Remember tackle ?

[Paste paul]

Hi......
I was thinking about my tackle when I first started fishing at the age of 7 some 46 years ago.....
I’ll try to be as accurate as I can but memory can play tricks....
So I remember my dad brought home an old cane rod someone gave him at work and it had seen better days and my dad said I got you a fishing rod son ........ I remember being excited he then spent the next week stripping it down and re- whipping the rings back on then he varnished it.... he cleaned up the joints and it did look like brand new...
It was a 12 footer but I can’t remember the brand it did have a sticker on it......
He then brought home some thin ply wood from site he worked on the building’s and promptly knocked up a seat box for me it had door hinges to hold the lid on and an old seat belt for a strap and was finished off with varnish......
He gave me an old cigar box for my floats hooks etc.....
Speaking of which my uncle bought me a set of floats to use they were a porcupine quills goose quill a cork ducker float And a cork perch float....
I remember feeling so exited about the whole thing.
He got an old Mitchel reel from someone which was left handed so the handle was on the right hand side .... I am left handed but at some point my mother snapped the bail arm of one evening session and the next reel I got was a right handed affair so I had to learn how to fish as a right handed person and have done so ever since.....
My bank stick or rod rest was a steel rod with an hook on it which my dad got from the building site the ground worker guys use them for temporary barriers with tape fastened to them.
I remember getting some mustard Kirby bend hooks eyed in a box of 50 or 25
Can’t remember I think they were size 18.
The line was a bulk spool he bought I think they called it merlin or something similar I do remember there was loads of line on it and from memory it was 4lb.
I had a little tub of shot and a couple of ardsley bombs.
I don’t remember my landing net pole but I do remember the net it was an aluminium folding frame with a brass thread with a knotted net.
That was about it but as time went on things were added....
One thing I remember was I acquired a little green swim feeder that had a couple of shot at the back for weight I think it was a drennan...
I do remember an alloy disgorger which I was taught to use.
I properly started fishing when I was 9 years old my dad joined a club and I was allowed to go along..... most of the matches were on the Trent or Witham And they were long days ....
A coach used to take us and it was always an old near had it coach which was slow and grumpy...
This didn’t matter to me as I was hooked !!!!!

 

[chrissh]

My grandad gave me my first a rod made from a tank aerial and the reel was a intrepid black prince from Woolworths, I them move up to a solid fiberglass rods rod my dad won in a match
my tackle bag was a gas mask bag from the surplus shop in town

It was one rod caught everything in them days

 

[David Rogers 3]

the reel was a intrepid black prince from Woolworths,

I don't remember Woolies selling any tackle other than their own Winfield brand. The rods were often very good (I owned a Roach Fisher, a Pike Fisher and a Stillwater Leger in the 1970s), but the rest of the tackle was a bit rough...

 

[Paste paul]

I don't remember Woolies selling any tackle other than their own Winfield brand. The rods were often very good (I owned a Roach Fisher, a Pike Fisher and a Stillwater Leger in the 1970s), but the rest of the tackle was a bit rough...

I remember Woolworths selling tackle.......I never had the money to buy any at that time......

 

[markcw]

I don't remember Woolies selling any tackle other than their own Winfield brand. The rods were often very good (I owned a Roach Fisher, a Pike Fisher and a Stillwater Leger in the 1970s), but the rest of the tackle was a bit rough...

I think Woolies sold a range of North West blanks at one time.

 

[rayner]

I struggle to remember much from when I got the bug, I know the first rod that was bought for me new was a Milbro Enterprise, first new reel a Mitchel 324, if I remember right but I am unsure ?‍

 

[steve2]

My first proper rod and reel were a 7ft solid glass spinning rod with a bakelite centrepin. I still have a Woolworth carbon fly rod that must be nearly 40 years old. From there I moved up to Spiltcane, hollow glass, and carbon. First fixed spool reels were Pinto and Intrepid Monarch than onto Mitchells CAP and 300.

