Last September, Spotted Fin closed its doors. I’d been fortunate enough to be a sponsored angler with them for the past seven years, building a solid collection of their products and stocking up on kilos of classic corn boilies in my freezer, which I’ve now filled with shelf-life boilies.
I had always thought that once Spotted Fin shut down, I would stop all my social media, blogging, and vlogging. After all, I’ve been running my website for over ten years. But as time passed, I realized how much I still enjoy documenting my fishing adventures. I’ll be turning 60 in January, and the passion for sharing knowledge and helping others catch carp still burns strong—a far cry from the early ’80s when I first started carp fishing.
With that in mind, I decided it was time to approach another bait company. After months of research, I narrowed it down to Nutrabaits, and, much to my delight, we reached an agreement. It’s something I couldn’t have imagined back in the ’80s.
It’s an honour to be part of such a prestigious bait company. Founded in 1986, Nutrabaits has an incredible legacy, responsible for helping anglers catch countless carp over the years. Funny enough, in the ’80s, when I used to make my own baits, Nutrabaits was my go-to source for ingredients. It’s interesting how life comes full circle.
I’m looking forward to working with them in the months and years ahead. It’s truly a privilege.
Richard
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
UK Carp & Coarse Fishing 