Author Archives: richardhandel

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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

QUEST Dry Rig Hopper.


QUEST Dry Rig Hopper. This unique rig hopper is designed to prevent PVA from getting wet and preserve its integrity during delivery. It also lets you add liquids and create a tantalising cloud precisely where you want it. The Dry … Continue reading →

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Thank You And A Fond Fairwell


I’d like to express my gratitude to Pele Johnson from Spotted Fin for allowing me to join them in 2017, at the beginning of the Catalyst Boilies and their many other great products. Ultimately, I became completely obsessed with the … Continue reading →

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Sad News


*** 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 … Continue reading →

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Mixed Pots


*** Wow! Enough to keep you going for a while at £3.99 pot ***GO2 Wafters are the perfect for use on methods, hybrids and bombs. With an element of buoyancy they negate the weight of the hook meaning the bait … Continue reading →

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The History Of The Airfield Lake


I love to know the history of the lakes I am fishing.  I find it fascinating and it gives you a brief history of where you are fishing.  So I started to searching the internet and found some amazing stuff. … Continue reading →

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