Float rod can wait....

[Janet]

Thanks for that advice Dave. I should have been able to cope better with the situation, but I guess I just panicked, especially when it happened a second time.

 

I haven’t been up to the pond today. Instead, I took my rod and new reel down to the River Calder, which runs past the bottom of my street. Casting was fine. The reel is light, smooth, and I can cast very well with it. It really was lovely to use. However, once again, I had problems when retrieving. Each time I cast out, when I flicked the bail arm back into position, I checked that all was well. Despite that, when I retrieved the line, I ended up with unexpected tangles again.

 

Just one turn of the handle was all it took for the line to get stuck, and on really bad ones, get wrapped round the spindle. It all happens so fast that it’s very hard to see exactly what’s happening. I had the same problem with each spool, all loaded with different lines and checked to make sure they weren’t overloaded.

 

My tiddly little Shimano reels, fishing under the same conditions, performed perfectly, with not a single problem, so I’m still baffled.

 

However, as this was a prize, I can’t really complain, can I? I'm going to give it to someone else to use for a while, and see if they have the same problems. Somebody who knows more about reels than I do may be able to find out just why this problem's occurring. I’ll just go back to the reels that I know perform consistently, and save myself this hassle.

 

Janet

 

PS. Dave, I wouldn't praise me for my restraint too soon. I've just seen the Shimano 2008 catalogue ....

[ginger]

I reckon Gozzer has hit the nail, I have two Okuma Zirkons, lovely reels smooth and very free running, if the handle is not parked at the bottom it's weight will do it for you. I have experienced this same problem even with 2-3 year old Maxima and, a couple of weeks ago on the Ouse at Ten Mile Bank when I 'caught' two boats (idiots needed to come with 5 yards of the bank which is fished on 30 metre wide river!). I lost quite a bit of line to them but still the same problem if the anti reverse wasn't engaged.

[fishy_con]

I had a similar problem with one of my reels a couple of weeks ago :0( most annoying! But even WORSE than that, was on my quiver tip rod the handle is foamand has two plastic brackets to hold the reel like normal only they just push together... i struck on several bites only for the reel to completely fall off the rod, or come loose at one end! i wish i could replace the grip somehow cos i really like the rod but i think it would be cheaper just to buy a new one (its a cheap red wolf rod n reel set)

[Newt]

Janet - FWIW, while there certainly could be line issues, I've had several fixed spool reels over the years that looked fine and identical to others that performed well but just did not work right - ever.

 

One is on the bottom in 75 feet of water and the others are part of sanitary land fills.

 

For me it has been rare but has happened and I enjoy my time on the water way too much to deal with a reel that may give me problems. It might have been possible to have the dodgy ones repaired but I just wanted them gone.

[Anthony78]

I had a similar problem with one of my reels a couple of weeks ago :0( most annoying! But even WORSE than that, was on my quiver tip rod the handle is foamand has two plastic brackets to hold the reel like normal only they just push together... i struck on several bites only for the reel to completely fall off the rod, or come loose at one end! i wish i could replace the grip somehow cos i really like the rod but i think it would be cheaper just to buy a new one (its a cheap red wolf rod n reel set)

 

Sorry if this is off topic but a quick tip for fishy_con's 'reel-falling-off' problem. I used to suffer the same fate untill somebody showed me this little tip. Get 2 elastic bands and wrap one fairly tightly around the handle, now the awkward bit, roll the elastic up the handle and over both of the reel grips. Now do the same with the second elastic band but only roll it as far as the first reel grip. Now when you put your reel on and slide the fittings tightly over the feet of the reel, roll the elastic bands tight up against each side of the reel fittings. In escence, the bands stop the reel fittings from opening up and allowing the reel to fall in to the drink. Hope this helps.

 

Ant

[fishy_con]

Sorry if this is off topic but a quick tip for fishy_con's 'reel-falling-off' problem. I used to suffer the same fate untill somebody showed me this little tip. Get 2 elastic bands and wrap one fairly tightly around the handle, now the awkward bit, roll the elastic up the handle and over both of the reel grips. Now do the same with the second elastic band but only roll it as far as the first reel grip. Now when you put your reel on and slide the fittings tightly over the feet of the reel, roll the elastic bands tight up against each side of the reel fittings. In escence, the bands stop the reel fittings from opening up and allowing the reel to fall in to the drink. Hope this helps.

 

Ant

 

 

Thanks for that! i will try it out next time, like i said the rod is almost new and i really enjoyed using it until that started to happen.

[Alan Stubbs]

This will come back on topic after the usual 'Stubbsy rant'!

 

I have one of the original John Wilson Avon / Quiver rods and hate it for a number of reasons:

 

1) The reel seat is two slide over pieces of rubber. I lost a fish on a fairly valuable centrepin when the reel seats slipped. The cure for me, as the rubber was a bit elderly was to wipe the rubber reel grips with castor oil - that's an old golfers' tactic - it makes the rubber very tacky.

 

2) There's a horrible flat spot around the spigot area which kills any feel in the rod.

 

3) The rings are so close to the blank that as soon as the line gets wet, it sticks to the blank making casting more than a rod lengh very hit or miss in terms of accuracy. (I know - a poor workman blames his tools!

 

 

Back to the thread....

 

I always rewind with the line under tension in order to minimise wind knots. most times it works, but on a pair of Shimano Hyperloops I use for float fishing, I keep getting loops forming quite well down the spool. It's not just frustrating, sometimes it is downright tedious. I've got Maxima 4 and 6lb line on them and have the same issue with each reel. More likely it's the idiot using it though!

 

Apart from agreeing with the last statement, has anyone got any ideas?

[Janet]

More likely it's the idiot using it though!

 

Who you calling an idiot?

 

Yes, me too. I've had the same problem occasionally with my two Shimano Catana reels - both with different lines on, one loaded with Ultima and one with Gamma co-polymer. It's only happened on four or five occasions though, and whilst it's a bit of a pest, it's usually quickly sorted, rather than having the line snagged right round the reel! I'd always assumed it was just me doing something wrong, so it's good to hear that it happens to other folk too!

 

Just as a passing thought, when I start fishing each session, I usually discard the first few yards of line so I'm using new, unused line each time. Is this the correct thing to be doing?

 

I'm also rather unsure of when I should be replacing line. I started fishing last July, and replaced all my line at the start of this season. I'd read somewhere that it wasn't a good idea to keep using the same stuff, as it deteriorates over time. Is this the case, or is it just a ruse to get us all to buy increasingly expensive line? Is there an idiot-proof way of checking that your line is still up to the job?

 

Janet

 

Incidentally, I took my new reel out for a session yesterday. Nothing to report - I only caught one tiddly little perch ALL day, but I did keep count of the reel problems. Out of twenty casts, seven ended up in tangles which took some considerable time to sort out. I gave up after that and went back to my Shimano's. Life's too short...

[rarepleasures]

I'm also rather unsure of when I should be replacing line. I started fishing last July, and replaced all my line at the start of this season. I'd read somewhere that it wasn't a good idea to keep using the same stuff, as it deteriorates over time

 

The advice I generally read is once a season if you fish regularly.

Exposure to light and water is what causes the line to deteriorate.

I've read that you can wind a used spool of line onto a new spool so the unexposed part becomes the top section of the spool and continue using it or wind only half of it onto a new spool and use it as backing line.

[Alan Stubbs]

Who you calling an idiot?

 

erm...me!

 

I've proven it often enough!

 

Alan

 

PS. Went out to the local club lake this morning - 3 hours, 8 tench to 5lbs and a couple of perch going to about 12ozs. - For me, that's a cracking little session