bromley

Yikes indeed. I never knew Harrods stocked bait and fishing gear? Popped into Morrison’s this morning to get bait and feed for a club lake session this weekend. Bag of economy frozen sweet corn and a large white sliced loaf - £1.49.

Have to agree with Gozzer. Minnows in particular are a sign of a clean healthy river and I’m always glad to see and catch them. As for sticklebacks, it was the sight of one caught in a net and then gazed at with wonder once transferred to a jam jar, that fifty years ago that kindled my love of fishing. Long may they thrive! And the gudgeon and the ruffe? On many a day sat on the bank, fishless and gloomily contemplating yet another blank day, how many here haven’t rejoiced at the capture of the humble gonk or daddy ruffe?

I can appreciate that as so few were made, scarcity equals a very high price. But seriously, how good are they? In terms of performance would it compare with my rather battered Speedia?

It all depends on the type of fishing you do (and enjoy). Trotting for roach and dace is my thing and the rod comes highly recommended. It has dealt with chub to four and half pounds, but I would not really want to use it on anything much bigger. ,

I’ve used closed face reels for over 30 years now and am a big fan. I’ve used a 706 for over a year now and I’m well pleased with it. The bell housing on mine spins true so if you have a “wobble” it may be faulty so I would return to the shop. However, I don’t this would cause the reel to suddenly stop paying out line when trotting. As others have said, this may be due to the line bedding in after you have pulled against a snag or wound in with too much pressure. Persevere with it. Once you get used to them these are great reels for trotting and for that matter, light float fishing on still waters, particularly on windy days. Lots of people don’t like the synchro drag, but when set correctly its invaluable when playing a good’un. Just don’t over fill the spool

Thanks for the feedback gents. Vagabond, this is a three piece rod and it’s definitely a Lucky Strike. It’s got around half of the gold oval Allcocks label. Wunwetfoot, yes, there did seem to a rather different sensation when playing the admittedly small carp on the cane rod as opposed to my usual carbon. Point taken about the Wallis cast. I guess it’s just a question of practice. I took up fly fishing a few years ago and it took some time before I learned how to cast properly. I fumbled for ages and then one day it suddenly clicked.

Well, tried the rod out on a club lake yesterday. Took a bit of getting used to as it was much “whippier” that the carbon rods I usually use but twinned with an equally geriatric Mitchell 300 (my casting ability with a centre pin is not all it could be!) and a porcupine quill float that I have had for years but never used, I was all set for a retro session. . Alternating between worm and sweet corn on the hook I had plenty of roach and perch including a few “nettters”, including a a three pound mirror carp that put a real bend in the rod. I seemed to do as well as the other anglers with modern gear and ended the day rather chuffed with my boot fair bargain. The rod attracted a fair bit of inetrest from otehr anglers as well ranging from the "my dad/granddad had one like that", "look, he's got a wooden rod!" and "Its Mr. Crabtree back from the dead" I’m now on the look out for a wicker basket, a trilby hat and a pipe.

It does look like the butt and tip rings were replaced as the yellow whipping is slightly brighter than on the other rings.

I work and live amongst Muslims who all think this idea is ridiculous and rather than furtehring understanding and mutual tolerance will lead to more Islamophobia.. One has a daughter studiying at this university who has no problem goin g for a drink (albeit a soft one) with her beer drinking collegues. Also worth pointing out that he Koran stipulates that when in a non-Muslim country, Muslims, while staying true to and practicing their faith, should respect and abide by the customs of the host nation. According to my workmates (and me!) this is just another example of albeit well-meaning PC white Liberals, terrified of being thought racist or discriminatory, promoting practices and policies that have the exact opposite effect.

While many people do go fishing, the majority of the population do not and any fishing programme has to be entertaining to the 99% of TV viewers who don’t know a bream from a boilie. Watching the likes of you and I staring at a float for hours on the local canal and pulling out a few small roach (if we're lucky!) is never going to attract the viewers At teh end of teh day, any fishing on teh box is better than none, and a damn sight better that the reality/celeb/cooking/talent drivel that now seems to dominate the airwaves. Provided you watch it for what it is – a bit of light hearted fun, it’s entertaining enough, although I agree with others that his smugness can get a bit irritating.

