James P
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Posts posted by James P
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I've used a friends Preston Dutch Master rod John and it was excellent at punching a big feeder out but still having the soft tip section you need for bream fishing. I used it with braid coupled with a mono shock leader and didn't have any problems cracking off at all.
You do need to modify your casting action though, or at least I did. I found I had to push reasonalby hard with my top hand a lot more than normal, punching the rod forward, letting the action of the rod propel the feeder.
I used the 12' 6" version and had no problem getting 80 yards+ and that was on first use. The large eyes do help with friction and any shock leader knots pass through easily.
Typical Preston quality too! Saying that have Tri-Cast ever made a bad rod?
Regards
James
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Be afraid, be very afraid......
James, I have absolutely no complaints about either of them. I've used them both for over a year now and found them excellent for what I need. The bag is like a Tardis - it seems to swallow everything I throw at it, with room to spare. It has loads of internal and external pockets, and best of all, it simply slides under the chair if I need to keep it out of the rain. It’s comfortable to carry, although I must say that now I have transport, I haven’t used it attached to the chair for a long time. However, when I was using it that way I found it extremely comfortable, even with a long hike to the lake or river I was fishing.
Almost all the extras I’ve added are Preston Innovations OnBox additions. I use the bait waiter which you can see in the picture, and also a side tray set on the other side. The main trays (the ones that attach to the chair) I simply store in between the seat and back of the chair when I fold it up, secured by Korum bungee cords to stop them falling out, and the other trays and bait boxes fit in the ruckbag. My unhooking mat simply fits down the back of the chair once it’s folded up. I’ve also added a brolly arm, a keepnet arm for when I use one, (very rarely!) an extendable feeder arm/rod rest and various other spacer bars and cross arms to cope with all my bits and pieces.
I think the chair and ruckbag are extremely well priced and excellent value considering the use and abuse they’ve had, but the Prestons extras are rather expensive, so I’ve just added them gradually as funds have allowed. Although I think they’re a bit on the high side regarding price, the quality is good and I think I’ve made a good investment in decent kit that will last me for a long time.
You ought to see Paul’s chair! Entirely home made, cost him next to nothing and works just as well, if not better than mine! It has every attachment you can think of for fishing both float, feeder or pole, and he’s done it all himself. It does help that he’s an engineer by trade, and has the knowledge and the tools to do it. I don’t have any such skills, so my tackle shop owner lurrrves me!!!
Hope that’s of some help!
Janet
That's me sold Janet!!!
Thanks for the information. I'll pop to the local shop tomorrow and get the pair before fishing on Fri, otherwise i'll be sitting on a wet bank!
I'll probably go for an umbrella arm and side tray at some point. I like the fact i'll be able to connect an umbrella to the chair as it's a godsend on hard banks or platforms.
I do quite a bit of roving type angling as well so the fact that the chair clips to the bag and is easy to carry is a big point for me. I like to keep my tackle simple and to a minimum so I think I could use the two for almost all of my fishing.
On another side not - your photos always look good. What camera do you use when you're on the bank?
Well done to Paul for making his own chair. I'm quite a hands-on practical kind of guy but i'd draw the line at making one of those. I bet it looks like the chair equivalent of something from Pimp My Ride!
Thanks
James
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Yet another great write up Janet. I love reading your stories and they always get me itching to get out on the bank.
As a side issue, I spotted your korum chair and ruckbag and wondered what you thought of them. I love the idea of how they workas they would suit my style of fishing perfectly, and i'm thinking of investing in the pair and would appreciate some feedback.
Thanks
James
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I've used a MAP Dave Harrell (the original Harrison blank version) for all my trotting. It's got split-chrome rings and a spliced tip and i've never used a better rod for trotting. I'm sure it's the rings that make a difference.
A spliced tip helps with line pickup when trotting a long way down the swim and in my opinion is still better than a fine hollow tip on modern progressive action rods which seem softer, and not as quick on the strike.
