The recent sponsorship/advertising of Fishrite on Anglers’ Net took me to their new webpage and reminded me of one of their products I possess.
I bought a Fishrite rod holdall about four years ago when I was fishing short carp sessions before work, arriving at the water at about 6am and packing up by 8.30am. I needed to maximise my time and wanted to arrive at the water with my rods ‘set up’. Now you can’t fit a 12ft rod readymade rod in the back of a Rover Metro so the rods had to be split in two. And, if you ever try to carry split up multiple rods together you will soon learn they get in all sorts of tangles. I identified that I needed a rod carryall/quiver and the Fishrite model fitted my requirements perfectly.
I recall I purchased the item when Fishrite were relatively new to the market and I got the holdall from the North West Angling Centre, Hindley, Wigan, for around £30 (it might of been £35 but I honestly can’t remember). I opted for the cheaper model rather than the deluxe version as I wasn’t sure how much use it would get. I can tell you now that it has been in fulltime service for the last 4 years and has stood the test of time.
The holdall has room for 3 made up rods and three other rods. I have managed to squeeze up to 5 made up rods into the holdall! It isn’t a pretty sight but the zip to its credit hasn’t bust yet!! There are also two pockets, one for an umbrella and the other for banksticks/rod pods etc.
The holdall has taken a huge amount of abuse and is still in good working condition. I have tested it to destruction, which is something that doesn’t normally happen to my tackle as I’m normally very careful. The handle strap has started to come away from the main body but this is probably due to my over loading of the holdall rather than poor workmanship. Despite this the handle is still usable as it is so well attached. The stitching is strong and the shoulder strap is comfortable. The overall finish of stitching and whole holdall is excellent.
I was amazed to find that the holdall is as cheap now as it was four years ago!
I can recommend the holdall wholeheartedly and for £30 it is an absolute bargain. I have used it to hold rods made up for pike or carp or a combination of the two and haven’t had any trouble in getting the rods out and set up quickly.
If you wanted a little more protection for your rods I would advise you to opt for the deluxe version. I had decided four years ago my carp rods were getting a little battered and so wasn’t too concerned if they got ‘finished off’ whilst being manhandled in the holdall. Needless to say, those same rods are still in service after being well cared for by the Fishrite holdall!
Browsing through the Fishrite webpages I was pleasantly surprised to see that their range had expanded. There are a few items which I intend to purchase in the near future and if they are of the same standard as the holdall I own then I have no doubt they will be a wise investment
Web: www.fishrite.co.uk
mailto: info@fishrite.co.uk
Fishrite Helpline: 01942 675020
