Rod & Rifle Tackle World Katherine
Store manager Trent de With said: “We’ve had an amazing dry season in Katherine with temperatures quite often falling below 10 degrees Celsius. It’s given families the perfect reason to get out and go camping. “There’s nothing better than spending time with family around the campfire. “And with Katherine’s perfect location, people are able to travel only an hour or so out of town and be camping beside a river or billabong and enjoying all that the Territory has to offer.” Trent said he was looking forward to the build-up so he can shift the store’s focus back to barra fishing. “With the ground breaking agreement between the Northern Land Council and recreational fishers of the NT, it’s an exciting time to be a rec fisher. “The NLC and Traditional Owners have agreed to extend the permit waver until December 2020, which will allow negotiations to continue with traditional owners and the NLC. “There are also several traditional owners who have expressed interest in opening up areas to recreational fishing; areas that we previously have not been able to access. “This gives even more options to anglers and will allow them to fish areas that are not susceptible to the normal fishing pressures that place like the Daly River and Shady Camp are subject to. It’s an exciting time ahead for all fishos,” Trent said.
Trent took over the running of Rod and Rifle at Katherine a couple of years ago from his parents, Debbie and Warren. Since then Trent has embarked on a process of adapting and diversifying the store with bolder and braver strategies to enable it to compete with the retail challenges laid down by the Outdoor store supermarkets. “Rod & Rifle has been serving the people of Katherine for over 40 years,” Trent said. “Debbie and Warren (Mum and Dad as I like to call them) laid a stable foundation that we can build on.
“We pride ourselves on local knowledge, where and when the fish are biting, and current river and road conditions,” Trent said. The Katherine store is situated at the cross roads for fishing in the Northern Territory, with the Daly, Roper and Victoria Rivers all just under three hours away. “A big factor for us is customer service,” Trent said. “You can enter one of those big chain stores and get served by someone who has no idea about fishing and is just there for a job. Whereas we own our store; we live and breathe fishing, so you can be sure that, as well buying the best products, you are getting correct advice every time.”