tincatinca

When designing the long arm swingers, one of the key issues was resistance to the effects of wind and tow or a combination of both. This can only be really achieved with a rigid arm where sideways movement is contained. This could be achieved by using bearings but with the kit I have got it was easier to use a slot which ensures that the arm is captive at whatever angle. (see below) The result is that they are very stable in wind and with the front and rear adjustable weights, the whole assembly can be tensioned to suit whatever conditions you find and set up with an arm movement anywhere within its arc of movement. The only downside I have found up to now is how the bobbins are mounted on the arm. Originally I had a swinging bobbin but if say there was a severe drop back then a possibility existed that there could be line entanglement but by modifying mounting arrangement of the bobbin head (see below) so that it is fixed has gone a long way towards eliminating the problem. Aside from that they work extremely well. Must add that Andrews and Richards have worked better than mine though as they have put fish on the bank. As far as screamers go, it can be a fairly common occurence with the Tench

Well at least ice melts

I was not going to contribute to this thread as there have been some excellent points made by many people with a wealth of experience which has been gained over many years and venues. When I first started to look seriously at the bobbin question in the ultimate bobbin thread it, was driven by fishing at Wingham which is a fairly unusual water both in terms of its topography and fish stock. The first time I fished it which was during an anglers net fish in, I had one of the long lift liners which was quite exciting at the time as the bobbin lifted slowly around 3 feet before slowly dropping back. There was no other visual indication i.e. on the rod tip and I could only deduce at the time that it was a genuine liner. When the bobbin thread started which was some time later and after I had fished the water several times and got to know a bit more about it, a myriad of problems arose which involved swim location, where to fish in the swim, how to pin line to the deck etc in fact everything that is basic except that the topography makes it a bit more complex than most waters. Another issue was wind and tow especially when fishing at range. When looking at bite indication, I quickly came to the conclusion that a long arm swinger was a better solution than the bobbin, the main reason being that it overcame the wind and tow problem and like others it really gets on my wick if the alarms keep going off. Getting on to the line bite issue, one of the key things to me is that if I get a liner, I do not want my rig to move if at all possible and by using a long arm swinger whilst not infallable goes a long way to resolving the problem so if fish bumps into the line, the swinger moves and not the bait. Whilst some have conducted experiments on the effects of forces at various points, it is a very complicated issue with loads of variables that differ everytime dependant on weights at both ends, type of bottom, type of leads type of water, lentgh of line, angle of line, and the effects of friction etc and it would take some very complex equations to get any factual results. Working on simple theory, the force required to shift a weight from the bottom will increase when the angle of line is between the vertical and horizontal planes which in turn in simple theory means that in ideal conditions if you have say a 2oz weight on the bottom and a 2oz load at the end of the swinger then the swinger should move first if a force was applied at the middle of the line. Unfortunately it is possible for fish to bump into the line anywhere where the line is in the water so ideally the greater the differential between the weight of the lead and the weight of the bobbin the better. Where is all this getting to?. In simple terms if a fish takes on a bolt rig with a short hook link it is likely to be hooked but if it runs through the line anywhere between the rod tip and the lead then it can displace the line a considerable distance even to the point of moving line on the baitrunner and it is for this reason alone where the long drop helps to differentiate between a liner and a bite. Again it is not infallable as I have had all my rods wiped out with something big moving through the shallows but for most of the time it does give a good indication and dependant on the individuals belief and personal experience minimises the risk of spooking a fish. On waters other than Wingham then I may well change my approach. If I was fishing at close range then my own preferance would be a float.

Good job there wasn't any brown maggots then

The best headlight that I have used is one made by Lenser. The thing that differentiates it from others is that it has an adjutable dimmer as well as the option of red or white l.e.d.s. The red light can be set low or bright. The head also tilts which is very useful. Although they are a bit more expensive than some, they are well worth it. Can be got from e-bay see link below http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT

I see the Ballistas didn't last long. Anyone on here ?. Whoever has won them has got a cracking pair of rods at a cracking price as they would have been specials to make up.

