March 25, 1893] 
THE FISHING GAZETTE 
209 
FISHERIES EXHIBITION AT THE 
ROFAL AQUARIUM. 
As an exhibition of fishing tackle, pnre and 
simple, the present show now being held at the 
Eojal Aquarium, must be pronounced a decided 
success. The exhibitors, it is true, are fewer in 
number than in previous years, but among them 
are some of the largest fishing tackle manufac¬ 
turers in the kingdom, and the general excellence 
of the exhibits provides in quality, what may, 
perhaps, be wanting in quantity. 
There are a few things very closely connected 
with angling which we must confess we were 
disappointed at not finding exhibited, one very 
notable feature being the entire absence of what 
may be termed the London club angler’s impedi¬ 
menta; indeed, the roach fishermen of the Lea 
and Thames, the rank and file of the great army 
of anglers, are almost left out in the cold, one 
firm alone showing anything like a selection of 
those rods so dear to the hearts of these 
fishermen. 
We have previously remarked upon the absence 
of stuffed fish, and one other thing struck us as 
being very poorly represented; we refer to the 
almost total absence of creels and fishing baskets 
generally; a few are shown, but only a very few, 
of the many excellent designs made in this im¬ 
portant part of an angler’s equipment. On the 
whole, however, the executive have got together 
a very fine exhibition, and, coming as it does in 
the coarse fish close season, will be welcomed by 
tome anglers as a pleasing interlude in that 
otherwise dreary period. 
The Trade Exhibits are of a very high order, 
and, with the one exception we have mentioned, 
are all that can be desired. 
A thoroughly representative exhibition of 
fishing tackle without the presence of Messrs. 
HARDY BEOS., of ALNWICK, would be an 
impossibility, and this celebrated firm is very 
much to the fore in the present show. Difficult 
as it is to introduce any improvement in the high 
point of excellence already attained in the manu¬ 
facture of salmon and trout rods, yet Messrs. 
Hardy’s stand is absolutely bristling with nfew, 
and, needless to say, practical ideas. 
Their “Houghton” dry fly rod, for instance, 
built to the instructions of one of the best dry 
fly fishers of the day, should especially be 
inspected; it is so constructed that it really 
possesses dual casting powers—a long or short 
cast being equally easy to make ; it has a 
splendid action, and cannot fail to please even 
the most exacting. 
The*’ Houghton ” reel we much liked,it carries 
a good length of line, and has a quick winding 
drum; the feature of it, however, is the adjust¬ 
able pressure check: by an ingenious arrange¬ 
ment the “ pull ” or check is regulated to the 
greatest nicety. Messrs. Hardy call it the “ Per¬ 
fect ” reel, and it deserves the name. A landing 
net, which will open automatically the instant a 
fish is struck, has yet to be invented, but Messrs. 
Hardy have come very near it. Their latest 
idea is exceedingly good. 
A perfect taper line for dry fly-fishing, dressed 
after the recipe given by Mr. Halford in his 
celebrated work, deserves all that is claimed for 
it. Dry fly-fishers should see this line. 
A new cast case, made in leather, with un¬ 
bleached chamois pockets, is just the thing for 
keeping gut during the winter. The price of 
this useful little article is 5s. The split cane 
salmon and trout rods are. as usual, perfect. 
We have said this so often that it is really un¬ 
necessary to further praise them. 
Messrs. Hardy have recently introduced a 
bamboo sea-fishing rod, with very strong ferrules 
and rings, and with pulley end ; in two joints 
they are produced at 8s. fid. each. The great care 
always given to their goods is not relaxed even 
in these cheap rods, and they are wonderful value. 
Salmon anglers should not fail to see some gut 
shown by this firm—the price is stiffish, but so is 
the gut. 
The specially-dressed “ hackle ” salmon flies, 
we are assured by Messrs. Hardy, are more fatal 
than the ordinary winged flies. We shall probably 
see this question argued shortly ; certainly they 
have a very taking appearance. 
Altogether, Messrs. Hardy’s show is quite 
equal to anything they have done before. 
