FF&FT contributor, Malcolm Greenhalgh, will be donating a signed Hugh Falkus Speycaster No 1 to the Wild Trout Trust (WTT) auction next year. Falkus' Speycaster rods took on the hexagonal build of a cane rod, but in graphite, and were called Hexagraph. Malcolm told me how he came by it. He was going fishing on the Lower Tay at Redgorton, and rang Hugh.

"What rod are you using?" he demanded.

"My Walker" (a very powerful rod in itself).

"Not powerful enough!", he roared, "you need my Speycaster No 1 for the Tay! Drop in on your way up and I'll give you mine".

"What leader are you using?"

"25lb"

"Not powerful enough! You need 35lb at least. You don't play a salmon, you hoik them out!"

So, calling in on his way up north, Hugh gave Malcolm the rod which Hugh used as a prototype and was signed in his own hand-writing.

Malcolm has put a reserve price on the rod at £500, but hopes it will make much more than this for the WTT. He put up a Falkus priest recently for charity and this raised £300, even though that wasn't signed.

By the way, Malcolm never used the rod at Redgorton. It is still pristine in its bag – although he never told Hugh this, of course!