UKMA: Can you explain briefly how you got into angling?

Mark Bendle (MB): I started fishing aged 7 on the river Eden and by the time I was 14, I was fishing local matches. The dace and chub fishing was fantastic back then, with 30lb bags common place, I managed a personal best bag of 96lb.

UKMA: How did you start in the angling trade?

MB: As well as fishing matches, I was also a keen salmon angler, this upon leaving school lead me to work at a local trout farm which gave me a good knowledge of fish nutrition. After leaving the trout farm I was lucky to get a position at the world famous Hardy store on Pall Mall in London, where I worked for a number of years and met, among others, my boyhood hero Bernard Venables of Mr Crabtree fame.

UKMA: What made you decide to start your own business within the angling industry?

MB: After some years in the building industry, I decided to set up Purelake Baits. I had been producing my own baits for years and this was the next step.

UKMA: How long has the company been running?

MB: We are now in our 2nd year and while it has been tough, we have had some great catches on our baits, and alot of positive feedback which is always great to hear from our customers.

UKMA: How do you see the future with regards to company expansion over the forthcoming years?

MB: On top of the boilies, we now produce our own range of leads and pop ups. As with the boilies, they are all hand made by myself at my workshop.

For more information on Purelake Baits, please click the logo below to visit their website.