10 of the most exclusive items of fishing gear ever made
We're talking £300 reels and £345 rucksacks!
Reel: GS3000 Whisker
Part of Daiwa’s big pit reel revolution in the 1990s, these beauties are considered to be the rarest of the breed. The GS3000 and its 5000-sized bigger brother had graphite spools (hence the GS name), which set them apart from the SS (steel spool) models of the day.
Venue: Chertsey
Once part of the all-conquering RMC/CEMEX empire, Chertsey is famous for a big mirror that has been caught by the likes of Terry Hearn and has weighed over 60lb. It probably contains a few other giants, too, but fishing is currently controlled by a tiny group of anglers given permission to look after the site by the super-rich landowner. In short: none of us is ever fishing it, and none of us will know what’s being caught from there.
Rod: Chris Yates’s record-breaking rod
Back in 2017, the MK4 Avon rod built by Dick Walker that Chris Yates used to land his iconic 51lb 8oz Redmire mirror was sold at auction. In a stand-off between two telephone bidders, the eventual hammer price was £8,280, making it surely the most expensive and exclusive carp rod ever sold.
Book: Waiting for Waddle by Phil Thompson
As we type there’s one of these very rare books from 1995 on eBay with a ‘Buy It Now’ price of £300, and that’s not an uncommon price for this tome.
Bite alarm: Steve Neville stainless alarms
Fewer than 40 of these were ever made by the man himself, so finding a set today will prove both tricky and costly. Nash later mass produced a version under licence, but genuine stainless Nevs are seriously collectible.
Landing Net: Solar Bow-Loc
Released 30 years ago as the ultimate landing net, these carbon-and-steel delights are still much sought after and used to this day. There’s currently a revamped P1 version in Solar’s range, but the originals set the benchmark for all other nets to aspire to.
Luggage Item: Farlows Canvas Roll-Top Backpack
Want to stand out in a sea of green nylon? Then indulge your country-gent fantasies with a bag from Farlows. No, not the day ticket water on the edge of the M25, the famous Pall Mall fishing and shooting brand. Their latest backpack is just £325 and could probably hold… your ghillie’s sandwiches.
Magazine: Carpworld Issue One
In an era of instant information and a decent selection of surviving carp magazines, it’s easy to forget just how revolutionary Carpworld was. Appearing first as a quarterly in 1988, it tapped into an emerging scene that would go on to dominate angling in general. Physical copies remain prized possessions, but you can read a full digital version of issue one online.
Hooks: JRC Connect 360 hooks
You might puzzle at this choice of a relatively recent mass-produced hook, but they were only available for a short time - in which they gained legendary status - and subsequently began changing hands for decent money on eBay. Seen by many as the perfect pattern for 360ş Rigs.
Bait Boat: VDrone 2
The bait-boat market is awash with technology and plenty of £1,000-plus models, but a decade ago VDrone predicted it all with a £4,000 vessel that included an onboard sonar and a camera that could be lowered onto your spots. It was scoffed at at the time, but this pioneering tech is now much more common.
