Cameraman

I remember them as that when they first started to gain popularity. Do you remember rod rests being called idle backs?

Thanks Martin, all good ideas and worth a try. I do have some card with fuse wire on, in one of my 'might come in useful' boxes stacked in the garage. I'll have a look at those star washers. I'd even thought of enlarging the head with either a blob of solder or epoxy. I've even considered cutting it off and drilling it out carefully and replacing with a cut down pin, nail or even screw and holding in place with glue on the stem. Once fixed in place it'll be there for life, with an odd drop of oil to lubricate.

The thing is all the reels are in working order, so it would be wrong to canibilise one for another at this time. On the original the inverted V is a permanent fitting just a drop of oil needed once a service. On the copy the V has a slightly larger hole and a tiny retainer possible a circlip to hold it. I'm toying with the idea of some line maybe as little as 8lb or less thick to replace it and a soldering iron to blob the line ends together. Failing that I know a chap who does jewellery and watch repairs and I'm sure we'll come up with something. It's just a matter of putting on the thinking head and not the rushing head.

Compared to an original.

Thanks Chester's, that's a useful site with the parts diagrams. My tiny little problem is that one is a Chinese copy and the parts are "similar" but not identical. A small and I mean really small retaining clip/spring (watchmaker small) is missing. It actually makes little difference in use but if I was to swap spools whilst fishing I could loose the inverted V. I've managed to downsize the picture enough on my phone, you can see the size against my finger tip. Tiny. Maybe pinhead size or a touch smaller.

Thanks to Martin56 I'm now the proud owner of three Mitchell 300s, three Mitchell 440s match, spare spools and an unidentified Centrepin. I spent all morning stripping, cleaning, re oiling, and generally servicing. One tiny spring to order and they're all just about as good as new. The Chinese copy one to be fair is a good copy and well put together, but the parts are not compatible with genuine Mitchell. I need to source a small retaining spring to make it perfect. Centrepin running fine and free, not sure yet whether to try it with handles or not, time will see. 300s will all see service this year, but can't promise all three 440s will. One certainly will, soon as the weather warms up. Centrepin just needs the excess oil removing then it gets new line and straight into use. I can't put pictures up as I can't downsize enough for here yet. Thanks again Martin and nice to meet you. ?

There's a match type lake, definitely worth a look, Cross Drove Fishery, near Thetford that produces some nice Roach and Crucians, it's hard to tell if the Rudd are pure. The lake contains huge shoals of bream as well as various sizes of Carp so targeting the Roach alone is difficult. I found a handful of hemp with a tare buried in the hook fished tight to the lilies or tight in the margins under branches picked out some decent fish, but it's hard to find a bait that the resident Carp don't snatch. Corn, pellet, etc produced Carp. Worm, catch Bream and Eells. I also had Wells on worm or cockles. I had a little success on bread flake and maggot but the F1s soon move in. Mid week its quiet so can take a roving approach if you talk to the bailiff. I also fish a stretch at Cold Harbour on the River Thurne, and another at St Bennetts Abbey on the River Bure, that's mostly bream but throws up the odd nice Roach and occasional wild Carp.

I've already planned and paid deposits for 4 holidays this year. I plan all my holidays around fishing. My wife's happy with that and it suits us both. I usually tow my caravan everywhere and pick specific campsites that have either fishing on site or fishing close by. There are several in Norfolk that I can almost fish from the caravan direct into the river. Plenty that are no more than 100 yards and 100s that are but a short drive. A lot of small sites have there own river frontage and generally it's either free or very cheap. Some stretches believe it or not are rarely fished and are fantastic holding areas in high boat season. This year I've also booked a cottage on the river for 3 weeks in July. A lot of cottages that are advertised have there own bait fridges or tackle storage areas. Almost all have parking outside and fishing is inclusive in the price. It's nice to be on a private frontage as you can fish early, leave your tackle(hooks out of the water obviously) go have breakfast/lunch/ whatever and return later at a more productive time without having to re set up. I often set up a bivi, just to zip up my bait away from ducks and geese while I go cook breakfast for us both. I also pack in fishing sometimes at the height of the boat traffic or trot down the margins. Occasionally ledger and back lead to keep things on the bottom if a lot of boats. There are other places of course but they take a little more research and seeking out. I've just been recommend a site at Hubberts Bridge with it's own river frontage that I'm going to be looking into and a site at Ripon that has a noted Chub stretch either on site or close.

You mean you missed the naked lady streaking through? Shame on you!

Good Morning, Would it be possible to alter the size of uploads for pictures. Currently its only 0.98mb and I can't downsize small enough. I'm not really into mb and kb but looking around I think around 3kb would be enough to try? I no longer have a computer and do everything off my phone or Kindle, I'm sure others maybe similar. Thanks in advance ?

