Specimen Fishing UK is owned and operated by Husband and Wife team Dave and Jackie Mutton.
Jackie is responsible for accounts and admin whilst Dave is responsible for promoting the business and, along with the team of testers, determining the products that are stocked – if the team won’t use it then SFUK don’t stock it.
The ethos is quality products at affordable prices with an eye on providing brands that maybe can’t be found that easily on the high street and in the big chain stores that are becoming so prevalent today.
Over 10 years from a very humble beginning
Specimen Fishing UK started out over 10 years from a very humble beginning. There were a couple of products that Dave wanted for his catfishing that were not available in the UK and required purchasing from the US. To make this worthwhile Dave purchased enough to be able to sell some to his friends. It was then suggested that he sold the products via a forum he was part of and the very first incarnation of SFUK was born. Dave went on to add a few more products and soon had a portfolio of over 50 products he was selling. It was at this point that he decided to set up a proper webshop along with a forum and several info pages on the wels catfish and Catfishing UK was born.
Most of our products will be available via the websites, alternatively, just pop in and see us in store. We can also take orders via the telephone.
Our history
As well as being a keen catfish angler Dave has always been very involved in other predator angling, most notably pike fishing, and Dave is a past President of the Pike Anglers Club of Great Britain. Due to this interest and involvement in pike fishing it made sense to start selling a few bits of pike tackle as well. This was done under a separate site, Pikefishing UK.
In 2012 Jackie was medically retired from her job at Coventry City Council and so was ready to embark on a new challenge. As their house was now resembling a store room at a tackle shop, the decision was mad to expand from just a web only operation to a bricks and mortar shop as well, which would be operated on a day to day basis by Jackie. In 2013 they secured a property in the Canal Basin, Coventry literally on the edge of the canal. This also fitted in with one of Dave other passions, coaching kids and getting them in to angling. The lease for the canal was obtained with a lot of support from the Canals & Rivers Trust and so everything was in place.
After a refit, the shop was ready for business and was officially opened in October 2013 by well known angler and good friend Tony Miles (RIP). At this time the webshops of Catfishing UK and Pike Fishing UK were joined by Carp Fishing UK and Barbel Fishing UK to encompass the increasing range of products available through the physical shop. However these were soon replaced by a single webshop Specimen Fishing UK.
Blogs, news, videos and all new features
After 5 years of operating the shop the decision was taken, after a spate of burglaries at the shop, to close the doors and return to online sales. This was a decision that was made with a lot of sadness and so things drifted along for a few months.
However, the dark clouds passed and SFUK have launched this brand new, exciting and vibrant website, to reflect the renewed optimism and enthusiasm for the business. So as well as buying products we hope that you, our customers and friends enjoy the blogs, news, videos and all the new features of the brand new Specimen Fishing UK.
