The git blog

[NoCarpPlease]

Sorry Pomp but they were hopeless for trotting as the rotor revolves the wrong way unless you're cack handed.
Fine on stillwaters though and I still have a Match that gets the odd outing coupled up with a Bob Church Boron Match rod.

waddya mean Peter - mitchell 440a is a fine trotting reel, you just need dexterity and a little dodge that Rob Hewison told me in the late 80s!

 

[mickthechippy]

waddya mean Peter - mitchell 440a is a fine trotting reel, you just need dexterity and a little dodge that Rob Hewison told me in the late 80s!

until you brush the bale arm just as your netting a fish !

 

[NoCarpPlease]

that would just be plain clumsy!

The late Dick Bird used to be chairman of the Vauxhall AC of Luton, whom I started out match fishing with - and still to this day fish with and for. Dick would regularly smoke large cigars whilst fishing. I remember when weighing in once at Radwell on the Great Ouse (back in the 1980s) Dick bemoaning the fact that he's lost a rather large chub at the net, because as he'd leant forward to net it - the lit tip of his cigar had touched the line above his reel!
That's how to lose a fish at the net ...

 

[Peter]

waddya mean Peter - mitchell 440a is a fine trotting reel, you just need dexterity and a little dodge that Rob Hewison told me in the late 80s!

Afraid not. people view them through rose tinted glasses with fond nostalgia, not the best of reels, just the bale arm that made them popular, without it they would have sold far less.

 

[NoCarpPlease]

they suit me. I backwind and don't fish commercials.
I use (original) 507s for winter venues like Shrewbury - and 501s on the drains - but otherwise it's the match all the way for river float fishing.
And really - when you know the method (which TBF is second nature for me) - the bale closure is inconsequential.
But I am just having a little fun.

 

[Tinca Steve]

Visit your local commercial and mix half a bag of red magic with a tin of hemp then form said mix into balls and chuck them in. All
things being equal you will have x number of carp climbing up your rod within a very short space of time. Whilst competing against
other anglers will always sort the wheat from the chaff it makes me laugh when anglers suggest theses places require skill.

While I`m whinging I have never used a feeder and never will, anglers who fish with these abominations are sperm of the devil.

On a whim I decided to cook something, or rather create something. So off I went to Tesco for the ingredients to make a trifle. Had an
unopened tin of custard powder in the cupboard so didn`t buy any but the custard turned out colourless and didn`t tastes of anything
turns out the custard powder had a use by date of 2012. Don`t usually pay much attention to sell by dates but I will in future.

Fishing this estate lake in the morning, three feet deep and very few features. Tench are the quarry so I`m just going to cover a few
square yards of lake bed with particles and lay on with bread.


View attachment 17635

Hope you didn't dump the custard powder cause you can use it with the bread , dampen the bread then dust with powder and it gives off a smoke !

 

[Total]

Hope you didn't dump the custard powder cause you can use it with the bread , dampen the bread then dust with powder and it gives off a smoke !

Tried this a few times (many moons ago) and it just wound up a sticky mess.....

 

[Tinca Steve]

How ? Dunk , powder and cast !

 

[Total]

Just doing that. .......Custard powder everywhere (it was windy) and several competitors downwind of me turned instantly to orientals.

 

[mickthechippy]

Nesquik was a far better additive

 

[Total]

......Funny you should mention that!

 

[Tinca Steve]

In a paste l would agree . But as a flake for tench I've found that custard powder gives a better smoke. I put the flake on the hook then slighty dunk in a baitbox with water in it then just dunk the flake into a pot of powder, cast.

 

[Pompous git]

Afraid not. people view them through rose tinted glasses with fond nostalgia, not the best of reels, just the bale arm that made them popular, without it they would have sold far less.

Pish I say! They were popular because they were good, if I had to restrict myself to one reel it would be a 330, never once lost a fish because
of the bail arm coming open.

Never heard about the custard and flake thingy. Bought a soft and fresh Warby toastie loaf and put five slices singly in freezer bags, hopefully
will still be nice and fresh in the morning. Got corn and maggots as back up, could take some bacon grill and worms but I try not to confuse
myself with too many baits.

 

[mickthechippy]

if i had to go back to mitchells, it would be the later skirted spool models for the float and a 400 for the feeder,

 

[Peter]

If I had to go back to Mitchells I would stick to pole fishing.

 

[Total]

If I had to go back to Mitchells I would stick to pole fishing.

Have you seen our Pomp' cast a pole?.....

 

[Pompous git]

Like most people I spent my working life tortured by an alarm clock, I never set the wretched thing unless absolutely necessary so I went
to bed last night relying on the good old body clock. Woke up out of a dream like you do and heard the front room clock strike five, just
right.

When I get downstairs before anything I lay on my back on the floor and bring my knees up and rock my legs from side to side a dozen
times. I first saw this exercise years ago when Prince Charles done it between chukkas, if you have a sore back this is not only quick and
easy but painless and highly effective.
I then stand up straight and slowly raise my hands up and over my head while breathing in and letting my belly expand, then slowly exhale
while drawing stomach muscles and diaphragm in five times, then just flop and think positive. You may smile and think what a twit but make
no mistake the ancient Indus knew a thing or two about mind and body wellbeing.

I am blessed with stillwaters where I live in Ashford and its only a short drive to the lake. I use a Korum rover chair and bag, the chair is
about as light as it gets with a compact footprint. Whilst not padded it is comfortable and back friendly, the side tray along with front
and rear rod rest fit just right. I put the heavy stuff like flask, water bottle and tackle box in my net bag for the walk to the lake.
I lift the bag in my left hand to shoulder height and slide my right arm in the strap then the left arm, put a lot of thought into
the way I carry my stuff. It makes the difference between looking at your gear and thinking jeeze how am I going to carry that lot and
enjoying a short walk in the countryside although I note the latest Korum rover kit is a lot different.

Conditions are perfect, twelve foot Milo deep blue match {strong but light waggler rod} small shimano with four pound maxima, red top
quill which takes just one AAA to almost sink it {don`t need to cast far} and a size twelve drennan specimen hook, with the quill set at
half cock it is like a picture out of a Mr Crabtree book.

Four large handfuls of particles covering the size of a large front room carpet with flake on the hook but I`m not happy with the bread
and go over to two grains of corn. Half an hour later float goes AWOL and a nice roach, not the tench I had hoped for but at least I have
avoided the dreaded `B` word. Another half hour and the same again but the telltale bubbling is started to appear, the tench seem to
be a bit late for breakfast today.
Then wallop, a tench at last, rods hooped and I`m wondering if I should have upped my tackle but I`m pleased as punch as a tench
seemingly the size of a jack russell nestles in the net, two missed bites then another similar fish. Couple more roach and a rudd then the
lake just switches off, I give it another hour I can think of worse places to be.

On the walk back to the car I collect some ripe wheat for boiling, sit in the car and relive the tench fight, Only two but a very enjoyable six
hours, its sunny, I`m happily knackered and life is good.