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What is a handmade swimming fish?
More and more crafteurs (craftsmen) are offering handmade lures. This trend originated in Japan and is very popular in Europe.
These are carved lures in wood or resin, often minnows, with hand-painted foils in aluminium or mother-of-pearl.
Olivier Tondeur, who distributes and sells the products of several crafteurs, is well aware of the advantages of these lures, which sometimes require several hours' work per unit!
What are the advantages?
The advantages of using home-made lures are numerous.
First and foremost, these products are rare and exclusive.
On overfished reaches where the fish are educated, the hand-made minnow will surely be superior. It offers the advantage that fish are not accustomed to it.
Its landing in the water is more discreet. Its solid, homogeneous wooden structure does not resonate in the water. the "splash" is more natural.
In rocky mountain streams, or for beautiful salmonids with sharp teeth, the paint is incredibly long-lasting. Olivier requires a standard of four coats of varnish to guarantee maximum durability of the lure's color, which is thus long-lasting and resistant to shocks and scratches.
In addition to their effectiveness, these lures are also long-lasting and will follow you through many sessions. In the event of bib breakage, Olivier offers original replacement bibs, which considerably extend the lure's lifespan. This type of service is not possible with plastic lures where the lip is molded with the body shell of the lure.
Last but not least, it's possible to have colors and shapes that depart from the standard ones often marketed, allowing you to vary the lures on offer.
In addition, we'd like to emphasize the trend's eco-responsible approach, which aims to use little plastic and mostly noble or even bio-sourced materials (wood, stainless steel rods, mother-of-pearl, etc.)
Disadvantages
The price is a little higher than a classic lure, but still. Olivier makes a point of maintaining affordable prices for top-of-the-range finish quality.
One of the disadvantages will surely be the rarity and limited availability of a lure. Some lures are produced in only a few dozen copies, making them difficult to reproduce.
The disadvantage, according to Olivier, is that these lures are so durable that he sometimes sells very few of them, with anglers using certain lures for a very long time without changing them. A disadvantage for him, but a distinct advantage for the angler!
