price £237Greys G-Tec AFTM 5 Price £299.99A five-piece rod with over-fit joints. Darkblue blank and whippings with silver trim.Lined butt ring, nine single-leg intermediaterings and loop tip ring. Keeper ring. Halfwells cork handle with darker hardened topend. Up-locking double-nut screw reelfitting. Rod bag and tube with handle.MIKE WEAVERThe only five-piece rod on test, making this anideal choice for the angler who travels by air.A sensitive and sympathetic casting action with plenty ofpower for longer casts. Good value at a medium price.RICHARD SLOCOCKA pleasantly sensitive rod with an excellent action, verysimilar to Airflo. Plenty of power if needed. The fivepieces make it particularly useful for travel, thoughalignment dots would be useful.Three-piece rod with over-fit joints. Greymatt blank with black whippings andsilver and red trim. Two lined butt rings,eight single-leg intermediates and loop tipring. Keeper ring. Half wells cork handlewith thumb pad. Up-locking double-nutscrew reel fitting. Rod bag and tube.MIKE WEAVERA well-finished rod with a lovely silky action that presentsthe line well, especially at the short to medium distancesrequired on rivers. The well-shaped handle has an insetthumb pad and an effective ultra-modern reel fitting.RICHARD SLOCOCKAn excellent rod with delicate presentation guaranteed.Intriguing, space-age reel fitting. Superb with a short line.RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 8 Value for money 8.5 Overall 8.25RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 8 Value for money 8 Overall 8RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 9 Value for money 8 Overall 8.5RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 9 Value for money 8 Overall 8.588 Trout and Salmon May 2008 May 2008 Trout and Salmon 89

A ROD FOR ALL WATERS continuedHardy Marksman AFTM 5 Price £479RODSOVER £300Orvis ZG Helios Mid Flex 6.5 AFTM 5 Price £579A four-piece rod with over-fit joints andalignment spots. Olive-green blank andolive whippings. Lined butt ring, ninesnake intermediate rings and loop tip ring.Keeper ring. Up-locking single-nut screwreel fitting. Divided rod bag and graphitetube with removable neoprene cover.MIKE WEAVERA beautifully finished rod with a silky smooth castingaction that grew on this tester. Line presentation atnormal casting distance was flawless. The lightweightskeleton reel fitting is right at the cutting edge of design.RICHARD SLOCOCKOne can always rely on a Hardy rod to be a faultlesscasting implement. This rod delivers Hardy competencein full, particularly good at short distance.A four-piece rod with over-fit joints andalignment spots. Dark brown-green blankwith dark maroon whippings. Lined buttring, nine snake intermediate rings and looptip ring. Keeper ring. Half wells cork handle.Up-locking single-nut screw reel fitting.Divided rod bag and woven graphite tube.MIKE WEAVERA lovely rod with a beautiful finish and probably thelightest on test. The mid-flex action delivered effortlesscasting at all distances with accurate and smoothpresentation at short to medium range. The mostexpensive rod on test so one for the well-heeled angler.RICHARD SLOCOCKNothing to disappoint with this one: smooth andpowerful. Good at all distances. The handle could be awhisker thinner, but this is nit-picking. A lovely rod, withexactly the mid-flex action specified.RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 9 Value for money 8 Overall 8.5RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 9 Value for money 9 Overall 9RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 9.5 Value for money 8 Overall 8.75RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 9 Value for money 7 Overall 8C F Burkheimer Presentation AFTM 4/5/6 Price £489.51A four-piece rod with over-fit joints andalignment spots. Dark green blank andwhippings with silver trim. Lined buttring, nine snake intermediate rings andloop tip ring. No keeper ring. Half wellsdecorated cork handle. Up-locking singlenutscrew reel fitting. Rod bag and tube.MIKE WEAVERA beautifully presented rod with well-shaped shortdecorated handle and colourful grained wood reel inset.The casting performance was very competent at alldistances and only just short of the very best.RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 9 Value for money 7.5 Overall 8.25RICHARD SLOCOCKThis rod is superbly crafted, the handle is a work of artcomplemented by a very pretty wooden reel seat. Superslimblank that performed very well indeed but did nothave quite the extra-special feel to justify the high price.RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 9 Value for money 7 Overall 8FINAL VERDICTSMIKE WEAVER● Under £150 1 Airflo Delta Classic 2 Ron Thompson V8 Fly 3 Wychwood Truefly● £150 to £300 1 Guideline LPXe 2 Snowbee Prestige 3 Greys G-Tec● OVER £300 1 Sage ZXL 2 Orvis ZG Helios 3 Hardy MarksmanRICHARD SLOCOCK● Under £150 1 Airflo Delta Classic Tied 2 Vision