Nostalgia and tackle

Do you ever think about the fishing tackle that you have used over the years the effort you put into obtaining it and the joy or disappointment of using it. I like many of you I suspect still have one or two cherished items of tackle along with memories of tackle lost or broken or dare I say sold to buy some new item of tackle. the tackle from my pre teens other than a Intrepid Monarch gold and maroon fixed spool that cost 19/- 9d in about 1959 has all gone I have a Intrepid Elite from 62 and a arial centre pin from about the same time. the only rod that I have from my teens is a cane Martin James mk 4 cane avon cost about £10. I had acouple of match rod during this period they were a Milbro mace and a Sealy blue match I cannot remember the price of the blue match but the mace was bought from Bennetts on a special for £5. My first carp rods were a pair of Peter Wheat Avon Masters and a pair of Fibre tube SS4s followed by a pair of Olivers 2-1/4 and a pair of hunter threes reels were mitchell 300s and later 410s. Then came carbons I have only ever used sportex blanks for my carp rods ranging from 1-3/4 to 2-3/4matched with ABU 55s I have never used baitrunners. Indicators Herons later converted from 76 Optonics. That more or less takes me to 1980 tackle wise that is still in my tackle room. What have you got tucked awayor are still using.

Tucked away a B James MK1V Avon (birthday present 1957) - in the loft somewhere a pair of 300's and 55's. Anything else pre 90's was lost/stolen/dumped.
Jerry

my old Black Prince reel - used and then forgotten - I looked on ebay recently and thought about parting with £5 for one but came to my senses and didn't

In the early '70s I bought (I paid it off at £3 per week!) a new Bruce and Walker 12L float rod (glass fibre) with roach in mind. It cost £42 and then (to my mind anyway) it was the best float rod availaible. I still have it but compared to todays rods it's truly horrible!!! Suitable only for growing runner beans up!

peterjg said:

In the early '70s I bought (I paid it off at £3 per week!) a new Bruce and Walker 12L float rod (glass fibre) with roach in mind. It cost £42 and then (to my mind anyway) it was the best float rod availaible. I still have it but compared to todays rods it's truly horrible!!! Suitable only for growing runner beans up!

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Was it a CTM by any chance they were much favoured in there day and still fetch a good price to the right people.

Tiinker - it is a 12L Flyer (12ft) - perhaps I should use it again, maybe it was lucky - I caught quite a few decent roach on it.

Wouldn't be without my abu 506 and Mitchell match


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I don't have any of my tackle from the sixties , I tried to get hold of it as I knew some of my Dads stuff was in my brother's loft , but sadly after 30 years had passed it had been given to a relative.

But still I can see the attraction of using tackle that also evokes fond memories.

peterjg said:

Tiinker - it is a 12L Flyer (12ft) - perhaps I should use it again, maybe it was lucky - I caught quite a few decent roach on it.

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In its day that was a very fine rod indeed. I had a B&W CTM but my mate had a Flyer L and it was a very nice rod indeed....and the L version [Light] was not that common. I loved my CTM but picking it up years later [after carbon arrived ] it was like a stick of soggy liqourice.

Still got my Black Prince! with grooved bail arm. And a Hardy St. George that I still use and hope to pass on to my Son. Never fell in love with various Mitchell reels but my ABU 501 I do love.
My favourite item is a early Ivan Marks Harrier 13' my first carbon rod and one which has taken a lot of my most memorable and largest fish. Which explains why I cherish it. Don't like using it now in case i damage it.
cheers, Dave

No, any thing from early sixties and 70s been long chucked sold
ive had cane rods and such, but would not use a cane rod again
most far too heavy

Nostalgia is fine and dandy, even I have some old gear (a horrible, and horribly dated, Edgar Sealey Black Arrow 2) that I won't part with for sentimental reasons. However, for the precise reason that I'm not mental, I won't be using it any time soon.

I liked my Sealey blue match an the Mitchell 300 that I had bought me by my very soft (not rich uncle, RIP uncle Col, best mate) but alas thing improved and I would not touch an old Mitchell with a barge pole. Gone are the days of broken bale arm springs and trapped line!

I have a 40ish year old glass rod with a "W" stamped on the butt end which needs some restoration, not for what it is or might be, but simply because my dad bought it for me.

Still have the Rapidex I bought with my Saturday-job money in '69; the Taperflash I used to use it with, and the Avon Perfection I bought, used, a year or two later.

The Rapidex often gets used; the Avon Perf. awaits re-ringing; the Taperflash just waits.