Tackle heaven

With such a diverse array of species found in Finland, there is an aweful amount of fishing that goes on by the general public and one would think that the country would be over run with tackle shops….but you would very mistaken indeed. Sure there are the odd decent shop scattered around the country which cater for all fishing disciplines but in general, most fishing tackle sections share the same space as Hiking & Hunting equipment as well as all manner of other sporting paraphernalia .Whether this is because fishing is a seasonal pastime here and doesn’t warrant having specialized outlets run all years round, I don’t know. What I do know though is that I miss having a good wander around a decent well organized fishing tackle shop even if I’m not in the market for anything.


Well yesterday I was lucky enough to visit “Kingfishers” tackle shop in Durban and what a awesome place it is. Its always a good mark if a tackle shop has a decent website and Kingfishers is extremely well presented and set out. Although they mainly cater for the deep-sea & off-shore market they also have a fantastic Bass fishing section as well as a fly-fishing section catering for inland & also the saltwater fly-fisherman. What made the experience even more enjoyable was the friendly and informative manner in which all the floor assistants and especially the owner Guy Ronaldson were willing to share their personal knowledge & experiences in regards to each specific fishing discipline. This I found very refreshing as most shop assistants in Finland stop nothing short from being classed as an amoeba. With the exchange rate being R15 to the euro at the moment I walked out of the shop very satisfied with 5 new lures, 10 new flies, 20 new steel traces & an assortment of hooks for what would have cost me a small fortune in Europe.
So if you are ever in Durban, go and see the guys at Kingfishers fishing shop on Hunter street and they will sought you out with all your tackle needs. Thanks guys for a memorable hour In your shop.