Everyone will have their own favourites but in my opinion older models could be better suited to the range of fishing you describe and can often be found on e-bay as the selection below which are all good rods. One of the Harrison Ballistas is a heavier test curve than what you are looking for but these tend to be soft with a lovely through action and any decent fish will certainly put a bend in them and are three piece.. The majority of rods in the test curve you are looking at tend to be two piece and 3 piece I think could be difficult to find. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT

I think that you just have to try to get it right on the day and not be dissappointed if it all goes wrong. I can't think of a better place to blank and I am sure that I will have a few of those as well.

Definately Stephen. A 10lb Tench has been a very long standing ambition of mine although I have fished a fewl waters which have held them. I have caught 40lb plus Carp on previous occassions but never on Tench gear or in home waters which made this one quite special plus the fact that it is a pure bred UK fish which has most likely never been caught before.

Just got back from what has been a quite remarkable session at Wingham. It was the first trip of the season with the objective being to try and catch some early season Tench however I think that fortune smiled on me in a big way with the two magnificent fish below which weighed 40lb 10 ozs which is a new UK PB for me and a second at 28lb 6ozs. For those who will be attending the fish in it really is a place where dreams can turn into reality.

No different to the Relum which I had some time ago. I must admit to not being a fan as to my mind it was cumbersome and only ever got used for the odd Carping session in the margins. I did not like the bearing arrangement and much preferred the Adcock Stanton at the time.

Have had a few Cats in France using Roach popped up just under the surface on a polyball rig and on occassion have used poisson sh-ts with some success when nothing else was available. Takes can be spectacular and they dont half put a bend in the rod.

A few pictures of Budgie with little kittens caught on a match rod

I do not really have a problem with the wait in fact I quite enjoy my weekly talk with Chris as I have been able to get loads of information regarding the manufacture of reels amongst other things. The guy really knows his stuff and I do think as far as hand built reels go they are as good as you get. I do like the screwed in line pillars as opposed to rivets as it is more precise and less likeley to cause any possible distortion. It will be interesting to see how the new reel foot mount will look when he finally gets round to producing it.

The application of the gold leaf is taking a bit longer than expected .

I must admit that I was very tempted, but with a Lythe to pay for in the next couple of weeks, sanity prevailed or was it fear of my other half I do think though that it was a steal at the price and am quietly kicking myself.

Absolutely fantastic Andrew. What a season you have had. CCBTR meister and bar. Well done indeed.

The most interesting feature is that it is screwed and not rivetted together and I am only aware of possibly three makers who used this process. The other feature is that the spokes are internal on the drum. It will be interesting to see what it finishes up at.

Firstly thanks to Chris for organising the day and to whoever for reasonable conditions compared with last year. After spending a couple of hours or so going up and down the beat, and catching a few Parr, I eventually decided to go on a hunt for the elusuve Roach and settled into a swim just below the Motorway bridge. Although they came in fits and starts I managed to get several Roach although nothing over 1/2lb but the condition of them was superb. It was nice to see two good ones were caught, one by Andrew and the other by a member. Overall very enjoyable and well done to those with PBs and new species caught. The Roach potential does intrigue me though and I will certainly be having another crack at them.

Will be balling the bread and fishing the float if the conditions are good. Perhaps a bit of laying on if I can find the right swim Corn is as good as anything for the Grayling. The quiver is the last resort. I have only fished there once when the conditions were not too good but if the river is right then I think it will be excellent with many choices.

All packed up now ready to go. Just got to get the maggots on the way tomorrow. Not as bad as Chavender but I have covered the options with three rods. One for the 507, one for the pin and a quiver as back up. I do fancy a go for the redfins so plenty of liquidised bread. Really looking forward to it.

Excellent series of fish Andrew and well deserved. It is exciting fishing into the dark hours, also good for the big Roach if they are around. I personally think that you are definately on the right track. Just wish that I could get out myself but too many issues at the moment, still very much looking forward to the Itchen this weekend.

Slightly different use but I often used light braid on a ABU506 coupled with a light spinning rod after black bass on several lakes in France.

Just use white emulsion to coat and give a good base for bog standard dayglo orange float paint. The white undercoat makes the orange stand out. If you want to be neat then use a bit of pvc or ptfe tape wrapped round before you paint the orange stripes or whatever colour is your preference. My painting skills are minimal so the wife tells me

I think these could be worth a go. Have just ordered some http://www.enterprisetackle.co.uk/baithtm/bloodworm.htm