Messrs. J. ENRIGHT & SON have, as usual, 
a splendid selection of salmon and trout rods, 
built on the celebrated Castle Connell prin¬ 
ciple, and, as this firm have no agents, anglers 
should avail themselves of the opportunity of 
seeing these beautiful rods. Castle Connell is a 
long way off, and only on these occasions is it 
possible to inspect them. Their 18ft. ordinary 
three-joint spliced greenheart salmon-rod is as 
perfect as it is possible for a rod to be ; and the 
same distinctive action is introduced into their 
Union rod, that is, one brazed ferrule-joint and 
one splice; while those who prefer all brazed 
ferrules can see this class of rod so fitted. All 
are excellent, but we certainly prefer the real 
article—all spliced. 
These rods are also made with one splice only. 
In this form a very powerful action is attained. 
Their spliced single-handed trout-rods are little 
beauties, and are made in every degree of power 
and stiffness to suit all requirements. 
A special feature is their Mahseer rods and 
reels; the latter being made specially to with¬ 
stand the trying climate of India. In addition to 
these rods, for which they have established such 
a great reputation, they have a good show of 
reels, taper salmon and trout casts and traces, 
and a fine selection of gut in hanks. Their 
Shannon flies are excellent, and, although Messrs. 
Enright have come a long way to show their 
goods, we are sure they will make many new 
friends. 
The stand of Messrs. D. SLATER & Co., 
Newark-on-Trent, is always conspicuous, and 
always interesting, something new is certain to 
be there, and round it anglers invariably con¬ 
gregate. 
We have so often had occasion to refer to the 
rods made by this firm, that our opinion of them 
is well known, and once more we can safely say, 
that for rods within the reach of the most mode¬ 
rate pocket. Slater’s rods cannot be beaten. 
A specialite of theirs, and one we most con¬ 
fidently recommend to the notice of our readers, 
is their Thames trout rod. These rods are 
simply perfection, and are suitable for every kind 
of fishing, bottom or spinning, and the price we 
believe ranges from I2s. to 25s. 
Their eighteen-feet greenheart salmon rods are 
also worthy of particular attention; they are 
beautifully finished in every way. and are fitted 
with Slater’s universal winch fitting, upright 
rings, &c., and the price appears to us to be 
almost ridiculously low, when the quality of the 
article is taken into consideration. 
A three-joint greenheart fly rod, with two tops, 
at 123. fid., is sure to find a ready sale, and a 
much higher priced article could scarcely give a 
prettier action. 
An eleven-feet greenheart salmon and pike 
spinning rod we especially noticed ; it is built 
with double cork handles, patent winch fittings, 
steel rings, two tops, and at 30s. is perhaps the 
best value in the whole exhibit. 
Messrs. Slater & Co. have long been celebrated 
for their Nottingham and other reels, and they 
have an immense variety now on view—space 
forbids us to notice them all—we scarcely know 
which to select to specially refer to. A winch 
they have christened the “ Perfection ” is good ; 
without being a multiplier, it has a very quick 
action, and is exceedingly light, for a ladies’ trout 
rod it is exactly the thing; the price is lOs. fid. 
Visitors should make a special point of seeing 
this splendid show of reels—it forms a very 
interesting feature in the exhibition. 
A few hanks of their extra strong salmon gut 
are still left, but only very few. 
We congratulate Messrs. Slater on their 1893 
exhibit. 
Messrs. OGDEN AND SCOTFORD, Pittville, 
Gheltenbam, have a very good exhibit of salmon 
and trout rods. 
A rod which has done much to establish their 
reputation is the “ Multum in Parvo,” two-joint 
trout rod. We have frequently noticed it, and it 
still holds its own against all competitors; it 
possesses a casting power certainly surpassed by 
none, and for its price—we believe it is a guinea— 
we think it cannot be beaten. 
We were shown a 14-ft. greenheart grilse 
rod, and we liked it very much ; it is exactly 
the thing for a small river where heavy trout, 
or occasional salmon, are to be met with. 
