Paul Kerry: Sea Angling, Casting and Classic Tackle
Paul Kerry is best known in British sea angling for long-range beach casting, match fishing and his involvement in the design and development of specialist shore-fishing tackle. His name became particularly closely associated with Daiwa beach rods, and a number of Paul Kerry-branded rods and accessories are now sought after by anglers who remember the period as well as by collectors of classic UK sea tackle.
What was Paul Kerry known for?
Kerry built his reputation as a Norfolk match angler and casting specialist. He became strongly associated with advanced beach-casting techniques and tackle designed to combine casting distance with practical fishability. His influence extended beyond rods into terminal tackle, ready-made rigs and accessories bearing the Paul Kerry name.
Paul Kerry and Daiwa
The best-known Paul Kerry tackle is his association with Daiwa. Several generations of Daiwa beach rods carried either his name, his initials or were developed with his input. These rods helped establish a style of UK beachcaster aimed at anglers who wanted powerful casting performance without losing useful bite detection.
Notable Paul Kerry rods
- Team Daiwa Paul Kerry Whisker Carbon TDPK series – one of the most recognisable ranges carrying his initials. Models include the TDPK 115 and the 13ft TDPK13M.
- Daiwa Paul Kerry Supercast – an earlier Paul Kerry-associated beachcaster remembered by many UK sea anglers.
- Daiwa Paul Kerry Long Distance – a long-range beach casting rod from the period when distance casting was becoming a major influence on UK shore tackle design.
- Daiwa Paul Kerry High Performance Match HPB-12MM – a specialist match and long-range beach rod that now attracts interest as a classic Paul Kerry model.
- Daiwa Procaster Paul Kerry PKPB 12M – a 12ft multiplier-oriented beachcaster associated with powerful off-the-ground and pendulum casting styles.
- Team Daiwa X 129PM and 133PM – later high-performance beach rods developed by Daiwa engineers working with Paul Kerry, designed to combine casting performance with practical match-fishing sensitivity.
Paul Kerry terminal tackle and accessories
The Paul Kerry name was also used on practical sea-fishing tackle, including ready-tied traces and rigs, rig components, trace wallets and other shore-fishing accessories.
Paul Kerry tackle for collectors
Original Paul Kerry rods are increasingly interesting to collectors because many were working fishing rods and were heavily used. Condition therefore matters: original guides, reel fittings, butt caps, decals, bags and unmodified blanks can all make a difference to desirability. Clear model markings are particularly important because a number of different Paul Kerry and Daiwa ranges appeared over the years.
Paul Kerry tackle currently available from us
Team Daiwa TDPK13M Whisker Carbon 13ft Beach Rod
A classic Team Daiwa Paul Kerry-era beach rod and one of the key TDPK models for collectors and sea anglers.
Paul Kerry Trace Wallets – Pair – Excellent Used Condition
Original Paul Kerry-branded trace wallets for storing pre-tied sea fishing rigs and traces.
Buying vintage Paul Kerry tackle
When buying a Paul Kerry rod, check the exact model code, blank condition, ferrules or spigot, guide replacements and whether the rod has been shortened or rebuilt. Some restored rods remain excellent fishing tools, while collectors will generally place more importance on originality.
This guide will be expanded as further Paul Kerry rods, catalogues and tackle become available.