What was your first Rod & Reel

chrissh · Oct 25, 2014

Mine was made from a tank ariel painted green it had a bamboo handle, my reel was a intrepid deluxe used this rod and reel for years on the lea in Hertford , when I got a paper round and got the grand total of 30s (£1.50p) Ron Chapman had a tackle shop in the town and he had a saving club which I pad 10s (50P) into each week to get a new Amwell 11` 3pice rod maid by him which I still have

sam vimes · Oct 25, 2014

An Edgar Sealey Black Arrow 2 and an Abu 505. I still have both.

barbelboi · Oct 25, 2014

The use of one of my father’s late 40’s B James & Son whole cane/greenheart tip match rods with a pin that I can’t remember. The first rod/reel bought for me as a birthday present was a ’57 B James & Son Mk 1V Avon and Mitchell 300.

flightliner · Oct 25, 2014

One I made myself from a garden cane, safety pins with the lock cut off and the legs bent left and right to form runners with a short tonkin butt and tizer pop bottle tops red rubber rings for a "little kracker" center pin reel.
Caught my first roach on that kit, bent pin,hook, two "Bryant and may" matchsticks for a float and a bloodworm scooped from bottom mud.

stu_the_blank · Oct 26, 2014

First rod was one of those solid fibreglass rods about 5' long, with a tiny centre pin. One of my uncles got it for me. Would have been about 3 years old. Caught my first fish on it, a Roach off a farm bridge over the River Beult near Hunton. I think it is Gravesend Kingfisher water now.

First 'proper' kit was a 3 piece float rod, bottom two hollow cane, with a split cane top with an Intrepid Elite reel. A Christmas present.

Stu

peterjg · Oct 26, 2014

My first rod and reel was the same as Stu the Blanks. The rod was about 5 - 6 foot long solid fibreglass and the reel was a small green metal centrepin (still have it). My dad died in 1962 when I was 8, I then used his stuff and still have his old rod.

Derek Gibson · Oct 26, 2014

My first rod and reel was given to me by my Grandfather. The rod was the middle and top section of an old Spanish reed Roach rod, whilst the reel was an old wooden Nottingham centrepin complete with silk line. Also an old box of hook's, quill floats and shots. These all found a place beside my bed, much to the annoyance of my Mother, but I had a good ally, ''my Grandfather''. That was in 1952, oh happy days.

Alan Tyler · Oct 26, 2014

Good pick, Chrissh, the Amwell's a lovely piece of panda-food by all accounts.

My first rod was a ghastly white wood (ash?) spar, eight feet long and tapered like a snooker cue, stained brown to make it look like greenheart. Why anybody wasted two pairs of ferrules on it is beyond me. The reel was a 3" "Canute" drum reel - like a centre-pin but with a nut holding the drum on, so no proper end-bearing. I couldn't wait to be rid of it, and as soon as I manage to spanner enough thruppences out of the ol' man's Derbyshire grip to get a fixed spool (Intrepid Regent) the Canute was quickly forgotten.
Rather silly of me; one came up on fleabay recently, and I pounced; it's a rather nice reel for ponds, and "swimming the stream".

robertroach · Oct 26, 2014

My first proper rod was when my dad made me a sea rod from a kit. It was bamboo and 10ft long with ceramic lined rings. It had virtually no bend in it whatsoever and the ceramic rings used to break every time you put the rod down on the rocks. The reel was an Intrepid Elite which didn't suit the rod at all and also used to break at the drop of a hat.

Luckily we used to live near the K.P.Morritt factory in Cheam and they used to fix it for me for free if I took it there. Some of the stuff we made in the late 50's/early 60's was complete rubbish.

Peter Jacobs · Oct 26, 2014

My first rod was passed down by my Brother and was a WW2 Tank Aerial Rod with a cork handle made by a friend's Father.

It was replaced soon by a Woolworth special, 5 feet long of pink yes blooming pink) solid glass rod.

