Like the new Vintage Hoodie, the Camo T Shirt features a high quality embroidered Phat Fish logo high on the shoulder, which gives the T Shirt a distinct look and in use, the T Shirt is incredibly comfy to wear whether you’re on the bank our out on the Town. Mines been through the wash countless times already and each time out it’s as good as new, providing durable use day-in-day-out. Exactly what I’ve come to expect from all Phat Fish garments.
The Phat Fish Heavy Camo T Shirt is available in Small, Medium, Large, XL, and XXL priced at £17.99 from your local Phat Fish stockist or online at: http://www.phatfishclothing.co.uk
Julian Grattidge
June 2013
The quality look is further enhanced with the flat draw cord, brass zipper and contrast trim. Unlike most hoodies which feature the branding on the chest, the Vintage Hoodie has the Phat Fish logo embroidered high up on the shoulder which looks excellent. There’s two pouch pockets featuring twin needle stitching and in use, the hoodie is without doubt one of the comfiest I’ve worn. Made from 50% Cotton, 50% Polyester with pre-shrunk yarn, the inner is super soft, and it’s one of those you rarely want to take off.
Working from home my day to day attire usually consists of fishing clothing of some description, which has become a bit of a standing joke in our house. My wife rarely misses the chance to make a joke about my full range of green and brown attire, yet even she commented on how good it looked when I started wearing it – high praise indeed!
To be honest this garment is one that punches well above its £34.99 price tag. Ten out of ten. Available in Small, Medium, Large, XL, and XXL from your local Phat Fish stockist or online at: http://www.phatfishclothing.co.uk
Julian Grattidge
June 2013
As a result, I'm still leaving the house every day with a hat on, but over the last month I've turned my attentions to the Phat Fish Slouch Beanie. To be honest, I wasn't really sure how I'd get on with it, as by and large, I'm not a great fan of baggy beanies, however, after just a few hours wearing it I was hooked - mainly due to the fact it's one of, if not ‘the' comfiest beanie I've ever worn!
Weighing in at just 70g it's extremely lightweight, and because it's not a tight weave you never get that constricting ‘elasticated' feeling you can get with a lot of beanies that gives you an itchy head after a while and sometimes even a headache. I've worn the slouch every day without fail at some point, in both moderate and cold conditions and it's great in terms of regulating my temperature whatever the conditions.
Bottom line is, I love it! As I never fish with a front on my bivvy, I always have specific hats for different times of the year, and by now I've always historically switched to my lightweight summer hat - the same one I've been using for about fifteen years - but as yet, it's still firmly packed away in the cupboard, which proves testament to how good the slouch is. I have a feeling it will end up being one of my best new fishing items of the year!
In terms of quality, it's top notch, just like the rest of the hat Fish stuff we've used on the bank. It's made from 100% soft touch acrylic, in one size fits all Graphite Grey, priced at £10.99 from your local Phat Fish stockiest or direct from http://www.phatfishclothing.co.uk
Highly recommended.
Julian Grattidge
June 2013
The generously cut hoodie is made from 80% cotton & 20% polyester, this combined with the fleece lining gives it that noticeable soft feel, the lining also wicks away any moisture quickly if you happen to be caught out in a shower, it has a nice modern cut so you look good in it too; both out on the bank, taking the dog for a walk or just lazing around the home.
The shoulders, armholes and bottom hemline have been flatlock topstitched which in layman's terms means that it won't fall apart, the Kangaroo pocket at the front of the hoodie has reinforced seams, which is a nice touch as this area gets a lot of wear and tear, and I've had the front pocket fall apart with lesser quality garments in the past. The hood section of the clothing is nice and spacious; lined for comfort with drawstrings and eyelets, if you are like me I don't like the hood to be too tight around my head as I suffer from headaches from time to time when a garment is too tight or restricted, but with the soft feel and ample head room I haven't suffered these like I have with other ones, in fact it's the only hoodie that I have worn in the sleeping bag and had a good nights sleep with.
The Embroided Hoodie comes in two carpy colours, Khaki Green and Brown which is my favourite as I can wear it out and about as well as fishing without the Mrs moaning that I've got my fishing clothes on again!!!
So if you are in the market for a quality product that will last the test of time, looks good and feels exceptionally comfortable then the Emroided Hoodie is for you.
