How does the fishing industry face up to the increase in tackle thefts?

Chris Blunt (Linear Fisheries Officer)

“Tackle thefts are nothing new but in recent years they seem to be getting more frequent. In my opinion all ‘high end’ tackle should be marked in some way, this is something that shouldn’t necessarily be left to the angler purchasing the product, the tackle industry should be looking at how products can be uniquely marked and made safer. Fisheries should also be taking all possible precautions to ensure the safety of visiting anglers. Linear now spends tens of thousands each year on security but there is a limit to what any fishery can spend, but at the very least all waters should be warning anglers of potential threats so they can take extra care themselves.”

Jamie Clossick (Big fish pro)

“There are two types of tackle theft: on the bank and burglary from your car/home. The theft of cars themselves has massively decreased due to the security features implemented by the vehicle manufacturers so I am sure that the same can be done by tackle manufacturers to protect our equipment. High value items such as rods, reels and buzzer set-ups could be protected by locking rests that are only released when the owner goes near it like the old car immobilisers. I believe that expensive items should be serial numbered in a way that is obvious should they be removed. If we make the equipment hard to sell the demand will be reduced.”