I remember buying one of the first adjustable leg low chairs to come on the market many years back, and I used it regularly until a few winters ago. But it did suffer from being rather heavy and less than adjustable without a lot of messing about. Oh, and the mud feet fell off it.

Mainly because of the weight factor, doing some long walks and moving swims quite a lot these last couple of winters, I had started using my camping mat as a seat. But old age was making getting up off the ground a slow and painful task, and I am sure contributed to some back trouble I had the winter before last, so I was on the lookout for a new chair.

When I saw the Nash Lounge Lizard I was quite taken with it. The legs were easily adjusted by a lever system which operates on a friction principle like the ratchet on a mastic gun, the swivelling feet, admittedly swivelling only forward and back, couldn’t fall off and the whole thing folded flat. But when I picked it up I had to part with my cash - it was easily the lightest adjustable chair I had seen. So money, my money, changed hands!

Other nice touches which show that this chair has been designed on the bank, so to speak, are the Velcro strap which wraps around the sides of the chair when it is folded up to stop it flapping open while you carry it, not a big deal if you strap it on the back of your rucky like I do, but essential if you throw it over your shoulder using the carry sling which is supplied, and which can be concealed in a zipped pocket on the back of the chair. Needless to say I removed the strap to save a little more weight…

I have now used the chair, in a variety of situations over the last winter and it has more than lived up to its initial promise. My rucksack is noticeably lighter, so long walks and moving swims is less like hard work, the legs really are quickly adjustable, and haven’t slipped yet, and it is certainly comfortable enough for my needs. Even if going for a short session I don’t think twice about taking this chair with me, as it is so light and easy to use. Like any chair the mud feet will sink in to soft ground, but these don’t stay there when you pull the chair out!

This chair has been renamed the Nomad Chair by Nash for 2004, but it is the very same chair, and is priced at £39.33 for a plain green cover, or £49.99 for the cammo covered version.

03/06/05 - Still going strong. Used for over fifty barbel sessions between July '04 and March '05, plus a number of pike sessions in that period.

25/09/06 - It's not given up yet.

26/08/09 - Still in regular use, although the cover is a bit saggy. Now discontinued.

27/09/11 - Finally gave up the ghost!

(This review first appeared in Pike and Predators - on this website July 27th 2004)

There’s not really a lot you can say about a rod sling/quiver, but Nash’s Nomad 4 does seem to have been designed by people who actually go fishing. It is simple and practical, with a few nice little touches that make it easier to use.

As you’d expect there are four padded pouches which hold the rod butts at the bottom of one side of the main umbrella pocket, and there are the usual corresponding Velcro bands to hold the rods in place at the top. These bands are stiffened, and have non-Velcro tabs on one end, which makes it less fiddly to release the rods with cold fingers than with plain Velcro bands. A nice touch with the main pocket is the stiffening ring that holds it half open, making it easier to get stuff in and out.

On the other side of the quiver are two pockets with vertical central zips which improve access, and mean you don’t have to tip short rests out of the pocket! One of these pockets runs the full height of the quiver, and is intended for your landing net, while the shorter pocket is designed for banksticks. In practice I slip my net in the umbrella pocket (along with my camping mat) and put the banksticks with my alarms attached into the net pocket - to give them some extra protection - my other rod rests, complete with drop-back indicators attached, go in the shorter pocket.

This double-sided design makes setting up and packing away much easier than using a sling with the pockets on one side and the rods in front of them all. A really neat design feature is the removable straps and carrying handle. Each edge of the Nomad 4 is fitted with four D-rings, to which these straps can be clipped, allowing the sling to be carried equally comfortably on either your right or left shoulder. The shoulder strap is well padded and plenty long enough to adjust to suit you.

That’s about it really. I have only had this quiver a few months, so I can’t comment on how hard wearing it is. However, its design is well thought out and it carries well - making it ideal for the mobile or short session angler. Expect to pay around £30.00 for the Nomad 4.

26/08/09 - Now redesigned. CAnnot comment on the new version. An alternative is the Korum quiver.

(This review first appeared in Pike and Predators - on this website July 27th 2004)

I can't remember when I bought this headlamp but it was shortly after they were released a few years ago. Compared to the other Petzls I had used, even the smallest one, this was a revelation. Great battery life (around a year from a set of three AAA Duracells when used for getting to swims and tackling up in the dark), tiny size (fits in a pocket and weighs next to nothing), and the light from the three LEDs is bright without being blinding and natural - without that dark spot you get from normal bulbs.

You can tell how light this headlamp is by the length of time into daylight you leave it on your head after setting up in the dark! For night fishing you can either wear it all the time, or pull it down around your neck.

I have used one of the cheap copies of this headlamp and quite honestly, although I am not sure what the current price is, the Petzl is worth the extra.

(This review first appeared on this website July 12th 2004) 

I bought this reel purely and simply for fishing jigs. Previously I had been using a 1970's Ambassadeur 5001 for the sole reason that it has a low retrieve speed. However, once you get used to the instant anti-reverse feature found on the latest Ambassadeurs it is difficult to step back in time. Other reasons for retiring the old reel are that the star drag operates in the opposite direction to every other Ambassadeur I own, and it is also rapidly becoming a collector's item - so I might be able to sell it for a profit soon! Keeping slack out of the line is important when working jigs too, so the C4W had been in my sights for some time. The only thing putting me off was the thumbar, but I am learning to live with that.

The "W" stand for "winch", which signifies that the reel has a low 3.8:1 retrieve ratio. Just right for jig fishing in my view. This reel has four roller bearings, the 'extra' one being in one end of the levelwind. The reel is nice and smooth - at least a match for the Ultracasts I use most of the time. Although I usually fish with 6501 Ambassadeurs the smaller size of this model is not a problem as it is loaded with 65lb Power Pro, and would be equally at home with lighter line still.

Admittedly this is a specialised bit of tackle which makes fishing slow and deep with lighter lines a cinch. As far as I know this reel is not available in the UK, so you'll have to get one from the 'States like I did. Cost (Oct. 2001) was around US$76 - which worked out about £78 with duty etc. thrown in.

PS - The C4 series includes fast (6.3:1) retrieve models which some anglers favour for jerkbaiting as they take up the slack easily. Not my cup of tea though.