Attack and Ron Thomson V8 Fly● £150 to £300 1 Guideline LPXe 2 Marryat Tactical 3 Greys G-Tec● Over £300 1 Sage ZXL 2 Hardy Marksman 3 G Loomis StreamdanceMike puts one rodthrough a variety ofcasts – 22 rods to go.G Loomis Streamdance AFTM 5 Price £554.99A four-piece rod with over-fit joints. Darkolive-brown blank and whippings. Twoun-lined butt rings, eight single-legintermediate rings and loop tip ring.Keeper ring. Half wells cork handle. Uplockingsingle-nut screw reel fitting. Rodbag and tube with handle.MIKE WEAVERThis rod offers an outstanding all-round castingperformance and a great combination of sensitivity andpower. Excellent presentation of the line from short tolong range. The luxurious soft rod bag is a nice touch.RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 9 Value for money 7.5 Overall 8.25RICHARD SLOCOCKGlorious, with casting made as easy as it is possible tobe. Sensitive, powerful and the Recoil rings are a usefulconcept. A great companion for any fisherman but manywill want to file the handle down.RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 9 Value for money 8 Overall 8.5CONCLUSIONSTHE STANDARD of casting performance and rodfinish was outstanding across the price range,which was considerable, with the top-end rodsnearly six times the price of the least expensive.The casting performance of the premium rodsand those at a medium price was mostlyexcellent, as would be expected, but even at thebudget end there were rods that performed to avery high level. The ability of almost every rodtested to punch a line into a strong gusting windwas remarkable. Only one or two of the lowcostrods were disappointing and could be ahandicap to novice anglers, who are mostlikely to buy at this end of the market.Compare this conclusion to when the testersstarted fly-fishing around half a century ago,when the difference in casting performancebetween the cheapest and the dearestrods was huge.Specifications and refinements continue toimprove. Protective tubes can now be expected,even with the budget-priced rods, andalignment spots have become increasinglycommon, a useful aid on multi-piece rods.The testers agonised long and hard beforecoming to final verdicts in each category, withhalf-a-dozen rods that could have taken theoverall top spot. The difference betweenmaking and just missing a top-three placingwas often a fraction of a point, with smalland perhaps subjective things makingthat bit of difference.Our overall winner, the Guideline LPXe,offered an irresistible and unbeatablecombination of excellent performance at anaffordable price. Indeed, “one to covet”.Sage ZXL AFTM 5 Price £570A four-piece rod with over-fit joints. Darkbrown blank and whippings, with goldtrim. Lined butt ring, nine snakeintermediate rings and loop tip ring.Keeper ring. Half wells cork handle. Uplockingsingle-nut screw reel fitting.Divided rod bag and metal tube.MIKE WEAVERA superb casting tool at all distances with a wonderfulsense of lightness and power. Slim comfortable handleand high-quality understated finish. A lovely rod, whichwill not disappoint anyone willing to pay the price.RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 10 Value for money 8 Overall 9RICHARD SLOCOCKDear me! Can rods get better than this? Oh so light witha gorgeous action giving perfect loop control under anycircumstances. Shame about the price but thejustification is there for those with the wallet to cope.RATINGS OUT OF 10Performance 10 Value for money 9 Overall 9.5STOCKISTS’ DETAILS● Airflo – tel: 0871 911 7001; web: www.fishtec.co.uk● Bromanodell – tel: 01963 237 31; web: www.fishingmatters.biz● Burkheimer – tel: 01253 808 447; web: www.alternativetackle.com● Cortland – tel: 01684 299 000; web: www.thenumberone.co.uk● Distinction – tel: 01527 406 300; web: www.distinction-game.co.uk● Fulling Mill – tel: 01293 778 600; web: www.fullingmill.com● G Loomis – tel: 01386 425 824; web: www.gloomis.com● Greys – tel: 01665 602 771; web: www.greysfishing.com● Guideline Cool Water (from Glasgow Angling Centre) –tel: 0870 920 1120; www.fishingmegastore.com● Guideline LPXe – tel: 0780 2508 483; web: guidelineflyfish.com● Hardy – tel: 01665 602 771; web: www.hardyfishing.com● Loop – tel: 01933 412 211; web: www.looptackle.com● Marryat – tel: 01963 237 31; web: www.fishingmatters.biz● Orvis – tel: 0870 066 4177; web: www.orvis.co.uk/fishing● Partridge – tel: 01527 513 802;web: www.partridge-of-redditch.co.uk● Redington – tel: 01757 210 160; web: guideflyfishing.co.uk● Ron Thompson – tel: 029 2079 1700;web: www.svendsen-sports.co.uk● Sage – tel: 01606 882 891; web: www.sageflyfish.com● Scierra – tel: 029 2079 1700; web: www.scierra.com● Shimano – tel: 01386 425 826; web: fish.shimano-eu.com● Snowbee – tel: 01752 334 933; web: snowbee.co.uk● Vision – tel: 01757 210 160; web: guideflyfishing.co.uk● Wychwood – tel: 0800 1300 621; web: wychwood-tackle.co.uk90 Trout and Salmon May 2008May 2008 Trout and Salmon 91