Many thanks for the advice gents, I took the rod around to a mate in my local club who uses cane rods for advice on varnish and upkeep and he identified it as a Lucky Strike, made by a company called Allcocks dating (he thought) from the 1950’s. The butt and tip rings, he said were lined with porcelain rather than agate. I’m rather pleased with it. It’s surprisingly light for a cane rod although after carbon it does seem very “whippy”. I can’t wait to try it out. I’ve an old centre pin plus a few quill floats inherited from my late dad plus a Mitchell 300 and I’m looking forward to bit of “traditional” fishing next weekend. All I need now is a wicker basket

Any vintage tackle experts out there? Went to a boot fair yesterday looking for some gardening tools. My eye was drawn to a stall selling odds and sods including a cane rod. As the stall holder only wanted 5 pounds (and I knocked him down to 4!) I bought it as a mate of mine has recently taken over a riverside pub and is on the lookout for old fishing tackle as display items. The rod is around 10 and half feet long with yellow whippings, the makers transfer has worn off but I can identify the word “strike”. The rings seem OK and the butt and tip ring look to be lined with china. It could do with a cost of varnish and the cork handle needs a good clean, but it looks in pretty good condition. I’m tempted to twin it with a centre pin and do a bit of retro fishing. Anyone got any idea what the rod might be?

I've been offered an Edgar sealey "float caster" by a colleague for £60. Whole cane butt and split cane middle and top, It looks to be in good condition. Any vintage tackle buffs out there know anything about these rods? I want to use it rather than put it on the wall and look at it.

To be honest, in 40 years of fishing I’ve never found an umbrella that can cope with high winds and the problem is particularly bad on big exposed waters such as reservoirs or gravel pits. Strong winds are no respecter of cost and the pricier brollies are just s likely to blow inside out as the cheaper ones. As others have a said, you are just as well buying a cheap one from Argos as when they do blow inside out, they are less expensive to replace. On the plus side, they are lot lighter as well.

Forget the shop bought pastes and make your own! Cheaper and IMHO much better All you need is around four or five slices of stale, sliced white bread and a small tin of cat food. The “smooth” rather than the chunky variety is best. Cut the crusts of the bread and spread a slice thickly with cat food. Put another slice of bread on top and repeat. Finishing with slice of bread until you have a triple or quadruple layered cat meat “sandwich”. Place in a clean tea towel, twist the ends until you have a rough ball at the end and then hold under the tap until soaked. Squeeze out the excess water, remove from the tea towel and knead with your hands until the catmeat is blended with the bread in a putty-like consistency. Wrap in cling film and it will keep for a few days in the fridge and for weeks in the freezer. This is excellent for carp, tench and bream.

I’m with you on this one. Some are OK, particularly in the winter when there are fewer anglers about, but once the sun comes out a few can be a nightmare. Greedy owners packing as many anglers in as they can, litter, daft rules about baits you can and can’t use, and worst of all what I call the “instant” carpers (take one numpty, a mail order starter kit, two (very) loud buzzers, a bag of boilies a six pack of lager and stir). There are alternatives until the 16 June rolls around again, some club lakes no longer observe the traditional closed season, canals, park lakes, or why not try a bit of fly fishing or sea fishing?

f I was lucky enough to own a rod like that I would use it rather than sell it. Bruce & Walker were a well respected manufacture and I still use an old B&W 13’ CTM match rod I bought in the mid 1970’s. Hollow glass mark 4 Avons are not as valuable or collectable as their split cane counterparts, but the action is similar and they are arguably more robust. Why not try it out?

If you can find one, the John Wilson trotting rod is a nice piece of kit. Its very centre pin friendly as well as teh bottom ring is very clsoe to to to the top of the butt.