We noticed particularly a dry fly trout rod, 
which is named the “ Little Favourite,” and it 
undqubtedly possesses among its other virtues, 
that of making friends—we fell in love with it 
immediately, and we think that will be the fate 
of everyone who sees it. 
Messrs. Ogden and Scotford are practical 
anglers, and those who are looking for a salmon 
rod and perhaps do not know exactly what would 
suit them, would do well to take their advice in 
the selection of a rod. 
In addition to the rods we have particularly 
selected, they have, as we have said, a splendid 
show of salmon rods in split cane, greenheart, 
blue mahoe, and Devereux maboe. 
Mrs. OGDEN SMITH, of Clapham Junction, 
once more exhibits a very fine collection of trout 
flies. 
The flies dressed by members of this family are 
so well known and so highly appreciated by dry-fly 
fishermen all over the country, that we need only 
say what we have often said before, they are a.s 
near perfection as it is possible to get. The 
present exhibit is quite up to the usual standard, 
and includes one or two new patterns; one, aptly 
named the “ Demon,” we liked the look of very 
much indeed, and shall take the earliest oppor¬ 
tunity of trying it. Its reputation as a killer is 
very great. Mrs. Smith also shows some excellent 
whole-cane salmon, grilse, and trout rods, and 
some tapered gut casts of her own tying are very 
fine. 
Messrs. J. BERNARD AND SON, of 5, 
Church-place, Piccadilly, have, perhaps, the best 
stand in the whole exhibition. Almost every 
article an angler can possibly require is shown 
here—rods, reels, lines, casts, traces, flies, and 
artificial baits innumerable. 
The angler must visit this stand and be pre¬ 
pared to spend a considerable time there. Far 
and away the largest collection of flies is shown 
by this firm, and the number of different patterns 
and colours, both in trout and salmon-flies, is so 
great, that we shall not attempt even to sample 
them ; suffice it to say that they are in all cases 
beautifully dressed and tied. We were shown 
a specially-prepared silk line,described as “cable” 
plaited; in appearance it looks, and we have no 
doubt it is, perfection, but in a line of this kind 
it is impossible to pass an opinion without actual 
test; we hope some day to do this, and shall 
refer to it again. It is the result of several 
years of thought and experiment, and is, no 
doubt, a very fine line. 
Messrs. Bernard and Son are showing some 
very large spoon baits; anglers intending to 
visit; Ireland after Giant Pike should not fail to 
provide themselves with some of these most 
deadly of all baits in the Irish Lakes. 
Messrs. Bernard’s stand will certainly com¬ 
mand a large share of attention during the 
coming holidays. 
Mr. GODFREY C. COOPER, 131, High 
Holborn. E.C., introduces a new winch which 
looks a very good thing—in the smaller sizes it 
is undoubtedly a really grand article, and if it 
will stand the hard wear which a salmon reel 
sometimes has to, then, in the larger sizes, the 
advantage is still more marked. Its great feature 
is its lightness, and in producing this lightness, 
the greater advantage of a thoroughly ventilated 
reel is created. It has a business-like look about 
it which we very much liked, and Mr. Cooper 
should have a large sale for it. 
The special split cane rods of his own manu¬ 
facture are splendidly finished, and are a 
thoroughly honest and reliable article. We re¬ 
commend anglers to see them. 
At this stand alone in the exhibition, is there 
any attempt made to show an assortment of roach 
rods, and some very fine ones indeed are to be 
seen. 
We would like to refer to many other things 
we noticed, but space forbids. Mr. Cooper’s 
recently issued catalogue should be possessed by 
every angler. 
Mr. JOHN R. RICHARDSON, Kingston-on- 
Thames, has a splendid show of whole-cane rods. 
It is by far the largest collection of this class of 
rod in the exhibition. 
One particularly took our fancy very much 
indeed. It was a ten-feet, whole-cane barbel-rod ; 
its action and play was simply perfect. 
Mr. Richardson has, for years, given great 
attention to the manufacture of these whole-cane 
rods, and makes them in all sizes and of every 
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