Covering multiple situations

[FP]

When I get back to the UK (see my thread in Newbies) I'll need to update some gear as my Dad and I are both keen to get back into fishing. Been doing some commercial stuff on visits home with some fairly good results.

A few years ago I bought some gear and left it there for these occasions. I bought a Shimano Hyperloop 13ft float rod which has been great.2 Okuma reels, one was a Razor and the other was the next size down, both have spare spools and they've been great to. And I bought a cheapie feeder rod (can't recall brand) and that broke one of the tips early on and an eye fell off. Dad used that rod and float fished with it and we both had some decent carp, in fact I've had carp to 17lb on the Hyperloop and landed them OK (I've always been patient when fighting playing fish and luckily the skills came back quickly!).

If we're going to continue and due to Dad's age I think commercials will figure highly in our trips (less walking for him) I'm trying to figure out a way to cover as many situations whilst hauling the least amount of gear. It seems the reels are fine, but I could load the spare spools so we effectively have a float reel and feeder reel each. The Hyperloop is great but I'm thinking that continued use on commercials may be abusing it a bit when the carp come to play and I would like something with a bit more power, plus I could keep the Hyperloop for when I'm river fishing on my own.

So given the two reels we have I was thinkingthat we may want to look at getting a John Wilson Avon Quiver each, that would give use a float and feeder rod each whilst only needing two rods and if what i read is correct the rods seem to handle the small and larger fish ok?

I have a really old but good condition Keenets net bag (gotta be 28yrs old!) and was thinking of getting the Medium SizeKorum Bait and Tackle Bag (39quid).

I'd need a basic rod bag and some better bank sticks, but want to keep it simple and light. We used to take the kitchen sink years ago but I can't be dealing with all that now. Do you think these are good choices for covering most situations?

Cheers

 

[NIGE K]

the john wilson rod allways gets good recomendations so it should suit you fine.

 

[trev (100M bronze)]

I think youve just about go everything covered nicely. We are all guilty of taking too much stuff and its quite evident when you walk along the banks and see the amount of stuff that has been taken and never used. I read an article recently by Bill and Virginia Rushmer in the Angling Times and he was detailing all that they took, and it wasnt a lot.

 

[Laurie Harper]

Re. your final para, Gardner banksticks are decent quality and cheap. For a rod bag, consider a quiver, which will let you carry them ready made up - saves time when you move swims/rove - and will take brollies, sticks, etc. They can be picked up quite cheaply. Hope you enjoy fishing in Blighty again.

 

[FP]

Thanks Laurie, I'll check em out. /forum/smilies/smile_smiley.gif

 

[Geoff Brown]

For the same price as a JW Avon Quiver (jack of all trades?), you could pick up a Shakespeare Mach 1 float rod and feeder rod. I'm a Shimano man myself, but one of my sons has a Mach 1 float rod and feeder rod and they seem very nice for the money.

It's nice to have both rods set up, even though you only fish with one at a time, to enable you to swop methods throughout the day as conditions allow/dictate.

 

[FP]

Hi Geoff,

I understand what you are saying, but I don't think we'll taking things as seriously as we used to, so the objective would be to keep it simple. We're both biased to the float fishing side of things but would like to at least be able to chuck a ledger out if it's too windy, but it wouldn't be a priority. 2 rods each means two reels each etc and we'd be back to what we're trying to avoid tbh.