Strange I know but I’m a fan of closed face reels and use them for most float work on the rivers and still waters. I’ve had a Daiwa 125M for many years now and it’s never let me down. However, after 10 years it’s a bit past is sell by date and I need another. I’ tried an Abu 704 a few years ago but was not that impressed as the pick up pin kept sticking and I sold it on. What’s my best bet? Another Daiwa 125M, or is the new Abu 706 any good? Alternatively, a friend suggest that Abu have never bettered the 501 and I can get one in decent condition on eBay for £25 or £30 quid. Advice appreciated gents

I have an Abu Mk 5 13' hollow glass match rod thats seen very little use. Obviously heavier than today's carbon equivalents but a nice rod for general float fishing. If you can tarvel to south london its yours for a tenner.

Can’t disagree with much of whats’ been said already. The Okuma Aventa Pro is excellent for the money and I am surprised no one has mentioned the Leeds. Also, if you are on a budget, you can do a lot worse than the Shakespeare Lincoln. I use my regularly and it revolves more freely than reels I own costing three or four times the money. Would personally be wary of buying a ‘pin from eBay unless you live close enough to the seller to look before your buy. I’ve had my fingers burned of flea bay before now as the seller’s definition of “excellent condition, spins freely with no wobble” may be different to yours. With regards to a rod to go with it, it all depends on where and for what you are fishing. For the rivers I like the John Wilson signature trotting rod. Don’t know if they are still available, but they are lovely tippy rod and ideal for trotting.

G ood point. While it’s each to their own, I think that anglers obsessed with size or weights are missing out. I know I was. Until around 15 years ago I was obsessed with big carp to the extent that my marriage, my job, and certainly my bank balance were under threat. I did catch a few twenties but on those (many) occasions I didn’t, or blanked, I would go home as miserable as sin. Due to perfectly understandable pressure from the wife, I jacked it in for a year or two and re-discovered the simple pleasure of a few hours with match rod, fishing for whatever comes along. I still fish for carp now and gain, I just don’t try too hard! Yet the funny thing is, despite travelling with minimum kit, never spending more than six or seven hours on the bank and having a laid back approach, I seem to do as well, and sometimes better than when I was obsessed to (almost) the point of madness and spent days in a bivvy. Moreover, I have learned to appreciate everything that’s good about our sport. The mist over a lily pad covered lake on a glorious summers dawn, walking down a frosty river bank on a crisp Autumn morning and flicking a lure into likely spots, a blood-red sunset on a January afternoon, a natter with the bloke in the next swim and looking forward to a pint in a local pub at packing up time. These days a “good” day is not necessarily measured by the number or the size of fish caught, but on the quality of the day itself. By way of example a couple of weeks ago I was wobbling small dead bait for pike, with not a take all day. At packing up time I spied a kingfisher perched on a fallen log a few yards away, a picture in blue and orange on a grey afternoon. I put the rod down to take a better look. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the rod tip twitch, struck and was into a jack of around five pounds. At the net the pike shook its head and the mangled debit drifted away. Out of nowhere, a heron dived down, grabbed the dead bait and flew off, all within a few feet of the bank. Never seen anything like that before, I probably won’t again and I’ll count that as one of my best days fishing. Perhaps it’s an age thing, but there is more to fishing than catching fish.

I ’ll second that and its good a downstream as well in the Millennium park stretch. I can also recommend the Medway at Tonbridge on the Sports ground stretch. It’s on day ticket issued by the Tonbridge & District AS. Very good mixed fishing with roach, dace, chub, perch, bream and watch out for the occasional carp. Whereabouts in Bromley do you live mate? I’m local to that part of London as well.

I used to have one of these and regret selling it to buy an Apollo Taperflash in the late 1960's! From experience with similar split cane rods it will be fine for general float fishing for silvers, perch, chub, tench and bream. As for line, five pounds BS maximum is about right combined with two/three or four pounds BS hooklength depending on what you are fishing for or how snaggy the water is. However, I wouldn't use it for ledgering or for hauling carp out of the commercials

Many thanks for the quick replies and helpful advice Gents. I'll give this a try over the weekend.