My first reel was an old wooded centre pin replaced by a Little Kraka reel I got for a birthday pressie, which itself was replaced by a Le Omnia fixed spool reel a few years later . . . . . .

aebitim · Oct 26, 2014

First wasnt a rod at all but some string on a winder, caught a plaice on it from Weymouth pier aged 4. Then it was a blue fiberglass 5ft rod with a wooden handle and a plastic fly reel, bleak and dace from the Thames, then a black 7ft ish rod and a black prince, swapped with the lad over the road for a set of pram wheels for a go cart, next a bamboo fly rod and a split cane salmon rod came my way though cant remember the reels, prince regent intrepid maybe, and so it went on and still does.

terry m · Oct 26, 2014

First rod and reel was a 7ft solid glass spinning rod paired with an Intrepid Black Price. Both pretty poor.

First 'proper' rod was a Shakespeare 13ft Match Rod. Utter junk and to this day I never even entertained another rod from them.

john step · Oct 26, 2014

1st rod was a 4 foot piece of dowling with staples for rings. The reel was a turned block of wood similar to a cotton reel. Never caught a thing on it.
Eventually was given a 12 foot greenheart salmon fly and bakalite fly reel.
Very heavy and floppy but I did manage to start catching small roach on it from the canal at Chelmsford and the Chase at Dagenham.

Ray Daywalker Clarke · Oct 26, 2014

When i started i used my brothers rod and reel, just to see if i like fishing, i was 5 at the time.

My first rod and reel that was mine, was a Woolworth rod and reel kit, just like Peter Jacobs, only my rod was bright Red. peacock quill floats, cork floats, shot , hooks and line all came in the kit.

I then got a B.James rod, split cane bottom two sections and a solid glass tip, and was given an old fixed spool reel that was one of my brothers cast off's ( sorry about the pun), still have that reel today, must look and see if it has a name on it.

neil1970 · Oct 26, 2014

My first rod was my dads 10' tank arial and first reel was the cheapest Shakespeare that money could buy

symonh2000 · Oct 26, 2014

My first rod and reel was a DAM set from Argos when I was 10 years old.

7 foot solid glass rod, with a tiny 20 sized reel with flip right over style wire bail arm.

I actually caught an 11Lb Barbel on that rod, so it couldn't have been all that bad.

nicepix · Oct 26, 2014

Swapped my train set for fishing tackle in 1968. It bought me a 9' float road, tonkin cane butt and middle with a solid glass top and a small galvanised centrepin type reel plus some line, floats, bits and pieces, rod licence and a Worsborough Reservoir season permit.

I started getting some decent tackle together by paying weekly from my earnings as a paper lad and Saturday lad at Currys. I'd get thirty bob wages from Currys when they closed at 5:30 and if I was quick I could get it all on my card at Fields Sports Supplies before they closed. First purchase was an ABU Ferralite Mk. 6 rod and Mitchell 300 reel, the reel I still have.

Lord Paul of Sheffield · Oct 26, 2014

Firstly let me say what I good thread , thread of the month

Mine was a "boys" rod of 10 ft no idea except it was one of the 2 rods my father had ( he was not into angling, so ive no idea where he got them) my dad had a proper mans rod

Reel was a cheap metal centre pin again no name ( I still had the reel to a couple of years ago)

My first "named" reel was a Black Prince not a good reel

lampro · Oct 26, 2014

I had 12 ft split cane which I got from the church jumble sale had too fix new rings on it with cotton and nail varnish my reel was an intrepid delux of my dads I still have it now lol my first new rod was a dam fishing starter kit from argos was a good rod until my mate tony bust it wobbling gudgeon for pike on doxey marshes

stevejay · Oct 26, 2014

6' white solid winfield with a bring red plastic handle matched with a gladding reel tho that was soon "upgraded" to an intrepid black prince, though did have my first win......would have been about 9 yrs old in the early 70's.....when my local club had a best fish in the month comp. I managed a 1lb 4 oz pike from the canal which won me an intrepid new deluxe. Really posh that was, even had a roller bail unlike the earlier ones which were just a wire!

Eventually moved up to an Efgeeco 10' rod.

First proper match rod was a sealey 12' triple taper tip.....in a lovely deep blue colour. This was before carbon.....can remember the Shakespeare match international was "the" rod to have at the time.

What was your first Rod & Reel

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