A BIT ABOUT ME

Fishing has been a major part of my life.  My father managed fish canning and processing facilities at Margate and Dunally in Tasmania and also held a commercial fishing licence at one stage.  I was the dinghy boy until I went to University in Hobart to study guess what? Fisheries biology. 

I spent the next 40+ years in freshwater fisheries research and management in Tasmania and Victoria finally retiring in 2015. Or so I thought. Somehow things changed and my wife, Lina Bin and I now run an accommodation and catering business based at Alexandra in the heart of Victoria’s trout fishing country.

My interest in recreational fishing developed in parallel with my career in Tasmania and Victoria and so did my interest in angling history and collecting old fishing books and fishing tackle.  I founded the Museum of Trout Fishing at the Salmon Ponds in Tasmania during my time with the Inland Fisheries Commission and after I left there in 1998 I assembled a very fine collection of Australian made fly reels and spinning reels.  This interest lead to some very treasured contact with the late Bob Dunn during the preparation of his three superb books on the history of Australian angling and tackle. This served to solidify my interest in angling history, tackle and memorabilia.

So now I have reduced my tackle collecting interests (reduced not eliminated) but want to continue my interest by developing this website for the purchase and sale of second hand angling gear, mostly antique but a few modern items are always mixed in along the way. It is my way of maintaining the interest in things fishing related when ones mobility is deteriorating but the brain is still active…at least I think it is.

Starting the site was also greatly facilitated by a request to sell a large collection of reels and rods which added to my own accumulated gear.  If you want me to sell your gear for you to save you the hassle of auction listing and packing and posting I will do so on a flat rate commission. If you want me to look at buying your collection outright for resale then I am interested but please don’t ask me for a valuation of an item and then offer it to me at that valuation as that is simply not how a retail business works.

 

If you want to come and have a look at the gear on sale you can do a day visit or we can offer you an accommodation and meal package to go with any purchases….how’s that for an integrated service!! Whatever your interest I hope you enjoy the site.

 

Please get in touch if you have a question or comment.