James
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Budgie have you ever used Silstar matchman ? It's low diameter low vis and really is corkin line. If you where using it with a braid mainline then I'd give it a miss but if you where using a mono mainline you could use it as a hooklength no probs.
Used to use this when I first started fishing 'commercial' venues Tigger.
It's a very strong line if I remember rightly but quite stiff.
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James the fact that your a fellow Maxima fan kind of pulls me to your reccomendation at the moment.Could you tell me a bit more about how you use Stroft ie what for,what sizes,what mainlines,what rods etc etc! Sorry but the more info the better!
Budgie,
I use Stroft for all my hooklength needs, from Tench fishing in heavily weeded water to using .06 for catching Roach on bread in the winter, through to Chub fishing and Perching. I 've got about 6-7 different sizes ranging from .06 to .20.
It knots easily with no damage or crimping and i've found that with the knots I use (knotless, spade end, grinner, blood knot, palomar etc) it's got the best knot strength of any line i've used.
I've used .20 and .18 straight through for margin carp fishing for fish up to 20lb and have never been worried about breaking. I think if you feel 100% confident in your line for margin carp fishing it must be strong!
One of the best things I like about it Budgie is that even though it's a low diameter line it's got very good stretch. Just gives you that bit more of a cushion when playing fish under the rod tip.
It's quite a supple line as well, although not as supple as Powerline, but it's been fine on the abraision front as well. I've never really had a problem getting fish out of reeds or snags with it either.
I was put on to it years ago by my mate Mike Stone (who fished for England in the mid 90's) and i've used it ever since. Have tried other lines in that time but always end up going back.
I use Drennan Super Specialist main line and Drennan Tench Float and Avon rods for all my fishing.
Hope that helps,
James
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Being an ex-match angler i've tried most of the hi tech lines at some time or another and my favourite by a long way is Stroft. If you've never used it before i'd recommend it above all others. It's like the Maxima of low diameter lines in that it's incredibly strong, hard wearing and gives a bit more stretch than some others.
Preston Powerline is pretty good as well IMO, but i've had nothing but trouble with Micron Plus breaking and pig-tailing, especially in the finer diameters. I use the excellent Drennan Super Specialist mono for my reel lines but strangely for a Drennan line find Double Strength very brittle and easily snapped.
For more info have a look here.
I know of quite a few big fish anglers in my local area who use it in higher diameters and wouldn't use anything else. It's the only line I use for hooklengths apart from some Kryston braid.
James P
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What Drennan rod is that Andrew?
Is it one of the specialist rods? I've been thinking about getting the 1 1/4lbtc version for some time as I love Drennan rods, but no-one round here stocks that particular model for me to have a waggle with!
James
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What an ugly sod!!!!!
The fish looks alright though!!
He he fantastic fish Mark. It's a great achievement to catch such a wild beast, and testament to your ability as an angler. I also think your knowledge of spawning, fish welfare and appreciation of nature shines through in your posts, something a lot of anglers need to learn in my view.
Not putting Marks catch down, but it isn't a "Forty" doubt if it is even a real 35, and it may very well be spawnbound (it is mid July!) and it could very well die soon.Den
Thinking about it Den, why is being spawnbound any different than catching a fish after putting in groundbait, boilies, pellets etc? In theory any fish caught in such circumstances are weighing heavier than normal. If you'd put out a couple kilos of boilies and the carp had eaten all of this before it picked up your bait, it's going to weigh a couple of kilos more without you even realising it.
Does any of it matter? I don't think so.
James
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James - fresh or salt water?
There is some outstanding largemouth bass fishing in the Orlando area.
I'd like to have a go at bass fishing Newt. I presume that's freshwater?
Silly questions, but are the venues catch and release, and are they natural waters you can fish for free, or day-ticket types?
Sorry for the vagueness, but i'm just trying to get a general idea.
