Specimen Challenge Badge

Specimen Challenge Badge

Love a challenge? Love rubbing it in when your mates are blanking? We all want a way to record our achievements, hold onto the memories, and—let’s be honest—show off a little to our fishing buddies.

That’s exactly why we’re launching the Gerry’s Specimen Challenge.

Back in the day, anglers used to collect sew-on patches for notable catches to display on their fishing gear. We’ve decided to bring that tradition back with a modern twist: high-quality DTF (Direct-To-Film) heat transfers that you can easily iron straight onto your hoodie at home.

How to Get Started

To join the challenge, you first need the official Specimen Hunter Badge to anchor your collection. Choose from two options:

Option 1: Team Gerry’s Hoodie (Pre-Badged)

• Price: £29.99

• Description: The ultimate angler’s hoodie, complete with the Specimen Hunter badge professionally pre-applied. Ready for the bank immediately so you can start hunting.

Option 2: Specimen Hunter DTF Heat Transfer

• Price: £5.00

• Description: Already have a lucky fishing top? Grab the standalone DTF transfer and upgrade your own gear in minutes using a standard household iron.

The Rules & Claiming Your Badges

1. Catch a Specimen: Get out there and land a notable fish species.

2. Submit Your Proof: There is 2 ways.
   1. On facebook, make a public post with your fish and tag @gerrysfishing (make sure you add a weight and info to your post)

   2. Post a picture of your catch in the comments below this page.

   (Note: We only accept photos taken from 2026 onwards—no digging out old PB photos!)

3. Claim Your Badge: Once your catch is approved, we’ll send you the specific species DTF print completely free of charge. If you’re local to us here in Morecambe, pop into the store and we can even press it onto your hoodie for you!

Note: We are running this on good faith regarding weights, but we will use our judgment on any dubious entries.

End of Year Prizes

Keep building up those sleeves, because at the end of the year, we’re handing out prizes for:

• The Biggest Fish

• Most Badges Collected

• Most Notable Catch

Good luck out there! We can’t wait to see your catch results.

Click Here to see full details

How to apply your DTF sticker to your Hoodie.

Please note we aren’t liable for damage to garments, this is just a best practice guide. If you are unsure, buy one of our hoodies with it already on.

The “No-Stress” Guide to DTF at Home

1. The Setup

• Surface: Do not use a padded ironing board. It’s too soft. Use a hard, flat surface like a wooden table or a kitchen countertop (place a thin pillowcase down to protect the surface if needed). You need “firm” resistance to push against.

• Iron Settings: Turn off all steam functions. Empty the water tank if you have to. Set the iron to the “Cotton” or “High” setting (usually around 150°C – 160°C).

• Prep the Hoodie: Lay the hoodie flat and iron the area where the print will go for 5 seconds. This removes moisture and wrinkles, ensuring a better bond.

2. Positioning

• Place your DTF transfer onto the hoodie with the textured/white side down and the clear/matte film facing up.

• Pro Tip: Use a small piece of heat-resistant tape (or just be very still) to keep the design from sliding when you first touch it with the iron.

3. The Press (The Most Important Part)

• Cover It: Place a sheet of parchment paper (baking paper) over the transfer. This protects the hoodie fabric from scorching.

• The Movement: Do not “slide” the iron back and forth like you’re ironing a shirt. Instead, press down hard with your body weight on one section of the design for 15–20 seconds.

• Overlap: If the design is larger than the iron’s base, lift the iron and move it to the next section. Repeat the heavy-pressure press until every inch of the design has been heated.

4. The “Cold Peel”

• Wait! This is where most people fail. DTF is almost always a cold peel.

• Let the transfer cool down completely until it is cold to the touch (about 1–2 minutes).

• Slowly peel the clear film back from one corner. If the design starts to lift with the film, stop immediately, lay it back down, and hit it with the iron again for 10 seconds.

5. The “Finishing” Press

• Once the film is off, place the parchment paper back over the design and press it one last time for 5–10 seconds. This “sets” the ink into the fabric fibers and gives it that professional, matte finish.

Quick Specifications for Success

Liability Disclaimer

Please note that this guide is provided for informational purposes only. Results may vary based on the specific iron used, fabric composition, and user technique. Gerry’s Fishing accepts no liability for any damage caused to garments, transfers, or personal property during the application process. Users proceed at their own risk.