tincatinca

This one is a rare model being a 4" if you don't mind not having a check although it does have an adjustable drag control http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261201479475?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

Interesting news John. I have kept my ticket up but have rarely fished the waters in recent times apart from apart from the river stretches in winter looking for the Roach. Had plans for the causeway last year but never got around to it.

For anyone interested this is something I posted on the Wingham forum which could be of interest to anyone who uses a bivvy. This is something that is easy to make but is very useful for session fishing. I have always had a bit of a problem with supporting rods when baiting up or changing rigs so after a bit of playing about I have come up with this solution which is cheap, easy to make and works well. The parts comprising of a pole tulip and clamp cost less than a couple of pounds and all that is required is to drill a 10mm hole through the handle on one side of the clamp. Screw in the tulip and lock up with the lock nut from the tulip. Clip onto the front of the bivvy and you are away. The clamps that I have used are suitable for a bivvy with poles between 18 and 20mm dia but you can always pack out with a bit of cloth or similar.

It just goes to show that the perfect reel does not exist as there are many different individual preferences. Looking at it objectively and solely from a user point of view, the most versatile reel that I have is a 4" Adcock Stanton inasmuch that it is free running, has a wide drum, a knurled rim with the handles set well back for batting, large finger holes in the front plate for twirling and I can reach the check knob with my finger but then again centrepins are not always measured by practicalities

I think it also depends on how you use a centrepin especially the way you retrieve line. For example to retrieve line quickly you would generally either bat the drum or use a finger to twirl the spool or a combination of both. If it is the former then the handles need to either be non existant or set well back from the outer edge of the spool. If it is the latter then you do not want the check mechanism exposed which could lacerate your finger.

Although it was a fairly simple thing to make, it took an excessive amount of time and a lot of fiddling to do it with the equipment I have so unfortunately I will not be making any more. It just goes to show the difference between generating a shape manually with the aid of machine tools and c.n.c. machining which of course is why the likes of a Chris Lythe reel is more than 5 times expensive than a Okuma. Would be far better if Okuma incorprated a better placed check system.

Managed to make a bit of time this afternoon to tidy up the lever a bit. A bit of an improvement but would be much better if it was in the right place.

Thanks for the link Phone. Could be very useful

Yes Ian, Chris was going to make me a 1915 with the new backplate but there was a problem obtaining the right parts at the time and I did not want to wait any longer. My next little project will be to replace the bearings in a wide drum Trotting Special that I have recently aqquired which spins well but sounds terrible. Just got to find some ABEC bearings that are the right size.

I too prefer a lever operated check to a button check and have a few reels with this feature. I did consider making and fitting one to the Sheffield as the mechanism is fairly simple to make but it would have left unsightly holes. When I first ordered a Lythe 1915 Aerial copy, I specified a lever check but was talked out of it by both Chris Lythe and Tigger on the basis of authenticity but fortunately the Lythe button check has proved to be very good and easily operated. If I have time today, I will set up a turntable on the miller and see if make the lever look a bit neater. Going back to the main theme of the thread, the original Aventa Pro and Sheffield to my mind are as good as anything on the market in terms of both build quality and use although I would have liked a 4" model.

For interest, I have roughed out a lever to fit the check button to see how it works with the main issue found being that it takes a third of a turn between on and off as can be seen from the photos. Having said that and with with the reel on a rod, I can easily turn the check on and off with a finger so I will persevere with it and tidy it up. Not the prettiest but I know it will work for me. I also looked at changing and or moving the check mechanism completely but to do that would have meant more holes in the sideplate so to avoid possibly messing up the aesthetics of the reel and to prevent any damage at all I have attached the lever to the knurled button with two small grub screws.

