Don’t slip up.. buy a banana


WCC magazine editor, Steve Howard, spoke to Valentin de Ruffray to uncover some back- ground information on this newly formed company and the guys who run it... For the full version of this interview, please visit www. worldcarpclassic.com


STEVE Hi Val, can you please tell us a bit about yourself and your business partner, and how you came together to create your business?


VALWe met each other over a year ago and, after graduation from business school, we spent some time working together. It was then that we discovered that we both shared the same desire to create our own business, and we also shared an interest in nature and the great outdoors. While we were fi shing we dis- cussed fi shing tackle, and he was amazed by the huge amount of tackle we carp anglers use. The conversation soon got around to my rods, which were custom built to my specifi cation in England. I told him how diffi cult that had proven to be, and how the experi- ence was fraught with diffi culty and a nightmare try- ing to get what


I wanted. Although I got what I wanted, I realised that for anyone who does not speak English it would have been almost impos- sible to have custom rods built. It was bad enough for me, and my English is pretty good! We talked about this factor


and decided that it was worth following up our discussions with research to assess the viability of a European-based business produc- ing custom built tackle. Knowing the sort of profi t one can make with rods made in the Far East, it drove us mad. That’s why all of our products will be 100% made in England, with superior quality and expensive components. We believe it’s time to go back to quality tackle. We decided to push ahead


with the forming of the company, and we obviously needed a name for it. We came up with the name ‘banana rods’, however it wasn’t until much later - after many more names had been suggested - that we both agreed that the name Banana Rods was catchy and certainly one that will be easily remembered.


STEVE Okay, can you perhaps tell us what the captor of the biggest fi sh in the 2010 WCC can expect to receive as the prize?


Magazine sponsored by Pescalis www.pescalis.com


VAL Basically, we want the winner to enjoy the benefi ts of owning custom built rods, designed to their exact requirements and specifi cation. We believe that every angler who goes into to a


The World Carp Classic is delighted to introduce its newest Sponsor, Banana Rods, from France


shop to buy an ‘off of the shelf’ rod, has to compromise in one way or another. If not in quality, then in some


design feature that is either not what is ideally wanted or is simply not right for the angler in ques- tion... We have all done this, and we end confused because no rod has all the specifi cations and features that we want. This often means that we make a bad choice, putting looks over functionality, and we can end up with rods that may look pretty but we cannot cast with. It happens, and it happens a lot more than you might think! It’s also good to bear in mind


that custom built rods can often be less expensive than those bought off the shelf or, for just a little more money a better, or more specifi c to your needs op- tion is available. We want the winner of our rods to have something very special to remember the occa- sion by, and indeed we hope that every competitor will take away a special memory from the event, be it our rods or simply the memory of a great time spent with friends. To take part in the World Carp Classic - the best carp angling event in the world bar none - is very special and to catch the biggest fi sh will make it even more special. We at Ba- nana Rods are extremely excited to be the biggest fi sh sponsor, and we will be very proud to go up on stage to present the captor with our rods.


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Magazine sponsored by Pescalis


www.pescalis.com


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