I went out on consecutive days - a bit of a rarity - and tested a couple of new (or new to me) tackle items. Both had a bit of a connection to our resident tackle guru - the reel was his recommendation and the rod used to belong to him - so I have to thank Sam Vimes for his role in this report.
Yesterday I went out on a limb to a good swim a day too early ( sheer impatience) and found the extra water, which was running off slower than I'd guessed, was still making it a bit of a mess. I'd been advised, looking for replacement for my old Shimano Twinpower XTRA's to look at the Stradic Ci4 4000 RA. I'd had a lucky find on eBay, and gave it a try for the first time yesterday. The reel was great, and a couple of barbel on relatively light gear showed the drag was excellent. I'd been thinking Shimano had stopped making the kind of thing I like, so I was pleased to be proved wrong. The fishing was a bit random.
Today, I went to test out a float rod. I'd asked Sam Vimes what he thought was a decent 15' power float rod, and came away with a beautifully kept Shimano Technium Diaflash 15' Specimen. I set up in a swim with 11 or 12' of water pushing through, 8lb line with a .22 hooklength, and , to start with, a 3g Bolo float. I later changed it to a 6g balsa with a thicker top and much better resistance to dragging under. I had a few runs through to see if things were clear, then, given the depth and flow, decided to bait drop some hemp and caster in.
I swung out the dropper, (on another old rod, of course) down it went and that was the last I saw of it as it wedged solid in the patch of rocks I'd so cleverly found. Ho hum.
Still, things got better after that. Loose feeding hemp and caster with bits of punched meat on the hook, I got 4 bites in the next three hours. One I missed. Another, I hooked a barbel which came off after a few seconds. The other two stayed on, and the rod was superb: light enough to hold throughout and well up to dealing with barbel in some deep, heavy water.
Yesterday I went out on a limb to a good swim a day too early ( sheer impatience) and found the extra water, which was running off slower than I'd guessed, was still making it a bit of a mess. I'd been advised, looking for replacement for my old Shimano Twinpower XTRA's to look at the Stradic Ci4 4000 RA. I'd had a lucky find on eBay, and gave it a try for the first time yesterday. The reel was great, and a couple of barbel on relatively light gear showed the drag was excellent. I'd been thinking Shimano had stopped making the kind of thing I like, so I was pleased to be proved wrong. The fishing was a bit random.
Today, I went to test out a float rod. I'd asked Sam Vimes what he thought was a decent 15' power float rod, and came away with a beautifully kept Shimano Technium Diaflash 15' Specimen. I set up in a swim with 11 or 12' of water pushing through, 8lb line with a .22 hooklength, and , to start with, a 3g Bolo float. I later changed it to a 6g balsa with a thicker top and much better resistance to dragging under. I had a few runs through to see if things were clear, then, given the depth and flow, decided to bait drop some hemp and caster in.
I swung out the dropper, (on another old rod, of course) down it went and that was the last I saw of it as it wedged solid in the patch of rocks I'd so cleverly found. Ho hum.
Still, things got better after that. Loose feeding hemp and caster with bits of punched meat on the hook, I got 4 bites in the next three hours. One I missed. Another, I hooked a barbel which came off after a few seconds. The other two stayed on, and the rod was superb: light enough to hold throughout and well up to dealing with barbel in some deep, heavy water.
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