The Embroidered Phat Fish Hoodie is priced at £29.99 and available from: http://www.phatfishclothing.co.uk
Leon Bartropp
February 2013
In terms of features, the jacket has two front pockets that have zips so I can keep any items including my keys or phone safely tucked away, there is also a inbuilt hood zipped away when not in use. The front of the jacket has a nice baffle down the centre to keep the zip clean of any mud and acts to keep any drafts out.
The trousers are made from the same For-Tex material and come in olive green. They have velcro ankle fasteners so you can get your boots on and off easily, and which also allow you to keep out any unwanted drafts or dirt coming onto my clothes underneath. I've been out in some terrible weather just recently (will it ever stop raining!) and both the jacket & trousers have kept me warm and dry in all conditions. The best thing about these two products is that they fold up really small so I can keep them in my rucksack and grab them at a moments notice when the weather turns. The Jacket is priced at £44.99, the trousers at £29.99, or get both for just £69.99. Check them out at Phat Fish Clothing - they're so good it almost makes wet and windy weather fun!
Leon Bartropp
December 2012
To say that I was blown away when mark sent out one of his sculptures would be an understatement. The attention to detail is simply amazing. Most sculptures I’ve seen in this price band look more like trout when inspected up close, but this fully scaled mirror carp was anything but. Without trying to get too anal about it, all I can say is that as somebody who breeds and rears specimen carp - it’s perfect! The body shape is absolutely bang on; the muscle definition over the shoulder and flanks is so accurate it’s untrue, and the scaling is to die for...
What’s also important – at least to me – is that it also feels ‘just right’, both in its finish when you touch it and when you feel its weight. On speaking to Mark in greater detail I was very keen to learn exactly how they were made as it was clear an awful lot of work had gone into them and I was soon to learn that every piece is the result of a detailed study followed by hours of meticulous work driven by enthusiasm, and backed by over thirty years of sculpting experience.
The process starts with an original master sculpture made of hard modelling wax, which Mark tells me can take anything up to 150 hours to complete depending on the amount of scales – of which there’s 800-odd on the common carp! A mould is then made in order that each piece can be cast. Each sculpture is in effect a real bronze metal piece made from a very thin shell supported by a special mineral powder filled resin. The outer shell is a proper bronze metal powder (not an applied finish) added as an integral part of the casting process, which means it can be quite a headache to work on some pieces as Mark says you can’t do any fettling to finished castings - they have to be perfect first time. After which, all the polished highlighting is carried out which really brings each sculpture to life.
The finished result is absolutely breath-taking, and the fully scaled mirror carp which sits proudly on my desk is without doubt the best carp sculpture I’ve seen. What’s really nice (and shows through and through) is that each piece is made completely by hand… not a machine in sight and the fact that each piece is made in the UK is the icing on the cake!
Highly recommended.
There are three carp sculptures to collect; Common Carp. Stands at 70mm high by 135mm long, priced at £44.95. Linear Mirror Carp. Stands 80mm high by 115mm long, priced at £39.95. Fully Scaled Mirror Carp. Stands 90mm high by 145mm long, priced at £49.95
To order visit: http://www.fishforart.co.uk/
Julian Grattidge
December 2012
CALL US NOW ON: 01482 703485
If you want to keep warm and look the part this winter, then I can only advise and recommend one of their superb head garments - and look out for their new Digital Camo Cap out soon!
For further information on the full range of carp fishing clothing on offer, visit www.phatfishclothing.co.uk
Leon Bartropp
October 2012
CALL US NOW ON: 01482 703485
I stripped my gear from my old threadbare quiver, took it outside and unceremoniously dumped it in the bin as it was fit for little else, before going back in and strapping everything onto my shiny new quiver, which would get its first taste of action later that night. On the night - and every night since - it's performed admirably. No shocks or surprises; it's done exactly what I expected of it for a piece of luggage in this price range. On average I've used it twice a week throughout the year. I don't use a barrow so it's always been on my shoulder and used as intended, and after all that time there really is nothing I can find to fault it. The quality is second to none; both in the quality of materials used and in its construction.
In most cases my sessions are quick ten or twelve hour overnighters, so my quiver gets humped to the bank fully loaded, stripped out and thrown behind my bedchair for a few hours, before being loaded up again and humped all the way back home, where it's usually had everything stripped out of it again to dry off thanks to the non-summer we've had - and all this twice a week in rain, shine, sun, snow, whatever.
