By: IOL Motoring Staff
Crewe, Cheshire - Not even the Italians can rival an English maker of hand-crafted bespoke sporting goods for superlative craftsmanship, attention to detail and sheer snob appeal.
Just ask anybody who has ever handled a Henry-Griffits golf club or a Purdey shotgun.
Now Bentley has joined this exclusive fraternity with the ultimate angling accessory, the Bentayga Fly Fishing by Mulliner. As it name suggests, this ultra-snooty SUV has been handcrafted by Bentley's in-house Mulliner coachbuilding division, not only to get you to the best fly-fishing spots in unmatched comfort, but to provide absolutely everything you'll need for a successful day on the river.
There are four handmade fly-fishing rods, each individually stored in a special tube under the parcel shelf, trimmed in saddle leather with linen cross-stitching, as well as a pair of landing nets in matching leather bags in a specially designed carpeted hard pocket built into the side of the boot.
But what it's really all about are three individually removable saddle-leather trimmed containers: a tackle box and a refreshment case, on a sliding tray for ease of access, and a waterproof trunk for storing wet waders.
Inside the tackle box you'll find a special drawer, trimmed in burr walnut veneer, containing a fly-tying vice and tools, as well as a selection of cotton, hooks and feathers, for inventing your own flies. Under that there are four reel cases, each machined from solid aluminium and lined in saddle leather with linen cross-stitching.
Fresh and dry
The refreshment case (that's Mullinerspeak for a picnic basket!) is trimmed in fine linen leather, and it comes with three metal flasks, a set of Mulliner fine-china tableware and a separate food-storage compartment. The lid also has a quilted lather finish so you can take it out and sit on it.
The hand-made wooden 'wet storage' trunk is covered in saddle leather and lined with waterproof neoprene material; the boot floor and rear-sill protection covers are trimmed with waterproof material and the luggage compartment has an electronic dehumidifier to keep it fresh and dry.
The final touch is a set of Mulliner 'welcome lights' - the first on a Bentayga - under the doors, each of which projects the Bentley and Mulliner logos on to the ground when the door is opened. Or you can have any personal logo or crest on request.
Fly-fishing, explained Mulliner director Geoff Dowding, is a complex pastime requiring a variety of specialised and sometimes delicate equipment. The challenge was to package everything in a luxurious, elegant and elegant way - the end result, we think you'll agree, is extraordinary.
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