Ever since I was knee high to grass hopper, I've always been one that's always in my Dad's garage altering or making different bits of tackle using all his tools. That's when I wasn't fishing of course. My parents did buy me some kiddie's tools but I ended up breaking them so eventually had my own tools bought for me for Christmas and Birthdays etc.

Carp fishing, a true passion of mine, eat, sleep and drink it, go to bed thinking about it and wake up thinking about it. Some would say "Obsessive"; well that's what the ex said anyway. And that's why she's the ex but that's another story. I wouldn't like to think how many marriages that carp fishing has broke up over the years.

I've always wanted a job in something I really have a passion for, I tried various things over the years, making my own bait but seemed to get a little bit confused with it all and plus I didn't fancy rolling it week in week out on my own. I tried making leads but got bored of that very quickly so I soon put a stop to that. Until one day I was speaking to my Dad and he see a notice up the Tackle Box in Dartford, saying "Rod Builder needed no experience necessary" straight up. So my Dad kept on at me to ring them up and to be honest I didn't want to at first but my Dad assured me what you got to lose. So I phoned the Tackle Box and spoke to Gary Peet who invited me up there to show me a thing or two. Basically he gave me a tip section to take home and strip and rewhip and just got better and better at it. And the rest was history as they say.

I have been building and repairing rods for a few years now, as well as doing all the repair and refurbishment work for The Tackle Box in Dartford. It was Gary Peet and Kevin Ballard that has taught me a lot of what I know today.

I have built rods that have gone to Norway, Spain, and China to name a few. I've done work for Danny Fairbrass (Korda), Mikey Nolan (Cygnet Tackle), Rob Marsh (Mainline) all through the shop. I'm what you call the Nu Breed of rod builders; I would like to think that I give people various options when they come to me and not just the easiest for me or the most money earnt option. I would rather earn less than to see a customer go away unhappy. I truly believe its all about what the customer wants and can afford at the end of the day.

I'v also helped Nick Buss out when he gets overloaded with work, for which the people who don't know Nick, he is a true legend and quite a Carp Angler.

So that's enough from me and I'll let you have a browse.

Darren Knowler