The Okuma Sheffield is indeed an excellent reel and equal to anything in terms of its trotting abilities. My only problem with it was the heavy check and the difficulty in turning the check on and off. There is however a simple solution to this problem. The check operates on a rolling cam system but the check button can be difficult to roll with your finger. The reason for this is that the spring pressure is too much however the spring pressure can be adjusted by using a pair of long nosed pliers to alter the spring shape and fine tuning it so that it is easy to roll the check button with your finger whilst at the same time ensuring that the check works. Once the spring is adjusted the check button works very well except that it is in the wrong place being at the bottom of the reel and would have been much better if it had been moved so that it was on the horizontal centre line toward the reel. If you have long fingers you can just about operate the check without using your other hand but if you have short fingers you are buggered. The check system is actually very good once it is set up right. I am currently looking at haw it can be modified to bring the operating of the check mechanism closer to the finger which I think could easily be achieved by making a simple lever which clamps to the check button. I have several far more expensive centrepins but in truth the Sheffield in terms of use is as good if not better than the most and is fantastic value.

The Kings are good and I have several which I mainly use for the river and general float and feeder fishing . If you are using single rod set ups as Steve does then they are fine but if using a two or three rod bar set up then I find the Chris Browns are far superior in terms of resisting twist mainly due to the much larger surface area in contact with the surrounding ground and fishing off stages, this can be quite important. Irrespective of which bank sticks are used it is also worth considering carrying something like a storm pole bottom section with a screw point and T bar so that you can develop a hole in most types of ground before inserting the bank sticks to be used. Excellent for the banks at Wingham.

If they are for where I think they are then the Dinsmore long banksticks will do a decent job and are good value or if you want something even better then have a look at the Chris Brown ones which are superb. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/120548853798?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/140560602707?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649 http://www.cbproducts.co.uk/banksticks.cfm

never heard of delkims suffering water ingress before had mine 10 years and they were second hand when i got them. Was it the delkim conversions or the recent ones? Not the Del Romang Optonic conversions but the original Delkims that worked on vibration. I first started using them around the late eighties early nineties when I first started to fish in France but after a relatively short period, they started to malfunction due to water ingress and I had to make top hats out of plastic/paper cups to keep the water out. When they worked they were good but I lost confidence in them after that and coupled with the excessive pricing policy, I sold on the Delkims and bought a few of the Geoff Pecks good fishing GFMs which apart from having to replace the battery leads and connection on a two of them over the years are still working as well as when I got them., as indeed are the Optonics.

Good grief, this takes me back longer than I care to remember. My first alarms were Herons which were immediately painted matt black with the contacts being changed to GPO one. The emphasis then was little or no weight either on the line or around the hook but of course the consequences of this was that it did not take much to tighten the line so it slipped out from between the contacts which was a right pain at night. The contacts were adjustable but unless there was little or no wind and the water still, they were a pain to get anywhere near workable and virtually anything that clipped the line would set them off. These were followed by a set of BJs which were very similar in terms of how they worked and it was generally not until the Optonics came on the scene and and also that weight around the hook length was not such a bad thing after all that things improved dramatically. My first Optonics were the originals which were then replaced by ones which connected to a dedicated sounder box. which in turn were eventually replaced by the Optonic XLs which I still have. When the first Delkims came out I bought a set mainly for Carp fishing both in the UK and Europe but these failed badly due to rain ingress then I discovered Good Fishing alarms which have been brilliant for many years with the only downside being the small size of the roller which can induce line skips if you have the back end of the rods high. In more recent times, have been using the Gardner ATTS alarms with 4 magnet wheels which to me are superb especially as they are heads are silent and will not transmit sound through the water. For some types of fishing I still use both the Optonics particularly when the big roller gives a distinct advantage if the back of the rods are high and the GF alarms for general fishing.

Here is their website but does not appear to have a European outlet. Could send them an email http://www.raventackle.com/downloads.htm

I use this type of rod for a lot of my fishing and have several 1.75lb TC rods from manufacturesrs which include Harrisons, Shimano, Daiwa and Sportex. These rods are all from a period covering the early eighties to around 2000 and differ a bit from more recent incarnations of barbel rods in as much as they were designed as light Carp rods and tend to have a more through action which for me is a personal requirement as I do not like stiff rods. There is a downside to this as it does limit any form of distance casting and accuracy however the big benefit is in fish playing ability and being able to turn the rod into a constant spring which enables you to be able to land fish of large proportions. In the earlier days of carping it would have been more unusual to find a rod with a test curve over 2lb than it would to have found one under 2lb. If distance is required then you need to look at a different tool for the job but for close to medium distance and fish playing enjoyment ability then a light carp rod takes some beating.

