Technology gone to far?

[Jim Gibbinson]

On a related theme... How is it, that whenever you meet a non-angler at a social event, and they learn you're an angler, they tell you about the time they saw this youngster fishing with a bamboo pole and a bent pin, "and he caught more than all the other anglers using the latest up-to-the-minute high-tech gear"?

 

In all the years I've been fishing, I've never even seen a youngster fishing with a bamboo pole and a bent pin, let alone one who, so equipped, went on to wipe the eyes of those all around him.

 

Perhaps I should get out more?

[Vagabond]

MrMatthew:

 

Inside I think you should stalk or seek out the fish, not go for a nap. At the same time from time to time I like to catch a moderate size carp

That instinct is so right. Stalk 'em under your own bank. Plenty of "moderate size" to be caught that way.

[Vagabond]

Jim Gibbinson:

In all the years I've been fishing, I've never even seen a youngster fishing with a bamboo pole and a bent pin, let alone one who, so equipped, went on to wipe the eyes of those all around him.

 

Perhaps I should get out more?

I have taught several grandchildren and their friends to fish, starting with bamboo poles.

 

The day young Jeff caught the 5lb tench (best of a bag of five) on the rowan rod and home-made reel there were two anglers there using state-of-the-art carbon-fibre poles. They blanked.

 

Know what you mean though. Usually such people elaborate on the bent pin as "tied to a bit of string" and then you KNOW they are lying.

 

Ever tried tying a pin to string? When I used bent pins I tied them to linen thread .

[Leon Roskilly]

My first rod was a couple of bits of bamboo cane, purchased from the hardware shop around the corner.

 

Working with dad, we straightened these by holding them over the gas ring, heating the cane and bending it to shape. That also provided the decoration.

 

Dad joined them by fitting brass ferrels and fashioned a cork handle.

 

Rod rings were made from the bottom end of safety pins, whipped on with cotton.

 

My first reel cost 8d (that's eight of those great big proper pennies, some with Queen Victoria's head on them), it was just a simple wooden reel with a brass shoe.

 

Showing early signs of tackle-tartness I yearned achingingly for a greenheart tipped rod, perhaps one made from split cane, and one Chistmas I got a reel with a ratchet (The sound of a fishing lake in the 50s was the scream of ratchets, rather than the bleep, bleep of modern days).

 

A 'spinning reel' (which is what we called the early fixed spools) was my next desire.

 

Eventually got one and progressed to a tank arial rod

 

Still got a Black Prince, though I think that the line needs changing.

 

Tight Lines - leon

[awaaar]

"I thoroughly enjoyed myself! All this state of the art stuff might catch more, but is it that much better? Perhaps we have now gone too far. Fish finders, bite indicators, bankside TVs, rods that weigh next to nothing, reels that are engineering marvels, rigs that are far from basic, fisheries that are far from naturel, all in all a perceived notion that we must have all the latest hi-teck whatever it might be."

 

For you old dinosaurs maybe Peter, you probably wouldn't understand how to use most of it... but to us young un's, all these new gadgets are great!

 

[argyll]

My first rod was probably a bamboo cane of some description, but truthfully I don't remember it. The first 'proper' rod I had, was made by my dad from a Sherman tank radio aerial bought for pennies from a surplus store in Aldgate. The guides were bent from brass wire and tied on with cotton and the handle was about half a mile of sticky tape, which remained 'sticky' for the rest of the life of the rod.

 

[ 04. March 2005, 09:54 AM: Message edited by: argyll ]

[Vagabond]

Leon Roskilly:

 

progressed to a tank arial rod

One of my mates had one. Fished with us at Shernfold Park, Frant. Early fifties.

 

I had an old cut-down greenheart fly rod by then but was impressed by the tank aerial.

 

Not for long though - one of the giant Shernfold mirrors (in those days "giant" was an upper double - the Brit record being 26lb) took Jack's bait.

 

He struck. The rod bent three times.

 

First bend was an elegant parabolic curve.

 

Second bend was halfway along the top joint, like a bent drinking straw

 

Third bend - like the second, just below the ferrule. No more bends, the line snapped.

 

After that demonstration I lost the desire for an aerial rod and saved up for my first split-bamboo.

 

Still fishing with it, still catching.

[Tony U]

One of the lads I started fishing with, at Killingworth Lake near Newcastle, Lawrence (Florrie) Hunter used a bamboo cane with a length of mono float and a hook and i remember he used to catch (Gudgeon mainly).

I wonder where he is now?

[trent.barbeler]

Dear Peter,

 

I find that technological advances haven’t gone far enough.

 

I'm waiting for tackle companies to start making "cane rod" chippers.

 

Brilliant mulch for the garden or litter for the bottom of the hamster’s cage.

 

Regards,

 

Lee.

[chesters1]

i'm sure that despised wooden rod would provide several hundred weight of chippings if exchanged for money on ebay ,i wonder how much my first rod a chapman the shelford would fetch it lives in retirement in the loft safe from predation in a wonderfull screw topped plastic tube