Loyalty or tackle-tart and cleaning gear

Reading the Drennan twist lock thread there was some mention of brand loyalty. When I took up fishing a few years ago, I was not really aware of the craze to have everything matching and presented in current livery. I bought branded and non branded stuff, but it was not until I had built up my match fishing gear, I realised that most of the gear appeared to be Preston and there was some banter about me being a tackle-tart.

In reality it was probably because I had bought a second-hand Preston seat box and had been gifted a Preston 'V' roller. I had bought a Preston landing net and Preston accessories for my box. I also had Preston rod rests and a Preston rod bag. This meant the visible stuff just happened to be Preston but I bought it because it was either what was on offer at the time or I happened to like the practicality.

The rest of my tackle is a real mixture. None of my rods or reels are following any particular theme, I do have a few Garbolino rods but that was because I started off with one cheap one and it turned out to be cheaper to buy a complete rod than to buy a new set of quiver-tips! That, coupled with my brother breaking a rod, and me deciding it would be good to have a spare set up, identical to the one I was using, to save time if I lost the end-tackle or got tangled. This meant I ended up with several rods made by the same manufacturer. Now I also have several rods by various manufacturers.

In short, I tend to buy what I like from various makers, I don't really mind if it is blue, green black or whatever colour so long at it does what I want and is (and this is the point of conjecture) good to look at. I always clean all my gear after use and usually end up washing most of the second hand tackle I buy.

The other thing that makes me smile is the idea that dirty gear is a badge of honour. I can't stand using or storing dirty gear. I was amused when walking into a new fishery and the guys assumed I was completely new to fishing remarking on my all new clothing. I was wearing the same B&B I had been wearing for the previous couple of years. When I said "No, I just wash them" they guys said "WHAT?!" and then fell about laughing

I seem to have amassed a huge amount of gear over the past couple of years, most, if not all of it, I use. I do find I look for a product by one manufacturer first for certain things but I am a believer that no manufacturer or product is good at everything, even if the makers will tell you the converse. For example, I like Guru rig boxes and Preston line. I am not saying they are the best, just my preference.

Am I alone or do most of you feel loyal to one particular brand for all your gear? If you answer yes, do you consider yourself to be a tackle tart, a term that sounds to me somewhat derogatory.

Ralph

Hello everybody, my name is John and I am a tackle tart.

The appearance of a product is important to me and as much as I try not to let style over function rule, it's often a persuading factor. Maybe that's why I've gravitated towards a particular brand for certain items, I have a liking for Drennan rods. I like the feel of them, they have subtle brand logos without being loud and brash, perfection would be a matt carbon look with zero graphics but no chance. More importantly the rods fit into my price budget.

As for other pieces of kit I'm less than trendy, using a fishing bag, a fold up picnic table as you will see in my photos.

Having previously been seriously into car detailing it goes without saying that I like to keep everything in clean condition.

I've just cleaned my stuff up today, I can't see why you wouldn't take care of your kit

I'm a Drennan and Shimano fan boy. Apart from centrepins all my reels are Shimano and all my float and feeder rods are Drennan, personally I think both brands offer outstanding value for money as the product they make are well designed and incredibly durable.

To me a tackle tart is more bothered by looks than function, so think carp anglers that fold reel handles so they can get their rods close together and when they get a run they have to fold the handles back before they can put pressure in a carpmg:

I'm not a tackle tart but I do have expensive well looked stuff.

If I look at most of my gear it Korum or Preston, Korum tackle bags-chair-brolly-bib & brace- jacket, Preston attachments for the chair. But that was because that’s all that my local tackle shop sold at the time. But saying that most of the tackle shop sell Korum & Preston so I easy to get hold of...

Like you I wash all my bib & brace jacket in Nikwax (well the wife dose) and reproof the same with my fishing boots if you cost the price of a jacket bib and brace fleece –trouser- boots it come out around £300-400.if not more…

I even clean my chair with upholstery cleaner 1-2 times a year...

My rod and reels are cleaned every week. Bait boxes are washed out…

My mum & dad drummed it into me look after whatever I had as a kid...

So does this make me a tackle tart for looking after my fishing gear?

I have no loyalty to any brand, I buy what will do the required job at the cheapest price I can find, my drennan twist lock cost more than some of my rods I paid it because its what would do what I require of it same as my cheepo centrepin it does the job, cleaning tackle? I might now and again

Easier for me to say who i don't use.....

Shimano
Guru
Shakespeare
Dam
Korda
Avid

Mainstay is..

