Going Dutch

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With Innovations’ European sales going from strength to strength, we talked to Dutch International and Primo Distributions main man Arnout van de Stadt about why the brand is so successful

Countries like Holland, Belgium and Germany are well-known for their big rivers, lakes and canals and it’s no surprise that anglers need adapted tackle. Innovations main distributor in Europe is Primo Distributions. The company is run by the great match angler, Arnout van de Stadt, the man behind the development of the Dutch Master range. His personal highlight was becoming World Feeder Champion with the Dutch Team in Belgium 2012.

We spoke to Arnout about his recent highlights and what exciting new products are going to make a great 2014.

Arnout, tell us about some of your recent successes.

This year I fished the winter league run by the Amsterdam Angling Club. It consists of 6 pair-matches and you may drop one result. My mate Willem Multem and I managed first place with only 10 points and a total weight of 37kg. The match is fished the Amsterdam-Rijnkanaal, one of the biggest canals in Holland with lots of boat traffic. You need to fish light and accurately to catch skimmers and maybe a bonus bream.

My other big success was catching a 14lb barbel during a 4-day festival on the river IJssel this autumn. I caught the monster on my 14.2 ft Dutch Master rod with a PC-R 6000 reel filled with 5lb Power Max reel line. My hooklength was 0.15mm Reflo Power finished off with a size 14 PR 355 hook.

Which new products do you think are well worth taking a closer look at?

I think the new Europe only Masterclass and Powermax pole ranges will be very popular, they offer great value for money. The Masterclass X1, X3 and X5 come in packs for all-round fishing and the new Masterclass Tyson is an extra strong pole designed for commercial carp fishing. These poles are shorter in length to fit the European rules where there are often limits.

We designed the Powermax 55, 66 and 77 for catching roach and perch to hand in the cooler months.

When it comes to feeder fishing, I think the Absolute 11’6” and 12ft feeder will be a great complement to the existing range of rods. For commercial-style feeder fishing the Mini Carp and C-Tech rods are still great. The new PXR PRO reels are also worth mentioning because they offer great value for money.

There some smaller improved items for 2014, such as the Deluxe Dutch Feeder Rest which includes a Fixed Angle Lock. The rippled foam ends make sure your rod will not be blown off when fishing in strong winds.

To make the feeder rest range complete we designed the Dutch Master Feeder Bankstick. This feeder rest is just perfect when fishing on canals with steep banks. The rest allows you to place the feeder rod over the water to create the perfect angle.

New for 2014 are Distance Cage Feeders, a hybrid of a standard open end cage feeder and a Bullet Feeder. They are easy to fill with lots of bait like worms or casters and their bottom-mounted weight will improve casting abilities in windy conditions.

Which piece of tackle is your ‘must-have’?

I think the new Sticky Feeder can become a very important piece of my tackle. The Sticky Feeder offers new possibilities to feeder fishing; you can fill the feeder with chopped worms or casters and then lock it in place with some groundbait but still have the advantages of a Method feeder, the short hooklength and the self-hooking system. On our natural waters we often fish for bream where it is better to feed more particles. For fishing deep waters this feeder is also very useful because it will hold your feed longer. A Method feeder might lose some of its load on the way down to the bottom when fishing deep venues.

So, what are your plans for 2014 when it comes to match fishing?

That’s obvious; we want to regain our reputation after a disappointing 7th place in the 2013 World Feeder Championships in South Africa, a lack of knowledge in carp fishing was the main reason for a disappointing result. I am glad I have been picked for the Dutch National Team again and look forward to fishing in Ireland. I think we have a good team and we aim to end on the podium. Sorry Tommy, but maybe we could scoop the title back that we lost this year!