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Know the Crafters: Tom Barratt

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** This thread discusses the content article: Know the Crafters: Tom Barratt **

I got my first Gidgee Lure in April 2009.  I was delighted by the excellent quality of this little deep diving Bass plug called a Ripple.  All Gidgee Lures are handcrafted by Tom Barratt out of local cedar and all are fitted with aluminium bibs.  Tom’s currently experimenting with a shallow running ‘Ripple Crank’ that may wear a Lexan bib.

These days Tom resides in Brisbane, but he was raised in Tenterfield and grew up with Trevor McFeeter’s boys.  John Geihe also lived right behind him and showed young Tom how to make lures and just recently Brett Campbell has been helping fine tune the lures with Tom.  Tom reckons that he made his first lures around 1989 to catch Murray Cod.  The things worked well and often proved fatal for trout too.  “The thrill of having a fish eating something you have made yourself is unbeatable†says Tom.  His early lures were shaped much like the Wilbarra he makes today.

Some might think that “Wilbarra†relates to a hard wood but actually it’s a play on his son’s name, as uttered by a very young lass that couldn’t get her tongue around the proper name.  Gidgee, the brand name, reflects Tom’s early years, back in the day he trained as a butcher and was called “Gidgee†by his work mates.  A couple of years ago when Tom was starting to make a few lures for sale, the name popped up again and stuck.

There are seven Gidgee lures in the range at present.  The biggest is a 16cm bruiser for Cod, the “Big Fellaâ€.  There are two 8cm Wilbarra’s, a “Fatty†(wide bodied version) and a standard, a couple of fast minnow styles, the 12.5cm “Knix†and the experimental 9.5 cm “Jinxâ€, and finally the 6cm Bass lures the “Ripple†and “Ripple Crankâ€.  Everyone is finished to an exacting quality – the mark of a great craftsman.

Making lures really is a hobby for Tom so you are unlikely to find his lures in your local tackle shop.  If you want to get your hands on any Gidgee Lures, flick an email to Tom (wilbarra@hotmail.com) if you want to snaffle some of his offerings.

Brisbane Fishing Online Note:  Thanks to Gidgee Lures there will be literally dozens of these lures up for grabs at the upcoming 2010 Moreton Bay Classic! GLPR1.JPG

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