My first visit to the Big One at Farnborough Airfield in Surry can only be described as a bloody good day out. After leaving the motorway and following the clearly sign posted directions located on every junction, we arrival at the venue with out any fuss. We found the FREE yes! FREE parking to be ample and very well managed by an efficient organised security team that was on call all day monitoring the vast car parks and ensuring the safety of your vehicle whilst you were in the venue.

The entry to the venue was silky smooth with queues kept to a minimum at all times, allowing you to spend more time actually enjoying the show rather than queueing up to get in. Once inside this vast structure, the floor layout was very easy to follow and all stands, display areas and facilities were spot on. We also found the in house catering to be both cost effective and of a very reasonable standard, which made a refreshing change.

After walking around for about 45 minutes and taking in all the sights and sounds, I had to admit this was a very well managed event which was complimented by the very large crowds which were growing by the minute. Every 20 feet you walked another top celebrity from all aspects of the sport was on hand, answering questions, giving anglers useful advice on tackle and tactics as well as allowing anglers the occasional photograph, I was very impressed.

What’s new for the Course & Match Angler in 2010

Fox Match has launched the superb Duralite for 2010 which will definitely appeal to the match angler who likes to look the part on the bank. The range is made of a comprehensive selection of luggage that will cater for the requirements of even the most discerning of anglers. To accompany the luggage you have the Duralite Rod Range, which includes both float and feeder rods to cover all the elements of competitive angling in the UK.

Maver have extended their seat box range for 2010, with eight boxes now being available to cover all your angling requirements. The MX3500 has been introduced to fill a gap and give their seat box range a modular framed option. The vivid green frame has independent height adjustment, meaning that anglers can raise the seat height without the need to purchase further trays. The MX3500 has a non-slip cassette footplate that utilizes wheels, ensuring smooth usage every time.

Other brands which caught the eye and definitely deserve a mention include Guru, who have developed specialist terminal tackle and associated accessories and made them readily available to the match and course angler in a size required for there demands. Next up are Tubertini UK, their new Ethnic feeder rods are possibly some of the best on the market, with the superb 13 foot version steadily building a huge cult following on the big rivers in Northern Ireland amongst the Bream anglers.

What’s new for the Carp Angler in 2010

Nash Tackle, yet again, are going to set the carp world alight in 2010, they have come up trumps yet again with a range of barrow, luggage and accessories to match anything currently available. My personal favourites from the 2010 Nash range are the Brolly Dome, which is a one man shelter that will only set you back about £160. The pick of the bunch from Nash Tackle has to be the Titan 2010, this re-design of the classic Titan has already being dubbed as one of the products of 2010.

Maver have expanded their ranges of Carp products for 2010 to catch the eye of the already spoiled for choice angler. After a good chat with Derek “The Don” Ritchie about the range and he opened my eyes to the Storm Rider Bivvies. There are three shelters in the range, at the budget end you have the Storm Rider mk II which sells for a respectful £69.99. Then you have the Storm Rider Base Camp 1 man for £149.99 and to complete the bundle you have the Storm Rider Bivvy for £269.99.

Other items to have a nose at in 2010 are the Fox International Core-lite and Spring-loc indicator systems, which we will be giving a full on the bank review over the next few weeks (weather permitting) On the bait tip, a less familiar name has come to the front. Purelake Baits from Carlisle got my nose twitching with their very exciting Tiger & Peanut 15mm freezer baits. You could really smell the nutty flavours working there magic, I’m looking forward to getting them out on the bank very soon.

Retails and Discounted Traders

Scattered in between all the Trade stands were a very large number of retail outlets selling everything from pike lures to bivvies. There were litterally thousands of products on sale, with prices to match any angler’s budgets. Just by walking a matter of yards you could save money on virtually any item available. With many top brands clearing out last years stocks most of the punters through the door left the event with a bargain or two under there arms, and a smile on there face.

As an angler myself, I’m always looking for a bargain, I have always as many anglers enjoyed the banter of working a deal with your local retail outlet and getting a worthy discount on a product that is well made by a reputable manufacturer. Now there were many top brands available at the show with some fantastic discounts available from some very well respected retail outlets that would honour a products guarantee. If you are buying from an established retail outlet always ensure this is the case

My Personal Highlight of the Show

After a good look around the whole of the show and taking in all the goodies that were on display, I stumbled upon a fantastic company called “Kingpin” I stopped and had a very brief but informative chat with their project manager Stuart Ward, to find out that Kingpin are the only remaining manufacturers who still produce all components and assemble their reels totally in the United Kingdom. To actually find a British product amongst the masses of cheap Chinese imports being sold at the event to me this was a privilege and restored my faith in the industry, a little. 

Footnote

On the whole this is most definitely one of the best run shows I have personally been to in the past 10 years, everything is run in a professional manner and all the facilities available to the visitor are superb. The price is very reasonable considering the free parking and quality security that control the whole proceedings. If I was to make a criticism it would be that the retail side of the event should be segregate from the Trade stands but that is only my personal opinion, all in all a great day out.