Beyond the call of duty

Reading some of the posts on other threads about people with things like Rucksacks that they have had for decades and they are still going strong got me thinking about items of my own tackle that have performed beyond the call of duty.

One that sprung to mind for me was a JRC mat that must be +20 years old now and its incredible. The abuse that mat has been put through down the years is unbelievable. I stuff into the boot of car and everything piles on top of it, I use it as a seat, I have slept on it, trampled on it, crushed it up into bags dragged it across rocks, gravel, sand, mud, stones it gets soaked & left soaked for days on end, baked in the sun, frozen , you name it …I even occasionally put fish on it !!!

Its simply unbelievable…it does not have a single split, hole or tear anywhere on it, the material & stitching has not rotted, worn or even frayed ! Its even kept its general color, plus whatever the cushion material is inside , that’s kept its original shape as well and is still as padded as the day I bought it.

As far as I can make out its just a nylon outer so how it has withstood all that abuse I have no idea.I looked at it recently and thought whatever they made that out of they should make sofas or taxi car seats out of it …its literally indestructible. I have never seen anything like it. The only time I came close to losing it was once when the wind blew it into a huge lake and started to push it out to the distance. I was so attached to it by then that I jumped in & swam out to save it. Unbelievable bit of kit.

Anyone else have tackle items that have served them well that they want to sing the praises of ?

Quite a niche one for me.

My Dinsmores shot dispenser is probably my oldest surviving piece of tackle, I think I bought it from Jerry's of Nottingham last century (!) in '98 and it must have been refilled as many times as I've had hot dinners.

It's getting a bit easy to rotate and some of the shot occasionally seem to find themselves in the wrong compartment but better the devil you know eh?

I've owned much older pieces of kit but have replaced the real tat as time went on

My most treasured and so far still functional piece of kit has to be my 63 year old body.

Some first generation Korum luggage items - ITM tackle and bait bag, a small quiver and an accessory chair - look like they might outlast me. They're a bit scruffy but there are no holes or broken fittings. Good stuff.:thumbs:

The wife and my car!

My Swedish built Abu 501 which I've had almost as long as the venerable Mrs S . Both still work almost as good as new but , on balance, the reels probably in slightly better nick. Both get a good wipe down after use and oiled regularly.

S-Kippy said:

My Swedish built Abu 501 which I've had almost as long as the venerable Mrs S . Both still work almost as good as new but , on balance, the reels probably in slightly better nick. Both get a good wipe down after use and oiled regularly.

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Bit personal i know, but which oil do you use ? WD40 or something else ?mg:

Something else, Ken. I don't use WD40 on either of them !

I collect vintage rods and reels and tackle but two items in my collection do get a regular outing on the banks.

My Allcock's Aerial is from the 40's and as good today as it ever and and my Efgeco bait boxes, with the cream lids get a day out quite often, and hose boxes are form the 60's. I also have a couple of the forerunners bing the aluminium bait boxes too.

I love to use "old" kit especially the rods as it gives you a sense of where we "came from" and also makes you much more grateful when reverting back to modern kit.

I still sometimes use a pair of Century Armalites carp rods I had built in 1991, a pair of ABU 66 reels, one of which I bought new in 1975. I also use a Primus stove I bought from a junk shop in about 1990 which was actually made in 1934, it has seen so much use from making fry-ups, tea and cooking both hemp and wheat on the bank, a brilliant bit of kit! I use a mixture of old and new kit, a lot of it has been home made.

Like a couple of blokes on here my most reliable old bit of kit is my sandwich maker.( This has arisen on here before and Mick B said I was a rotten s0d )
Ive had her for 50 yrs and there are many more sandwiches left in her I hope or I suppose I would have to buy them from Tesco.

The sandwiches get made up the day before. My vacuum flask gets put out nice and cleaned and the coffee jar put alongside.

What the lazy so and so doesn't do is put toothpaste on my brush ready to use in the morning.

John Step: my sandwich maker is very similar to yours - must be from the same batch - you don't get 'em like that any more!

binka said:

My Dinsmores shot dispenser is probably my oldest surviving piece of tackle, I think I bought it from Jerry's of Nottingham last century (!) in '98 and it must have been refilled as many times as I've had hot dinners.

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I finally replaced my old shot dispenser from about the same era as yours..mine was round & would not fit in the square pocket of the new waistcoat so I had to change it to a new one.

A sad day.

---------- Post added at 18:18 ---------- Previous post was at 18:10 ----------

peterjg said:

I also use a Primus stove I bought from a junk shop in about 1990 which was actually made in 1934, it has seen so much use from making fry-ups, tea and cooking both hemp and wheat on the bank

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not all in the same pot I hope Peter.

---------- Post added at 18:22 ---------- Previous post was at 18:18 ----------

robtherake said:

Some first generation Korum luggage items - ITM tackle and bait bag, a small quiver and an accessory chair - look like they might outlast me. They're a bit scruffy but there are no holes or broken fittings. Good stuff.

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I had a early JRC chair ...the orginal canvas one...I always thought that would outlast me till one day I stupidly tied my umbrella to it in a gale, got up to have a pee and watched the whole lot take off, fly into the middle of the river & sink out of sight

...whoops !

I have nothing left from my younger days. My first split cane birthday present from my dad. An old split cane fly rod inherited from a great aunt. My old Brent beach-caster that I learned to beach cast with, all the stuff my dad had. All lost, broken or thrown out somewhere along the line. Wish I still had all of it and I would still give it an outing now and then.
So, a note to younger members-hang on to your stuff and look after it.

My Rapidex and Trudex centrepins both from the 60’s, 50years old and still going strong unlike me.
My 10 year old fishing line used abused and still going strong. Does line really ever really wear out.
All my other old stuff is gone and forgotten replace by shiny new stuff that is far better.
I have a couple of old second hand split cane rods that I bought just to find out what some people told me I was missing out on only to find out I wasn’t missing out on anything. I now never use them.

Philip said:

I was so attached to it by then that I jumped in & swam out to save it. Unbelievable bit of kit.

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Blimey!.....you don't call it Wilson by any chance

I have some really old under crackers, plenty holes but they're only to be expected in certain spots lol.

tigger said:

I have some really old under crackers, plenty holes but they're only to be expected in certain spots lol.

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I know the problem ! … get yourself an old JRC mat & cut a pair of underpants from it …honestly no wearing holes through that & you would be sorted for life.

Philip said:

I know the problem ! … get yourself an old JRC mat & cut a pair of underpants from it …honestly no wearing holes through that & you would be sorted for life.

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LOL, Sounds like a top idea Philip...just need a link to the same spec mat as yours .

I had a google but they dont seem to make it anymore..all the new JRC mats appear to be those wishy washey beanbag affairs. Pah !

Tell you what..when it does finally give up the ghost I'll try and lop off a good bit off & send it to you..i am sure a bit of effort with a needle & yarn you can fashion something suitable.

Waste not want not eh !

My Efgeeco Midland seat box which has rucksack style straps leaving both hands free to carry all the other stuff deemed necessary these days.Bought it in the late 70's,had to get the tubular steel frame welded,its brilliant as it becomes a table when I am slouched in my chair and a seat for the bailiff to use and drink all my coffee.