Lewis Read - Marketing and Product Development Manager for Gardner Tackle Limited
How did you get into your job?
Initially by sending my CV, and then applying for a couple of different posts here at Gardner Tackle, which was then followed up by the usual vetting interview.
What is the best (and worst) thing about what you do?
Best thing is working in a trade associated with the sport I am passionate about, an opportunity that I am eternally grateful to Richard and Michele Gardner for giving me. I am very lucky to be working with some great people/anglers here at Gardner, and dealing day to day with our sponsored angler team. Worst thing for me personally is dealing with poor suppliers!
What would you consider the greatest angling innovation?
The best angling innovation ever - blimey that's a hard one! In all honestly the list could potentially be massive. Copolymer lines, chemically sharpened hooks, the hair rig, PVA (nice one Mr. Gardner), Spods (Nice one Mr Gardner), Pods (nice one Mr Gardner)....
What will be the ‘next big thing' in angling?
Hopefully, more angling and watercraft rather than camping....
Favourite venue?
Easy! The Hertfordshire Club Lake. Truly heaven on earth... In I just love it whereever I am fishing at the time. I love the challenge of new venues, and whether that is a one off visit to a lake whilst out ‘on feature' at a water I wouldn't normally visit. There is something quite fulfilling about catching fish for the cameras when I can feel under considerable pressure to come up with the goods.
Lewis Read with The Long Common at 36lbs 10ozs
What is your favourite type of angling?
I am primarily a carp angler, but I really enjoy any type of fishing (more so now than ever before) and feel that it is a natural progression for my own angling to diversify and experience the pleasure of catching different species and mastering new techniques. Especially, during the winter (read Christmas to mid February) when carp fishing frankly seems to bit like hitting your head against a brick wall! I particularly relish a bit of river fishing because its so different from the angling I do most the time, and mastering angling in a more dynamic environment is something I work hard to get my head around fully. Luckily I work with a couple of great river anglers and I can ask them for guidance...
Who was your inspiration to begin fishing?
I started fishing at the age of 5, after listening to my dad talking about the angling he did when he was a bachelor (or more accurately before my brother and I came along and his time got tied up), and pawing through all his angling old books. I loved the idea of the mystery of not knowing what I could connect with when the float bobbed under. Within a few years I went on to catch my first carp, but didn't ‘specialise' until I was a low double when the carp bug finally bit.
Describe your ideal peg.
One with some carp actively ‘head and shouldering' and fizzing up in!
Interesting fact?
The Carp is the fastest accelerating fresh water fish when it bolts!
Lewis Read
Marketing & Product Development Manager
Gardner Tackle
1: How old were you when you first started fishing and where were your old haunts?
I first started fishing at the age of seven. My first session was on Longton Park big lake, I caught a roach of about 1lb and was completely bitten with the bug since that day. Early waters were the local canal and park lakes plus a small complex of club waters in Loggerheads.
2: What led you towards targeting carp?
In around 1984 I saw a big mirror being photographed at Hawk Lake, I also caught my first carp around the same time; a little 4lb mirror. From that point on it was inevitable that one day I would catch a big carp - it was just a case of getting on the right waters!
3: If you could go back in time, is there anything you would do differently?
This one’s easy! I would have pestered my dad to take me to Hawk Lake more often as it was on the day ticket back then! I could have then set about angling for some big carp.
4: If you could only ever fish one venue, past or present, which would it be?
I would have liked to have fished Redmire Pool in the early 80's. Other than that there’s a couple of lakes I have fished that I could happily spend time on; one would have to be Hawk lake in Shropshire.
5: If you could only ever use one bait for carp, what would it be?
HHMMM, this ones tough! It would probably be a good fishmeal boilie or sweet corn.
6: What do you consider to be your best angling achievement to date?
I have had some good times carp fishing since 1994 when I started to target bigger fish. The best achievements would probably be taking 43 fish in 5 months doing around 30 nights from a lake with about 70 fish in. The other would be cracking a small pond that was reputed to be quite difficult. I managed all but one of the big ones in five months doing just short sessions and just one night. All but the biggest one taken off the surface with quite a few repeat captures.
7: What’s the best tackle item you’ve ever bought?
A Shimano Baitrunner reel.
8: What’s the worst tackle item you’ve ever bought?
An ESP catapult it snapped after 5 minutes, lol....they have since redesigned them and they are now pretty good.
9: If you could change one thing about the sport, what would it be?
I would ban bait boats, other than that, nothing. (Sorry Smokey...lol..)
10: If you could fish with any angler for the day, past or present, who would it be?
Would probably be Terry Hearn, closely followed by Rod Hutchinson, as we could then nip off to the pub for a few pints!
Deano
June 2009