Sad News Today


*** OPEN LETTER FROM THE DIRECTORS OF SPOTTEDFIN ***

Dear all.

It is with deep regret, that the directors have decided to close Spotted Fin with immediate effect.

The last few years of covid, brexit, the Ukraine war and cost of living crisis, have created a perfect storm, that we and a lot of the industry and the world, have found a challenge to navigate… and we are now at a point where we want to move forward with our lives. We are proud we grew the brand to what it became… but our health, happiness and family, are now the priority.

We have always tried to do the right thing for the brand, first and foremost and sometimes we got it right and sometimes we did not. We don’t apologise for that… but we hope it will have inspired others on their angling journey, to rise to the top and challenge the industry with new ideas and values just as we tried to do.

Our thanks first go to our staff Cameron Scott and Neal Baskerville. We got to here because of you.

We would like to thank Jaap Johnson, for delaying retirement to help get the brand going and good friend Lauren du Gard for joining us at the beginning to setup the admin. 

We thank Russell Grimes and Simon Willsmore, who had great influence on our direction and success on the match world and Clint Walker and Jacob Stone in coarse and especially Simon and Sue Ward in Carp, who worked tirelessly from the beginning in building equipment, helping with shows and providing a supportive shoulder. You are both very special to us.

The following team anglers, who were ever loyal and supportive, through thick and thin, in the good times and the bad, we thank you.

Ben Townsend
Richard Handel
Matt Hollingsworth
Liam Willis
Barry Sherrington

We would like to thank the retailers that stocked us. Thank you for your trust in our brand. We know how hard this industry likes to make things for retailers bringing in new brands.

To the public that bought and used our products and caught PB’s and had a thoroughly enjoyable time using them… we thank you.

Within 4 years of opening, Spotted Fin was shipping products to 15 different countries and had carved out a niche for quality, dependability on the bank and new innovative ideas backed up by exceptional service. For that, we are extremely proud.

Now, it is time for a new chapter for us and our family.

And for one last time… #LeaddontFollow #TeamFin #jointherevolution

Tights lines all.

The Directors, Spotted Fin.

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About richardhandel

I would like to give a brief snap shot of my life and introduce myself; My name is Richard Handel and was born in 1965 in Suffolk. I have worked as a UK Operation & Intermodule Manager for a shipping company. I live in Hampshire now and am married with 2 young children, both girls so I am a bit outnumbered even the cat is a girl! I have been fishing since I was about 7 years old. I started on small local rivers in Suffolk, then moved onto gravel pits and then carp fishing. My personal best is a 39.08 mirror, over recent years I have started river fishing again, on the Hampshire Avon, this is a nice break from the carp lakes. My life has turned a big corner this year, the company I was working for relocated their Operation centre to Estonia. I was offered a job at the head office in London. This would have meant a 5 day commute and working in Stratford. As a family, we did not fancy this, as I would hardly spend any time with the children (and the Mrs). So after 22.5 years, I was given a nice redundancy package and with my wife is working full time. I became the house husband. This has meant a complete turn around in my fishing, as I can pick and choose when I go. I have found a splendid new syndicate to fish this year, which includes 5 lakes and some 8 miles of river with only 150 members. It's an amazing change to the way I am able to fish. I am now trying to start my own tackle business and make a bit of a name for myself in the world of fishing, as I have retired from real work. Richard
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