Innovation and obscurity...

Cliff Hatton · Jun 27, 2016

I am a hoarder. I’m not extreme enough to warrant a camera crew and a Griff Rees-Jones commentary but I do find it difficult to bin certain kinds of stuff, particularly letters and postcards in which people made a personal investment - and fishing magazines: each one a precious collection of anglers’ thoughts and ideas; they’re just too valuable to sling and, as time goes by, they become an increasingly fascinating insight to how our tackle has improved. A classic example of this would be a KP Morritt’s advertisement for the Intrepid Monarch Fixed Spool Reel and one for Shimano’s latest offering: talk about chalk and cheese…
And how about those ideas that didn’t make it? Has the angling public missed out? Did we scoff at those boffins’ inventions just a little too easily and allow potentially game-changing gizmos to slip screaming for recognition into the pool of obscurity?
What items that never made the grade do readers remember?

Lord Paul of Sheffield · Jun 27, 2016

I seem to recall a rig that had 3 or 4 hairs on one hook - the idea that you offered different baits on one hook - I saw a piece in an angling mag but never seen or heard of it since

Mark Wintle · Jun 27, 2016

Remember the 'Mabby' which was a sort of bait boat to distribute maggots except that it wasn't radio controlled nor did it have a motor.

Cliff Hatton · Jun 27, 2016

...remember it well, Mark!

barbelboi · Jun 27, 2016

I think that the catapult just about won that dual....................

Cliff Hatton · Jun 27, 2016

Remember the instant striker...the 'Strikeright' was it? It clipped to the rod like one of those swing-indicators but it was spring-loaded and - theoretically! - drove the hook home when activated like a mouse-trap.

Lord Paul of Sheffield · Jun 27, 2016

what was the device called that fire maggots ect that was supposed to be better tan a catapult in the fact that you only needed on hand to use it - I remember seeing it demonstated at several angling shows I went to but never saw anyone buy one let alone use one on the bank

Mark Wintle · Jun 27, 2016

Then there were centre-line rods - OK in one or two circumstances but hopeless for fine-line fishing.

flightliner · Jun 27, 2016

Back in the sixties a mechanism was developed that was attached to the line near the hook where a pre- loaded mini spring would retract on a fish pulling against it (pre bolt rig thinking here ) causing it to be hooked.
It feutured in the "old" Angling telegraph that was published in Sheffield at the time with--- if I remember correctly---it being field tested by Bill Bartles, a well known match angler in the area and the partner of Colin Dyson, sorry, his name escapes me at the moment, the editor of the old Coarse Angler mag.
It worked on the day which was on the river Witham near Dogdyke but it was accepted that it wasnt as efficiant as the then well proven method of swingtipping. Apparently Bill was sat on a huge shoal of feeding Bream and on most retrieves his maggot bait had been mullered with the strike gadget having failed to operate as it was intended too. Bill did get one or two but knowhere near what he would have done with the tip.
The gadget was discarded as a failure--- who knows tho, with todays technology it may be possible to ressurect the idea , some would use one, not for me but if you've just invested loads on an expensive season ticket, pounds in fual , bait etx and dont want to miss fish after three or four days waiting for a bite it could appeal to some.

Keith M · Jun 27, 2016

Lord Paul of Sheffield said:
what was the device called that fire maggots ect that was supposed to be better tan a catapult in the fact that you only needed on hand to use it - I remember seeing it demonstated at several angling shows I went to but never saw anyone buy one let alone use one on the bank

Wasn't that the Maggi-pult?

It was promoted by the great Bob Nudd who even bought a video out demonstrating how to use it..
I bought one and it's still in the back of my shed where I threw it soon after I bought it.
I thought that a small homemade throwing stick was a lot better, and was also a lot quieter.

It made an almighty THWACK!!! when it fired out your maggots (to approx 14 Mtrs max) which must have been heard by any self respecting fish in your swim.

They still sell them on the Web and some people still swear by them, but I don't know anyone personally who still uses one; or admits to it Lol..

Keith.

Lord Paul of Sheffield · Jun 27, 2016

Keith M said:
Wasn't that the Maggi-pult?

It was promoted by the great Bob Nudd who even bought a video out demonstrating how to use it..
I bought one and it's still in the back of my shed where I threw it soon after I bought it.
I thought that a small home made throwing stick was a lot better, and was also a lot more quieter.

It made an almighty THWACK!!! when it fired out your maggots (to approx 14 Mtrs max) which must have been heard by any self respecting fish in your swim.

They still sell them on the Web and some people still swear by them, but I don't know anyone personally who still uses one (or admits to it Lol).

Keith.

yes that it- I must admit to being half tempted to buy one but never did

robtherake · Jun 27, 2016

I've posted this before - it's the OnRod bite alarm, which must have played merry hell with rod balance. I've never seen one in use so it's safe to say it never caught on.

john step · Jun 27, 2016

robtherake said:
i've posted this before - it's the onrod bite alarm, which must have played merry hell with rod balance. I've never seen one in use so it's safe to say it never caught on.

forty five quid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sam vimes · Jun 27, 2016

Oval rod blanks and Tri-Drag. Plenty of potential in both, but written off, mostly by people that never even used them, as gimmicks.

robtherake · Jun 27, 2016

john step said:
forty five quid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

About 20 years ago, so not cheap at all, John.

Tee-Cee · Jun 28, 2016

I was once driven from a very quiet 6 acre lake some years ago by what I now realise was, in all probability, one of the above mentioned Maggi - pult's. From the other end of the lake all I could hear was this continual THWACK ( nice term ! ) that resonated around me like I was being swatted by some massive fly swat !

I quick look through the bino's revealed this chap sending bait great distances, accompanied by the said THWACK every five minutes or so.

I have to say I'm no lover of any form of unnecessary noise when fishing ( even talk can get to me ! ) and it didn't take long for my ire to be raised beyond help, so rather than cause hassle, or worse, I gave it an hour in the hope it would stop and then made for home.

I'm just glad they didn't become ' der rigueur ' in the fishing world.............................

ps Having said all the above, it did seem to work very well - it just needed to be air driven !!

Innovation and obscurity...

Cliff Hatton

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Lord Paul of Sheffield

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Mark Wintle

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Cliff Hatton

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barbelboi

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Cliff Hatton

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Lord Paul of Sheffield

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Mark Wintle

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flightliner

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Keith M

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Lord Paul of Sheffield

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robtherake

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john step

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sam vimes

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robtherake

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Tee-Cee

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