 

[peytr]

My first rod was a bamboo pole which I bought from my older sister for 10 cts in 1966. Many followed.
Around 1971 my mother bought a four section bamboo pole for my dad, hoping he'd enjoy fishing. Many are called but few are chosen: He used it for half an hour (I was there) and put it away, never to try again. I now own this pole, and it is in wonderfull condition. I completed the outfit with a seat box and floats of the era. It's primitive but elegant at the same time. The bamboo sections can be stored inside each other so you have only two sections to carry and the slender floats are perhaps a bit less effective but pleasing to the eye. Once I have the courage to show myself with this tackle I'll try fishing the way we did 50 years ago.

 

[Philip]

I still have my first rod, a solid glass job with metal rings. I also have one of those black woolworth 6 foot jobs that came in the blister pack with the reel and a few other bits of tackle. Its a bit batterd that one but I cant chuck it away.

My first "proper" rod was a 14 foot Shakespeare Alpha match, translucent orange in colour it had a handle that was part cork and part black plastic which obviously meant you were now an expert. It also "boasted" fuji lined butt and tip rings. I still have that too although its not seen the light of day for many years as I would be very sad if I broke it.

 

[Paste paul]

I still have my tricast challenger pole 10m carbon job..... my dad bought it for my 18th birthday.....
It’s too heavy at 10m but not Bad in shorter lengths...
It came with an external elastic system basically little eyes whipped on that the elastic ran through...
A few years later a guy from Barnsley converted it to an internal elastic system with no 16 elastic and I used to use it for carping in the margins.....
it was supposed to be a roach pole but it is stronger than most modern poles

 

[mikench]

My stuff from the 60’s didn’t survive in a fit state so in 2015 I started from scratch and have bought a bit since then.

 

[nottskev]

I still have my tricast challenger pole 10m carbon job..... my dad bought it for my 18th birthday.....
It’s too heavy at 10m but not Bad in shorter lengths...
It came with an external elastic system basically little eyes whipped on that the elastic ran through...
A few years later a guy from Barnsley converted it to an internal elastic system with no 16 elastic and I used to use it for carping in the margins.....
it was supposed to be a roach pole but it is stronger than most modern poles

I had the one first one they brought out ((1981, maybe) before the fishing tackle branch of the factory became TriCast and the gear was named Fothergill and Harvey.
It was 10m and came in a classy leatherette case with separate space for each section. The butt section had a textured grip.
It looked great and was the envy of all. But was it heavy! Once I'd got it out and steady, the float would start to twitch, and I'd think Oh no, now I've got to move it!
I part-ex'ed it in 1984 for a TriCast Maestro, which seemed weightless by comparison. The tackle dealer had a customer lined up who was much stronger than me.

 

[markcw]

My stuff from the 60’s didn’t survive in a fit state so in 2015 I started from scratch and have bought a bit since then.

You have bought a lot you mean ?

 

[markcw]

I still have my tricast challenger pole 10m carbon job..... my dad bought it for my 18th birthday.....
It’s too heavy at 10m but not Bad in shorter lengths...
It came with an external elastic system basically little eyes whipped on that the elastic ran through...
A few years later a guy from Barnsley converted it to an internal elastic system with no 16 elastic and I used to use it for carping in the margins.....
it was supposed to be a roach pole but it is stronger than most modern poles

I had a couple of Century Excalibur poles that had external eyes along the number one sections for lighter elastics, the other topkits were internal heavier elastics, and considering the range of elastics today compared to then , a heavy elastic then would be considered light to some people today. Both excaliburs were 12.5 metres, I then had a couple of Shimano tgp ? I wasnt too keen on these and got the shimano 12.5 metre power loop. Compared to the Excaliburs it was a revelation to hold even when I put a 1.5 metre extension up it.and go to 14 metres.
The top 3 was shorter than some top 2 on modern day poles.
As for your Tricast I reckon you could still get spares if required.They are that good a company

 

[dalesman]

My first proper rod was a Edgar Sealey Blue Match and progressed on to a Bruce and Walker 13a CTM match with ABU 506 and a Mitchell 300 and the Match and couple Ariel pins.

Still have the pins and the Bruce and Walker which have the odd outing each season

 

[Paste paul]

My first proper rod was a Edgar Sealey Blue Match and progressed on to a Bruce and Walker 13a CTM match with ABU 506 and a Mitchell 300 and the Match and couple Ariel pins.