Drennan
Esp
Daiwa
Preston
Korum
Sonik
Sonubaits
Sensas

However I do try to buy cheaper options in bulk, no name off of eBay...I wouldsay with 50% success.mg: at best

No way am i a tackle tart. Sitting on the bank with all the kit and clothing from one maker. I find this amusing to myself and have a little chuckle. I also find it a bit sad as these people as they only have tunnel vision and miss the good kit on the outside of this.
Over the years i owned Drennan rods due to like their built and action on a budget. I now only have one Drennan Acolyte 14ft plus for trotting and float work. I also own a Drennan FD30 reel only because it balanced the setup well.
My Avon rods are more important to me as i use them more. 2 are over 10 years old( TFG river and stream & river and pit models) and off the shelf, i bought these not because of the name on them but because they offered the true Avon action. The other one was hand made 8ish years ago only because i could find an off the shelf model that offered me the action i wanted. These are used with Pins from TFG or 2 Greys GSF400.
In all, i own 6 Avon rods in different TC'S and make. Although i own a few bits of kit from Drennan and TFG if a product came along that i liked and had my standard of built.
As you can see i buy from individual manufacturers so there's no way i class myself a tackle tart. Sorry, i must be as i clean my reels and rods after each session.
P.s
I also wash down my bags and seats etc. Makes them last longer. As for clothing i.e waterproofs boots etc, i wash them at least 2 times a year, more if it's been muddy.

thecrow said:

...my drennan twist lock cost more than some of my rods I paid it because its what would do what I require of it...

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Thinking about that, I only have one rod (Fox dropshotting rod) that cost more than my handle - That's mad

Does that mean I need to buy some more expensive rods to 'balance' my gear?

Any excuse...

Ralph.

I can get a little obsessive at times, but not to the total exclusion of alternative brands. No doubt I show marked preferences, but that's based on good experiences. My reels, bar centrepins, are invariably Shimano. I have tried others, but I've not liked them very much in comparison. Rods are a different kettle of fish. I tend to buy a lot, from all sorts of brands. When I find something I like, whatever the brand, I tend to buy other rods in the range. Normark, Drennan, Daiwa, Shimano, Freespirit, Fox, Greys and Tri-cast are the usual suspects. The most recent deviation from those themes was a Garbolino. That was simply because they had a rod that I needed for a certain application (and that fitted my preferences) where few others did. I'm not remotely concerned with brands when it comes to ancillary and terminal tackle. I buy and try whatever seems to be the best, or only, option. Things don't always work out that way, but some things you have to try for yourself.

I clean rods and reels down after every use, provided I remember. I'm particularly fastidious about my centrepins and more expensive, or older, rods.I'm not interested in resale values, but that doesn't hurt. I'm more interested in extending the life of my kit to the absolute maximum.

I am not a tackle tart and couldn't care less what I buy

mikench said:

I am not a tackle tart and couldn't care less what I buy

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A drennan tench mk11.......would fit th bill perfectly.

If buying higher end or quality gear means your a tackle tart then I suppose i'll have to put my hand up...am I bothered ...narrh i'm not . I have no loyalties to a brand or name though and have tackle from various makers. I buy what I think is the best tackle for my chosen method of angling and very rarely does it come at budget prices....although it has on occasions!
Same as Chris (Sam) I keep my gear as clean as I can because I like it kept that way and I want it to last as long as possible because I can't see me finding anything to better it in the near or possibly distant future!
A lot of my fishing gear is more to me than just a tool for the job, I like to look at it when using it and get pleasure from that as well as catching fish with it .

I can vouch for Tigger's fastidiousness when it comes to tackle. I try to emulate him with my own! I reckon I have a rod or reel from every marque and I am happy with them all. I need more though as one can never have enough good tackle!

I see no point in working hard all of my life,then making do with second rate gear,I use what I consider is good quality rods,fixed spool reels have to be above a certain standard to be usable imo,accessories like hooks,lines,shot etc are very important so have to reach a high standard,you can get decent tackle cheap(look at Sensor),as usual in the main it is all down to personal opinions and confidence.

Another vote for Sensor; what a line!

I'm an unashamed tackle tart with a large dollop of OCD thrown in for good measure.

Colour matching, brand consistency... I love it!

I have stuck to a couple of brands for my rods and reels, by and large they haven't let me down but the problem is that one of them is no longer active in the coarse fishing market so I'd better look after them.

Ideally I would like to have freshly washed kit every time out but it's just not possible when it's out so often but I always do a thorough shakedown of everything once a year come the close season, I will titivate in between when time allows.

At the end of the day I just do what pleases me and if others want to label that then it's up to them and no skin off my nose, I'm enjoying myself.

The flip side is that I buy my fair share of budget end accessories because they do the job I want them to do and I enjoy making a few things too

Does that sway me back somewhere toward the centre ground and rationality?

You are far from the madding crowd mr mayor of Casterbridge!!

My gears pretty eclectic, all manner of brands mixed up with non branded stuff that I've made myself , tackle boxes, landing net handles, adjustable seat boxes, extending bank sticks , drop off indicaters, floats etc, stuff like that-- cos I can, it's nice to use stuff that's made to suit my needs.
As for tidy, I suppose it is in a strange kind of "my way".
Clean is a sometimes thing but right now I'm using a lot of groundbait --- my reels are in there somewhere !.

My gears pretty mixed, mostly budget stuff. I've got a decent ( in my mind ) rod and reel both Diawa. I buy the best I can afford without breaking the bank or borrowing. I work & my wife don't she's spent all her youth bringing up our kids. So money is quite often tight. Not that I mind.
I always clean my rods/reels/nets etc after each trip.

My gear ranges from bottom end NGT to top end Drennan all there because at the time it what I needed. My Carp rods never matched and neither did my indicators. I do have matching pairs of pike rod but the reels don’t match or even have the same make of line on them.
I don’t think the fish really mind.
As far as cleaning goes, what’s cleaning?