Farlows of London: Now Bigger & Better

Living and working in London is something of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it’s a pretty marvellous city. On the other, it can feel a very long way from the water. For the frustrated urban angler, the fishing emporium that is Farlows of Pall Mall is a glorious place of respite – an oasis of piscatorial devotion in the city’s thrumming West End…

Being able to drop in at lunchtime to shoot the breeze and drool over the latest gear is just enough to keep a man sane. The good news is, they’ve recently expanded, opening out the basement to create a fully stocked lure-fishing mecca, to complement the established fly-fishing operation upstairs.

The great thing about this expansion is that it shows how the folks at Farlows – a rarefied institution with a reputation for a fly-first approach – have moved with the times to capitalise on changes in modern fishing. In the UK, the popularity of light-tackle lure fishing has exploded. People who used to be strictly “fly only” have come to appreciate the finer arts of lure fishing.

This place now delivers for the all-round sport-fisherman in a big way. Alongside the existing stock from stalwart producers such as Rapala and Yo-Zuri, you’ll now find a massively expanded range from European lure specialists including Savage Gear and Sebile. Everything from soft plastics to plugs, and jerkbaits to spinnerbaits, plus all the accessories in between – it’s all here.

Great to see a more comprehensive range of rods, too. Whether you need a new LRF set-up, something for drop-shotting for perch, a new bass rod or something capable of throwing plugs at GTs, you’ll find it here.

So, next time you find yourself in central London, feeling like you need a fishy fix, get yourself down to 9 Pall Mall. Here’s a little look at what awaits you…

For more info, check out the Farlows website.