It happened like this, I was busy making my way in life doing the best with what I have when wham, something hits you square in the jaw and drops you to your knees in my case after 39 years fulltime employment redundancy.

Soon after on a warm sultry night no breeze through the open window I was tossing around my head in a spin the wifes steady breathing the only thing on the night air what to do where to go how make ends meet, when EUREKA!!! The idea shot into my head.

I sat bolt upright shouted at the top of my voice YESSS!!!! At that our ginger cat daisy who had been sleeping at the bottom of the bed and is of a nervous disposition leapt three feet in the air landing squarely on the wifes stomach all four legs rotating like a demented chain saw. Startled in pain and panic she screamed, at that the cat now traumatised launched herself towards the open window and escape, in her panic she missed hit the pane of glass with a sickening thud her flaying limbs tying her up in the net curtain like some giant spiders web where she hung mewing pitifully leaving the wifes nightdress and stomach in tatters.

As she struggled to get out of bed I noticed bedroom lights coming on one by one in the houses up and down the street and curtains moving I slipped back beneath the sheet you all right dear I enquired?

When I was discharged from accident and emergency, It struck me, as had the alarm clock, bedside lamp, and a large heavy hardback book with the title The History of Women Against Violence (huh!!) her verbal reply well a deciphered cleaned up version of her reply was the perfect title for the idea that had caused such upset so anglersgifts was born.

I have been building and maintaining fishing tackle for over twenty years with a keen interest in anglings rich heritage, the ingenuity and creativity of those past craftsmen that has evolved into the tackle we know today so why not a natural progression into recreating some of the more oddball artefacts for the discerning angler / collector.

Sounds great, but believe me its been hard, buying the equipment and materials, researching ideas, formulating designs, finally developing a manageable build system kept me busy into the early hours for months, then the problem of presenting the work to its best advantage, internet, magazine advertising, outdoor events, all on a shoe string budget.

Well I keep trying I have been amazed at the help and encouragement I have received from the angling fraternity both here and abroad I have been running an advertising campaign with the help of The Old Reel Collectors Association in the USA and items of my work were sold at auction at their annual convention in New York in May 2006.

Fly-fishing online has helped publishing my ramblings as has Anglers net, and www.anglingnews.net has reviewed my Bamboo Ratchet Brake reel under tackle reviews. Right that was my predicament in life painful as it was I can honestly say I have enjoyed the challenge of going it alone the ups and downs being my own boss doing my own thing learning by my mistakes, well always learning, and the satisfaction of creating pieces people want to buy are proud to own and use and will hopefully cherish.

Has it changed our lives you ask, well yes, the wife now sleeps with the duvet up to her chin whatever the weather, daisy is terrified of net curtains and has developed a strange habit of only sleeping in her basket, which she first turns upside down then crawls under keeping one eye open in case of any more traumatising occurrences in the small dark hours.

Hope you enjoyed my ramblings Steve www.anglersgifts.co.uk