Might even be able to pick up some nice lures to try back home! Just don't tell 'er indoors ;-)
James
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I'm going to the US for a couple of weeks at the end of Feb - New York for a week followed by a week split between Miami and Orlando. I'd like to do a bit of US style fishing for an afternoon if I can when i'm over there, and I was wondering what sort of fishing (presumably lure fishing) I could do when i'm over there. I'm not looking to go Marlin fishing or anything like that (even though i'd love to!), so I'll probably sneak the Shimano Exage travel rod and reel in the suitcase, but how easy is it to rent rods etc over there if needed?
I'm sure you'll be able to help Newt. Any ideas?
Regards
James
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Sorry! That wasn't meant as a complaint....merely a comment! There was another paragraph to qualify my remarks, but I appear to have accidentally deleted it before I posted, or the fairies have run off with it!
It read something like this.......I know I have paid full retail price on many occasions over the past few years, rather than taking advantage of Internet discounts, but I'm not complaining. Far from it. If it wasn't for the endless (and very patient!) advice I've had from my tackle shop, I probably wouldn't be fishing now. Starting to learn to fish from scratch with absolutely zero knowledge and nobody to teach me has been an uphill struggle to say the least, but the help I've had from Steve has been absolutely invaluable.
Add to that the warm welcome, perpetually filled coffee cup, the free maggots, caster and pinkies, the introduction to fellow anglers, the nod about which venue is fishing well (and which should be avoided...), the loan of equipment....even a free stink bag for my keep net as a birthday present! The list is endless. As an example, I told him this morning that on my next fishing trip, I was going to leave my rod at home, and borrow a pole from Paul, just so I stick with it for a full day and don't get tempted to revert back to my comfort zone. (I don't much like what I see of pole fishing, and think it's high time I actually tried it properly before passing judgement).
Instantly he offered to lend me one of his poles, with all the bits and bobs, which he says will be much lighter and more comfortable for me to use all day.
My purchases this morning came to just under £100....instead of simply taking my money, he told me that any purchases over £100 were given a 10% discount. I therefore ended up with a few more bits of stuff, and the total price went DOWN to just over £90!
The Internet can't offer that sort of service!
Janet
That says it all to me Janet. You can't get that sat at your computer screen.
Mind you , when I worked in a tackle shop I used to get really annoyed at all the customers who came in expecting to get free maggots, casters and pinkies, perpetually filled coffee cups and stink bags!!!
For me part of the enjoyment of fishing is the social aspect, and that also includes the trip to the tackle shop.
James
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So no prizes for guessing that my lure boxes are sorted primarily by lure weight.I use a Wychwood lure bag which has removable boxes so you can take some out if you know your not going to use them and have enough room for lunch etc.
I've got the same one Neil and find that if I take it out fully laden its quite weighty. I tend to just take my little Korum bag with 1 or 2 of the boxes of lures that are matched to my rod like Vagabond and I find that a lot easier to manage. I like to keep mobile and hate carrying anything unnecessary when i'm fishing in general.
James
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Some wonderful footage there.
I'm a bit curious about the pike with the trout in it's jaws. Could a fish of that size fit in a pike that big. Looks like a bit of a mismatch to me!
James P
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Happy new year to all the AN members!
After spending much of the Christmas holiday period in bed due to both tonsillitis and bronchitis (which getting whilst being an asthmatic is not a nice experience!) i've decided to invest in a decent set of thermal underwear for fishing.
Do any of you guys have any recommendations? I'd like to wear as few layers as is possible as I hate looking like the mitchelin man and being restricted whilst moving/casting etc.
Is it worth looking into dedicated snow sports type stuff?
Regards
James
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Truth be told, Paul himself has a distinct lack of enthusiasm of all this sort of anoraky stuff, being of the opinion that it doesn’t matter for toffee, and I think he’s got a point. At any rate, I feel the uncertainty adds a certain mystique, which I find charming and appropriate.