One reel worth a look and which fits your requirements are the original Shimano Baitrunner 3500s and/or the later reincarnation known as the 3500B. Single handle, excellent baitrunner mechanism, superb front drag and built like a tank. The only issue with them is the line lay which limits them in terms of distance casting but for close to medium range they are superb tools and will handle virtually anything you are likely to come across. E bay is the best place to look for them and below is a typical example of a 3500b although most will be of the original Triton type with a different spool as shown in the second link. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Shimano-3500b-baitrunner-/321070674509?pt=UK_SportingGoods_FishingAcces_RL&hash=item4ac14db24d http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SHIMANO-PLUS-3500-TRITON-BAIT-RUNNER-X-2-SPARE-SPOOLS-/310589428735?pt=UK_SportsLeisure_Fishing_Reels_JN&hash=item48509293ff They are often on there in pairs or threes and in most cases well under £40 a reel

Hi, Sportsman Sorry for the delay in responding which is due to having far too much on so have not been on the forum for a while. With regard to the reels, they are excellent by todays standards although in my opinion not quite up to the quality in both build and material of the earlier Japanese manufactured Shimanos and of course the Swedish manufactured ABUs. I have mainly used them for a bit of long range waggler fishing and also a few times with the feeder rods for which they are superb. The only downside is that if I forget to switch on the anti reverse (senility I think) they are extremely free running and can tangle round the reel. For general all round fishing they would be a good choice for anyone and I believe that they are highly rated amongst matchmen

To my mind, the spomb is the best invention in angling for years and now just needs a size between the standard and mini. The mini is brilliant for short sessions and It will deliver most things either wetted or dry or a combination of both and you do not need a purpose built spod rod. For the mini spomb I have been using an old but standard fairly soft Harrison Ballista which launches it a treat.

I can see that line bites could be a big issue and to be honest I like you have no intention of fishing with rigs that eject the lead. There must be a way of adapting a link though as I do think the advantages of better indication outweigh the disadvantages but then again I might be totally wrong. Your bugs are the dogs by the way.

I use a similar rig but in deeper water I have found in the past that you often get little or no indication from your alarms and have had to rely on fishing with the rods in the air and watch the tips for the little nods. Am currently looking at ways to bring the main line higher up in the water. In one my local gravel pits, the fish in recent times have been concentrated in localised areas where the depth is up to around 16 feet and if the fish are in the upper layers it does make bite indication difficult if you are coming up from the bottom.

They may be a bit more expensive but the chairs from Prestige engineering are very good. I have the one with arms for session fishing and they also do another without arms but with long legs and high back. There is one going cheaper at the moment which has been used once to make a video. Some links below http://www.prestige-engineeringuk.co.uk/comfilightchair.html http://prestige-engineeringuk.co.uk/spares...;products_id=79

Well what can one say that has not already been said. The original plan was to go to the fish in to help out then have a session straight after but a phone call from Steve earlier in the week changed everything when he said that a space was available as someone had unfortunately had to drop out and would I like to fish. Does a Donkey love strawberries, I was over the moon and whilst the fishing was difficult, it turned out to be one of the best times I have had since since I have been going to Wingham. A great crowd of people and it was good to meet and put faces to forum names. Blueben in the swim next door was cracking company throughout the event and fished really hard for a Perch but was thwarted by ravenous Pike. I do wish that I had been able to tape Budgies hilarious tale of the imagined near 8lb Eel though. The planting of the Wisteria in remembrance of Jan was both thoughtful and very moving. It was clear that she was held in high esteem by all the people that knew her. On the fishing front a few beeps had me out by my rods at around 4-15 on Sunday morning which resulted in a run at 4-30 and a female Tench of 7-09. These fellows put in an appearance early Monday morning Nothing after that except for 2 dropped runs early Monday morning and losing the baiting needle that Steve had loaned me after I had forgotten to bring mine. Anyway, congratulations to everyone who caught got PBs and sincere thanks to everyone involved behind the scenes who work so hard to make Wingham such a special place.