Still have the pins and the Bruce and Walker which have the odd outing each season

Ah the sealey blue match rod ....... I never owned one but a buddy of ours had one 14 ft from memory... we were so jealous ?
I had a Abu 506 ( black) awesome reel for trotting.....
My Mitchell reel was a 324 from memory........
relatively cheap at the time but still streets ahead of a modern day equivalent....

 

[nottskev]

My first proper rod was a Edgar Sealey Blue Match and progressed on to a Bruce and Walker 13a CTM match with ABU 506 and a Mitchell 300 and the Match and couple Ariel pins.

Still have the pins and the Bruce and Walker which have the odd outing each season

Small world! My first proper rod was a Blue Match. I went for it at £11 - the alternative to blowing every penny I'd saved up on an Abu (£17)
I loved it! The soft top made even small fish feel good. I re-ringed it twice.
Years later, I got a CTM 13a. An old chap had one, and I thought it looked the height of sophistication, but it proved to be a bit of a poker by comparison. I suppose the 13a did indicate a stiff action.......

 

[Paste paul]

I had a couple of Century Excalibur poles that had external eyes along the number one sections for lighter elastics, the other topkits were internal heavier elastics, and considering the range of elastics today compared to then , a heavy elastic then would be considered light to some people today. Both excaliburs were 12.5 metres, I then had a couple of Shimano tgp ? I wasnt too keen on these and got the shimano 12.5 metre power loop. Compared to the Excaliburs it was a revelation to hold even when I put a 1.5 metre extension up it.and go to 14 metres.
The top 3 was shorter than some top 2 on modern day poles.
As for your Tricast I reckon you could still get spares if required.They are that good a company

That’s interesting about the spares for the pole....
It’s 34 years old !

 

[Keith M]

Here’s an article in FM which was written back in 2009 which details the first rods and reels that I remember having when I first started fishing:

My Story – Keith Manger | FishingMagic

Keith

 

[bleak]

Hi......
I was thinking about my tackle when I first started fishing at the age of 7 some 46 years ago.....
I’ll try to be as accurate as I can but memory can play tricks....
So I remember my dad brought home an old cane rod someone gave him at work and it had seen better days and my dad said I got you a fishing rod son ........ I remember being excited he then spent the next week stripping it down and re- whipping the rings back on then he varnished it.... he cleaned up the joints and it did look like brand new...
It was a 12 footer but I can’t remember the brand it did have a sticker on it......
He then brought home some thin ply wood from site he worked on the building’s and promptly knocked up a seat box for me it had door hinges to hold the lid on and an old seat belt for a strap and was finished off with varnish......
He gave me an old cigar box for my floats hooks etc.....
Speaking of which my uncle bought me a set of floats to use they were a porcupine quills goose quill a cork ducker float And a cork perch float....
I remember feeling so exited about the whole thing.
He got an old Mitchel reel from someone which was left handed so the handle was on the right hand side .... I am left handed but at some point my mother snapped the bail arm of one evening session and the next reel I got was a right handed affair so I had to learn how to fish as a right handed person and have done so ever since.....
My bank stick or rod rest was a steel rod with an hook on it which my dad got from the building site the ground worker guys use them for temporary barriers with tape fastened to them.
I remember getting some mustard Kirby bend hooks eyed in a box of 50 or 25
Can’t remember I think they were size 18.
The line was a bulk spool he bought I think they called it merlin or something similar I do remember there was loads of line on it and from memory it was 4lb.
I had a little tub of shot and a couple of ardsley bombs.
I don’t remember my landing net pole but I do remember the net it was an aluminium folding frame with a brass thread with a knotted net.
That was about it but as time went on things were added....
One thing I remember was I acquired a little green swim feeder that had a couple of shot at the back for weight I think it was a drennan...
I do remember an alloy disgorger which I was taught to use.
I properly started fishing when I was 9 years old my dad joined a club and I was allowed to go along..... most of the matches were on the Trent or Witham And they were long days ....
A coach used to take us and it was always an old near had it coach which was slow and grumpy...
This didn’t matter to me as I was hooked !!!!!

Your dad is a good bloke.