I suppose that's one way of looking at it Mike. I couldn't run my business like that though - not saying i'm an obsessive compulsive, but surely having sequential serial numbers would make things easier to manage. It wouldn't take any more time than picking a random number.
Paul sounds like an eccentric genius, beavering away late into the night, with scant regard for anything but his work. Brilliant!
James
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What sort of money do the blanks go for Dave? Something I really like about fishing with glass blanks - nice and mellow.
I've got a burning desire to build a rod after i've finished renovating the house, which should be Feb/March time. Something special for the new season would be nice and i'd like to keep a photo/blog type thing of the process/bodge-up!
James
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Even at several hundreds of pounds, it's all jolly good value on an hourly rate at such a high standard of craftsmanship. 60 hours. 600 quid. A tenner an hour? Bargain!
Stop making it sound so reasonable Mike
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What a detailed, informative article. It must be a nightmare working to such fine tolerances, knowing that if you make the tiniest mistake you've lost hours and hours of work.
I can see why handmade 'pins are priced as they are. I thought £200+ for my Purist II was a lot of money, but it would take me months to make one, if I ever got to the end!
James P
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This year saw my return to angling after a long absence, so my goal for 2009 is simple:
1: Spend less (both time and money wise) on tackle than I do on actual fishing (inc. bait/fuel/licence/fees etc.)!
Amen to that Angly!
My goal for 2009 is to get a decent camera and to start putting together a little memo/diary of trip photos and notes. A journal!
I want to start using my pin a lot more as well, especially on the canal fishing for tench using the lift method with a bit of peacock quill.
James
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A true angler is someone who realises how bl00dy lucky he is to be able to be one with nature at the water - catching fish is a bonus!!
I love being by the waters edge too as much as I do catching fish of any size Kleinbloet.
Nothing beats the sight of a Kingfisher skimming along the far bank, or a fleet of ducklings out finding their feet on a new water. Seems a shame that a lot of anglers have forgotten about why they started in the first place, more concerned on catching ever increasing amounts of ever expanding fish rather than enjoying the variety that nature provides.
Not trying to preach, just wish a few more anglers would see past their buckets of pellets, and discover what a beautiful and diverse place we live in.
James P
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Maybe it's not perfect, and Passion is an impossible act to follow, so I reckon be grateful for what it is and enjoy it.
Definitely Andrew,
Passion for Angling was perhaps the pinnacle of fishing programs for many, managing to blend humour, nostalgia, style AND substance seamlessly. You can't compare everything to it though, just enjoy Catching the Impossible for what it is.
If we didn't have such a high standard to compare it to, i'm sure everyone would be feeling the same as when they first saw Passion for Angling
James
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Actually, I would. If glare was a problem I might put on some camo tape but otherwise, I'd happy fish with it.
To some extent, it may be a cultural difference. The magazine/catalog adverts for US tackle is all about specs and function with nary a mention of how nice it looks. The UK adverts make it very clear that looks is important to UK anglers and is a major selling point.
I would say that after watching a few Bass Pro competitions on TV Newt, that US fishing (especially high end competitions) is definitely concerned about looks.
There are differences in the approach though, as I think the US manufacturers rely a lot more heavily on merchandising (no surprise there!), and the amount of custom rod builders in the US show that people really do care about the looks of their equipment?
James
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Should have gone to
http://www.tackleshop.co.uk/katalog/ctl103...8/si3488035/cl/
I can vouch for buying from TackleShop as one of my friends owns it!
He used to fish for England and is a top bloke all round. I'm not being biased either!!
Neville Ficklings Angling Times Article
in Coarse Fishing
Posted
Judging by the amount of people driving around my area with huge, cavernous elver nets strapped to their roof i'm not surprised eel numbers are in decline!
The vast majority of all the elvers caught around here in Somerset are shipped off to Japan for people to enjoy as a delicacy. One word: Capitalism!
James