I'm no tackle tart; my gear fulfils a purpose and if it gets wrecked in the process then so be it, but that's what's surprised me most about the quiver - and my Aqua carryall come to think of it - despite all that they've had thrown at them by my uncompromising style of angling, you could put a tag back on either piece and after a quick wipe down pass them off as being brand new. Whilst much of my other kit shows the signs of another twelve months of abuse, my quiver still looks box fresh, be it the Velcro tabs on all the rod retainers or the unmarked heavy duty base which has seen a fair bit of stick - not a mark on it.
As for functionality, it's exactly as you'd expect. Getting everything in, on or out, is a synch, and once packed the adjustable straps keep everything nice and compact for transit. The shoulder strap is comfortable and everything is well balanced. The only odd thing - from a personal prospective - was that the shoulder strap was on the different side of the body to all the quivers I've owned previously. I tried swapping shoulders but just couldn't get used to it, so I now have the quiver to the front with the reels facing forwards, and my bag on one shoulder and bedchair on the other. To be honest, this works really well and gives a much better transfer of weight, so although it took a bit of getting used to, it's actually improved my stance when fully loaded.
The quiver features a large main opening to accommodate a brolly or shelter - my Ultralite fits in with space to spare - and there's a small pocket running the entire length of the body for your net pole to slide into. There's then a side wall pocket with easy access for sticks and such like, and on the rods side there's a heavy duty butt pocket with Velcro retraining straps for five rods. Two adjustable retaining straps (top and bottom) keep everything secure and in place. The quiver measures 230mm (w) x 1150mm (h) x 80 mm (d).
I guess the telling point is that after a year of constant use, there's nothing I think could be added or taken away to improve it. I find individual rod sleeves a bit time consuming so from a personal prospective a one piece hood to go over the lot right down to the reels would be a nice optional extra, but in terms of the quiver as is, it's the best I've owned.
Highly recommended.
Aqua Endura RS Quiver (Small) retails for around £49.99 from your local Aqua stockist, or buy online at Aqua.
Julian Grattidge
September 2012
CALL US NOW ON: 01482 703485
We'd like to think we know a thing or two about clothing at Northwestcarp.co.uk, we do runs of our own top quality branded garments on a regular basis for the site and we get sent lots to look at from those thinking of going into business, and to be honest, we have to say that most of the stuff we see is gash... poor quality prints and embroidery on poor quality garments... first time through the wash and it's anybody's guess what will come out the other end!
With regard to Phat Fish, it's great to see they've come at it from the opposite end of the spectrum offering top notch garments that are built to last with high quality prints and embroidery. Phat Fish sent me a few bits from their range to review a while ago and on opening up the package my wife commented that they looked good quality and were very different - and that sums it up really; top quality gear that's very different from the norm.
It's always nice to ‘big up' a local company, especially when the gear they are doing is right up there. What's also nice is that the prices are realistic - maybe another northern influence! There's loads of designs, styles and colours to choose from, with headwear starting at under a tenner, T Shirts under fifteen pounds and hoodies at under thirty pounds. Quality.
If you're in need of some new attire for a night out on the bank or a night out on the town, then look no further. You can view the full range and buy online at: http://www.phatfishclothing.co.uk
Highly recommended!
Julian Grattidge
May 2012
CALL US NOW ON: 01482 703485
It seemed like you couldn't go a week last year without the Jungle throwing up a big hit for somebody on the Pallatrax website and I've little doubt it will be much the same during 2012 - just as soon as the waters thaw! It's worth noting that with water temperatures still down at the moment, now's the ideal time to get to know a milk protein bait, but to be honest, this bait will serve you well throughout. If you're currently looking for a little inspiration of the bait front, our advice is to take a much closer look at the Jungle. It's a little bit different to the norm, in a good way, and screams ‘fish!' from some distance!
The Jungle is available is sizes 14mm and 18mm, as fresh frozen or shelf life, and there's a whole host of matching items available to go with it. We have to be honest and say that it's not the cheapest of baits, but sometimes a few quid more can make all the difference. Priced at; 400g bags: £5.50, 1kg bags: £10.95, 5kg - £47.50, 10kg - £85.00, 20kg - £150.00, 30kg - £210.00.
Available from your local Pallatrax stockist or direct from: www.pallatrax.co.uk