Show seaon kicked off with a bang for Wychwood, with last weekend’s Carpin’ On show seeing the first public outings for a host of new releases.
With thousands of carp anglers from around the UK visiting the beautiful 5 Lakes resort in Essex, there was a great buzz about the show – and of course, we had plenty of people wanting to come and chat to us about the full range of kit we had on display!
New products included the Tactical Stove, which had people smiling at the truly compact packdown size, and the revised T-Bar scales in both single and dual-screen versions. We also had our latest alarms at the show, the wireless AVX-S models and the ‘entry level’ AVX, to give people the chance to test them out before they’re released later this Spring.
But it wasn’t all about new product; we had the full range of 101, 201, 301 and Extricator rods on display, plus our trusted Dispatch reel and marker/spod rods. DPF line went down a storm, with many visitors not only remarking about the unique colouration but also how thin and supple the line feels.
Tactical bedchairs were always going to grab people’s attention thanks to the DPM finish and super-light construction – these are arguably the lightest flatbeds on the market at between 6.5-7.5kg – and the MHR brolly also got people talking thanks to how many features it crams into such a great value package. With the weather warming up both the 50” and 60” versions are sure to find favour with anglers wanting to benefit from their compact design and light weight.
The stand also played host to Deeper, the global portable sonar success story that is fast-becoming the default tech for anglers looking for a truly reliable feature and fish finder. With its super-tough casing and castable design – and now with a Wi-Fi version hitting shops in April – this is the benchmark for sonar ‘on-the-go’ and British and European champ Steve Collett was on hand to guide visitors through how to get the most from this unique piece of technology.
Another debut to the public was Mustad’s latest range of carp hooks. Highly anticipated by many, the BBS range features a unique rail system that allows anglers to tie baits on easily and quickly. Laser welded and with a truly hand-made quality – every hook is passed through one person’s hands to be welded in a custom-designed machine – with five designs available, the response was overwhelmingly positive. For the angler who wants a more traditional hook design, Mustad’s XV2 hooks – essentially the BBS without the laser-welded rail – also went down really well, with anglers from around the show making a beeline for this area of the stand throughout the weekend.
Lighting gurus Petzl had a range of its latest headtorches on display, including the ‘ultra-carpy’ Tactikka + 160 (finished in green/camouflage) and the totally cool and USB-rechargeable Tikka RXP model, which uses sensor technology to automatically adjust beam pattern and control battery life.
Another brand that really caught people’s attention was Wiley X. Used around the world by the military forces, this expansive range of eyewear is features a whole list of unique technology, from multi-layer lens construction to give amazing polarization and clarity, to virtually indestructible build quality that can literally save the wearer’s eyesight.
TEAMwychwood anglers Nigel Sharp and Jon Mac were on hand to talk visitors through the kit, and ‘Big Mac’ even made a rare appearance on the main stage to talk with host Rob Hughes about his life as a carper, his thoughts on modern carp fishing and the fish he’s caught along the way.
So, that’s one show down, one to go; Wychwood will be heading to Farnborough this coming weekend for the highly-anticipated The Big One show and with 20,000 visitors expected, it’ll be a great chance to check out all these products and chat to the team – see you there!
