Custom Angling Solutions

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

Jamie Simpson (JS): My first angling experience was as a young boy of about 9. I went for a days fishing on Mapperley Reservoir (the lake that Albert Buckley caught the British record carp at 26lb in July 1930) with a friend who had a match rod and a few floats etc. We only managed a couple of bites all day but I do remember catching a small roach. Unfortunately I moved to another town and it was another two years before I managed to make friends with a lad who fished the local Erewash canal. From there I started biking down to the Trent and caught a few nice Chub and the odd small Barbel. I didn’t actually start Carp angling until 1989 when I left school as I just never had the money for any decent tackle and had up until that point been more than happy catching Tench from the local pond. I knew the venue held carp to just over 20lb but I just loved catching anything I could at that time.

UKMA: How did you start in the angling trade?

JS: I started selling a few leads on the bank and to friends quite a few years ago now. I suppose quite similar to how Danny Fairbrass started at Korda. Believe me I am not for one moment comparing myself to them but everything starts somewhere. I have developed a small range of products that I feel offer genuine quality and I am progressing from there.

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

JS: Being a Toolmaker by trade, I have always had a keen eye for detail. A lot of products that have been available over the years in my mind have not been good enough, by that I mean that if it can be made better then why wasn’t it like that in the first place. I don’t like the fact that the trade is almost over run with Chinese imported products that simply don’t stand the test of time.  I had made myself a few bank sticks and buzzer bars over the years. I had also knocked a few sets up for friends, so it almost fell into place really, that I should start producing them on a commercial basis. I see a gap in the market at the top end of the scale for people that know quality when they see it and want the best.

UKMA: How long has the company been running?

JS: As an official business 1 year, however I have been knocking sets of bars up for a few years now and leads for getting on for 7-8 years or so.

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

JS: With all the ideas in my head then I suppose the sky is the limit. The biggest problem is capital, which is always an issue at first. With any luck I should have quite a wide range on the market over the next 18months. It is a commitment to developing the best quality products that I can; I will often return to a product and develop it further as I have done with the range of leads. I certainly have a couple of ideas that I am currently developing that will be a little different from what is currently on the market.