One thing I look forward to each year is attending the Australian Fishing Trade Show held on the Gold Coast.
This is the industry tackle show when, for two days, only people involved in the tackle industry can attend.
Primarily, it’s for tackle companies of all sizes to show their tackle – especially new tackle – to tackle shop owners and chains from around Australia, and hopefully take lots of orders in time for Christmas and the summer fishing season.
This year, 169 unique retail stores attended the trade show, and representatives from Darwin’s Fishing and Outdoor World and Top End Tackle World were there checking out the new tackle.
Territory companies displaying their wares included Reidy’s Lures and Northern Tide Apparel.
After the trade-only days, the show is open to the public and keen anglers from South-east Queensland and beyond swarm in.
One of the great things about the show for Territory anglers is the proliferation of fishing tackle that is suited to our Top End fishing scene, especially for barra fishing.
It just blows me away to see so much tackle targeted to north Australia, and therefore the NT, in a big way.
Leading the pack in that regard is Australia’s biggest fishing tackle company: Shimano Australia Fishing.
No other fishing tackle company in Australia supplies high-end, performance gear to the level offered by Shimano, and it’s been that way for a long time.
Let’s have a look at some new Shimano fishing reels.
This year, the new Shimano Vanford range of upbeat threadline reels was an absolute show-stopper, and the Vanford FA 2500HG won Best In Show in the fishing reel category.
The new Vanford comes in sizes from the diminutive 500 to the 5000XG.
The 4000 and 5000 sizes are ideally suited to Top End barra and light tackle sport and reef fishing.
You’re looking at about $400 for either of these Vanfords which is great value considering the incredible array of features.
In a nutshell, when you spin this reel, you can’t help but be impressed with its silky, gossamer-smooth operation.
There always seems to be a new Shimano baitcasting reel at the AFTA show.
This year it’s the Shimano Calcutta Conquest BFS which is billed as a bait finesse reel.
The new Calcutta is definitely on the small size, and it’s targeted at anglers who like to throw ultra-light lures.
Spool it up with 15 pound braid and you can have a lot of fun fishing Darwin Harbour flats and Kakadu billabongs.
It would make a great Chrissie present for a sportfishing hubby who warrants a $700 spend.
Moving right along with yet another new reel from Shimano, one that will appeal to Top End bluewater anglers, it was hard not to stop and check out the latest Stradic SW range.
It starts with the 4000XG and goes up to a big-fish-catching 10000HG which is an absolute weapon and ideally suited to the Top End billfish scene.
Shimano reckons the Stradic SW was designed for the hard-core offshore angler, and is built to tackle big game in the unforgiving environment of saltwater fishing.
It comes with a suite of advanced features and is well priced at a tad over $500.
There were other new Shimano threadline reels at the AFTA show, mostly aimed at the entry-level end of the market.
Packed with an impressive array of features, the Shimano Vanford FA won the Australian Fishing Trade Show Best Of Show award in the fishing reel category.
Built like the proverbial brick outhouse, and yet gossamer-smooth in operation, the new Stradic SW 10000HG is sure to make an impact on the Top End billfish scene.
Calcutta fans will be eyes-wide-open when they have a closer look at the little Calcutta Conquest BFS XG which was designed for finesse fishing casting ultra-light lures.