Nice to someone posting in here again. Hope its the first if many

Merry Christmas everyone ????

Yeah, frustrating ?

For me parts of all the links work but not all.

Interesting read?

I broke a rod last year on holiday early season and as I think nothing of doing my own repairs and if I'd been at home would have fixed it overnight. I called into the local tackle shop to get the bits I needed only to be told I was wasting my time no one stocks bits now. My local guy does. I was shown new rods, superior to mine and told that they are "disposable". Reasonable quality feeder rods from a tenner upwards. Wanting to feeder fish I decided on a new Drennan rod not the cheaper disposable ones and the guy threw in a new NGT baitrunner and 100m of 6lb Chinese line. All for under £70. The line was given to a chap on the bankside later as I buy bulk spools of quality stuff and keep it in my caravan when we go away. Returning home I talked to my local guy and stocked up on whipping thread, dope, varnish and a bulk box of tip rings. He'll have to order intermediate rings in bulk so I said not to bother. The cost......you don't want to know, cheaper to buy a new rod! We're definitely in a disposable society. Last time out I picked up a 10ft telescopic landing net handle, the reason it was propping up the bin, the tip was missing. I simply glued a piece from the head of a broken bank stick in its place. Now its sitting on my garage shelf waiting for son to collect it.

Sounds like you're picturing the right reel. The ratchet button is on the back plate but maybe I have long fingers, I occasionally catch it, causing it to engage. If you look on amazon I gave it a long review and included a picture with a decent fish. I found the handles impossible. I play fish letting out line by thumb pressure and retrieve by sticking a finger in or pressure. Fishless or smaller fish I just bat it. I can't resize pictures small enough to post here, 0.98mb as I no longer use any form of computer and all this is off my phone. Stillwater The Wensum Centrepin Reel https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B074PR68Z8/ref=cm_sw_r_wa_apa_i_Mlq-DbFY4NHSB That's the link and my review is under the name of Untrinque Paratus III and a picture of my regiments cap badge.

It's a Wensum, lovely balance and runs very smoothly. After first use removed the handles as they get in the way. Now it's much better. Easy to cast, nice retrieve but the ratchet can be caught with your finger while playing heavier fish. I've been thinking of permanently disabling it. It's replaced a Duraflo strikeright.

Why am I not surprised they're orange? Reminds me of my first fibre glass rods in the 60s. Happy days.

I bought one when they first came out from my local tackle shop. Nice as they are, mine suffers from the spool sticking and occasionally locks up. It's sitting as a spare now on the shelf in its box. Without looking, I think it's a 330. I ought to strip it down and then use it more. The problem is these days, there are better out there for less than a quarter of the price.

I didn't realise the Chinese had made some, I'll look into it, thanks. Generous offer thank you, I'll be in touch as either my son or myself are in your neck of the woods every week as we have to take his dog to the specialist vet hospital. ?

Every so often I seriously look for one but they tend to go for silly money and I just can't justify the price to myself. My wife bought me a new pin last year and that has the same problems you describe with the airiel. I use it in preference to my bait runners all the time.

I love Mitchell's. I started with a bakolite centrepin, progressed to a wooden centrepin. I had an Intrepid Black Prince for Christmas once which I'd been ogling all year. But.... I always wanted a Mitchell 300 and a Allcocks Airiel. I bought a 300 second hand and stripped it, cleaned it and serviced it. Pennies. Almost immediately Mitchell's started arriving with me for service and repair or scrap when folk new I could do them. Always did them for cost. One day my Grandad gave me his prized Mitchell 840 match. Mint condition. I treasured it and used it. Absolutely gutted when it and all my tackle was stolen from my garage in 94, several Mitchell 300s went too. I didn't fish for a couple of years I was so upset. Also upset because it belonged to my Grandad and he's gone. Funny this thread appearing, as there are two Mitchell's boxed on Ebay I'm bidding for at the moment. Yup, I love Mitchell's, if I get them, I'll clean, service and use them. I've only just moved off a 50 odd year old centrepin because my wife bought me a newer one. Never did the Allcocks Airiel Match though.

I've never had a problem with anything Drennan, my best rods are Drennan Red range. I have had problems with NGT and Aitken, NGT in knots pulling and massive tails. Aitken in tangling. I also find NGT are sized wrong, you often see 16 & 14 identical and others too and generally they're a least a size wrong compared to Drennan. Having bought NGT in bulk across the range I'm stuck with them for a while. I guess not all bargains are bargains. I'm not a match fisherman so can afford the few minutes to check and re tie on the bank.