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© 2006 Mark Tunley.
All rights reserved

Mark Tunley
Withers Farm, Cadnam Lane,
Newbridge, Cadnam, New Forest, SO40 2NU
Tel: 0790 525 6747
mark@marktunley.com

20th September 2007
Email is up and running again.
I do prefer to be phoned though, as it's less work on my fingers!

About Tunley !

I build most types of rod, be that coarse, beach, boat, or game rods.
I've just started doing my own beach rods with the blanks being made for me by Conoflex. It's a small, but capable range.

Breif history.

I started building rods seriously whilst working as the general dogs body of the Chalk Stream Angler in Salisbury, Wiltshire. There my duties varied from guiding and teaching on some of the best chalk streams in England, to chopping wood for the retail shops wood burning stoves. I also restored classic bamboos and built ultra custom Sage fly rods for the highest end of the market.
I moved on from the Chalk Stream Angler to join forces with the Master, Tom Moran. Tom in my opinion, and the opinion of many in the know is the finest maker of Bamboo fly rods alive today in the world. I had become known at the high end of rod building in quite a short time and being that the rod world is quite a small one, I was approached by Tom to join forces, which I did in January 2001. Our rods retailed at $2,500 USD each ( about £1,750 at the time ) with a 6-9 month waiting list.
Due to my love of all types of fishing, it was only natural to offer a custom rod building service for all markets.
In November 2002 I left working with Moran to concentrate on my own thing.

How I started fishing ?

My father Clive took me at the young age of 6, in 1971, to a lake I called ‘White Lake’ due to its milky colouration. Many years later whilst bailiffing with the then ‘Leisure Sport Angling,’ I rediscover the lake now known as Theale 1. The milk colour had gone and it was quite a blast from the past and the early memories of float caught roach flooded back as I walked the banks again for the first time in some 20 years.

Favourite Species ?

My favourite species changes all the time, it's usually the one I'm fishing for at the time, being an 'all-rounder' and all that.

Interesting captures ?

1st week of the 2007 river season I had been doing rather well ( for me that is ) targeting big Chub and Barbel on a area of the Avon that I haven't fished before. I had many 4 lbs. plus chevins and a 5lbs. 1oz to boot, but no Barbel from there as of yet. Good mates of mine, Ben and Adam, wanted in on the Chub action, so on went my guiding hat and took them down to where I have been catching, and 2nd roll through with the meat Adam had a 5 lbs. 8oz Chub ( his second Chub ever! ) and Ben hit a 11 lbs. 10oz Barbel fishing static. ( His first Barbel ) DOH!!! Well that's fishing, and at least my Torrix 1.75 got a good work out.

26/05/06 - I turned up at a lake to see a mate of mine called Adam for a quick chat. He'd been bite less for some 20 hours and was rather peeved, as he'd just bought new alarms and wanted to hear one scream. Well I was invited to drop in to the next swim and have a go for the Carp whilst we chatted. I cast the first bait out and I forgot to put on a backlead, so into the bag quickly and as I'm attempting to put on the backlead, the line is pulled out of my hand. The bait was in the water 10 seconds, small but nice 13lbs 9oz Mirror on the bank in 5 mins and Adam pissed off in an instant. Well that's fishing for you.

18/06/06 - I drove into the carpark of a lovely part of the Kennet that I have a ticket for, to find it empty. It was 4pm on a sunday afternoon and I have some 1000 yds of prime Kennet to myself. Straight to the top weir and on the second cast I had a strong pull round. The next thing I new was the Barbel went from the race to the basin in seconds and straight into a snag. I pulled hard but it was solid. 30 second later I released the bail and hoped for the best. A minute passed before the line pulled slowly from my hand and I tightened back up free of the snag. 8 lbs. Barbel on the bank with a very damaged mono hooklink. Lucky me. I moved on down water after that and dropped into a very inviting swim. First cast and the rod was almost ripped from my hand. It just took off. 5 mins later and I had a very nice fat 9 lbs. 5 oz Kennet Barbel in my net. Off home for tea more than happy.

My favourite bit of tackle ?

My favourite bit of tackle currently is my Torrix Specialist rod. This is the perfect Barbel rod.

Have and haven’t fished with ?

I had the great honour to fish with ( for Brown Trout ) the godfather himself Bernard Venables. Bernard was in his nineties and the whole thing lasted all of 20 minutes. The smell of the barbecue was calling us back to the barn.

I would love to fish with Martin Bowler, Big Perch I think would be the target.

What I most like about fishing?

Setting oneself what seams to be realistic goals for the forthcoming season and failing miserably. It just confirms to you with such simple clarity that with all the skill and experience in the world you always need a big old helping of luck. How many time have you seen or heard of novices catch big and plenty. The fish don't know, or care who is at the other end of the bait, that's what I love about fishing.