Angling heroes

[squimp]

And me. I used to buy ‘ducker’ bodied antenna floats in the ‘70’s. I’ve even got a couple of zoomers tucked away somewhere....

 

[Pompous git]

Angling heroes? Fred J Taylor simply because of his `angling in earnest`. Read and reread no end of times. Ditto David Carl Forbes.
and his small steam and roach books.

More modern times, Frank Barlow always came across as a man among angling men in his articles.

I don`t want to sound creepy crawly but there are quite a few on here who know a thing or two. Tipitin Mick for a start, you don`t
get to be in the Barnsley blacks without being a bloody good angler. Gozzer has been around since medieval times and must have
a fantastic fishing diary. Mark Wintle for his videos, whilst being unassuming they make me want to get out on the bank.

Only got two football hero`s, Geoff Hurst {for obvious reasons} and Charlie George, plenty of angling ones.

 

[Total]

@Pompous git .....Agree about our Tipitin Mick, cracking fella too...Mac (Gozzer) another decent rod and thoroughly good man...As for my own fishing heroes, it would have be my Father.

 

[Simon R]

The name Zoomer could also be used to describe just about any loaded (or unloaded) bottom-end waggler - Peter Drennan being one of the worst offenders.

One of my favourite floats on the local park lakes was the Drennan Sarkanda Slim Zoomer which came in small (2BB+), medium (3BB+) and large (4BB+) - these weren't even loaded and were about as far away from the original Ivan Marks float as you could get.



I'd been using the above floats for a couple of years before Angling Times started to publish their collection of 'float cards' - I'm sure Mac will remember them even if nobody else does. I was convinced that AT had made an error when they showed the zoomer being fished top and bottom and it wasn't until I read Ivan's float fishing book that I realised what it was originally designed to do - although even he had started marketing bottom-end only zoomers - always loaded bodied wagglers though.

Simon

 

[The Landlord]

‘ Zoomer ‘ .... that name is a blast from the past. A bit like ‘ onion ‘. This forum some days makes me feel old. ??

"Onions"....now that takes me back. Suppose we've all been guilty of having a favourite float in the past. I always used a small Drennan Onion that took 3 No.4 shot. Very slim tip with a clear stem, green body. Enabled me to cast a decent distance on a pond or park lake but was small enough to be sensitive. Wonder if I've still got it?

 

[tipitinmick]

"Onions"....now that takes me back. Suppose we've all been guilty of having a favourite float in the past. I always used a small Drennan Onion that took 3 No.4 shot. Very slim tip with a clear stem, green body. Enabled me to cast a decent distance on a pond or park lake but was small enough to be sensitive. Wonder if I've still got it?

I’ve a vision of you in your tackle room now throwing bits of fishing gear about cursing that you’ve lost your onions. ??. Don’t worry pal, me and Total will come visit you. Those straight jackets aren’t waterproof by the way. You’ll still need a brolly. ???

 

[rudd]

Were zoomers adapted to bottom end only for fishing up to reedbeds/ lillies?

 

[The Landlord]

I’ve a vision of you in your tackle room now throwing bits of fishing gear about cursing that you’ve lost your onions. ??. Don’t worry pal, me and Total will come visit you. Those straight jackets aren’t waterproof by the way. You’ll still need a brolly. ???

Up yours pal, found it in seconds

 

[tipitinmick]

Up yours pal, found it in seconds

Think I’ve just seen it dip ??. Where ya drag that from ? Looks as old as Ukzero1 does that. He probably made it for Cleggy back when Jesus was in nappies ??

 

[Sam Vimes]

"Onions"....now that takes me back. Suppose we've all been guilty of having a favourite float in the past. I always used a small Drennan Onion that took 3 No.4 shot. Very slim tip with a clear stem, green body. Enabled me to cast a decent distance on a pond or park lake but was small enough to be sensitive. Wonder if I've still got it?

I'd still be buying those and the Drennan Tench Perfection if they hadn't seen fit to discontinue them. Getting an unloaded bodied waggler, especially in longer/heavier sizes, is a bit of a pain in modern times. I wouldn't even object to them being elongated and unweighted versions of the all plastic "Crystal" Puddlechuckers, but it appears that few actually want to buy such floats.

 

[Pompous git]

The name Zoomer could also be used to describe just about any loaded (or unloaded) bottom-end waggler - Peter Drennan being one of the worst offenders.

One of my favourite floats on the local park lakes was the Drennan Sarkanda Slim Zoomer which came in small (2BB+), medium (3BB+) and large (4BB+) - these weren't even loaded and were about as far away from the original Ivan Marks float as you could get.



I'd been using the above floats for a couple of years before Angling Times started to publish their collection of 'float cards' - I'm sure Mac will remember them even if nobody else does. I was convinced that AT had made an error when they showed the zoomer being fished top and bottom and it wasn't until I read Ivan's float fishing book that I realised what it was originally designed to do - although even he had started marketing bottom-end only zoomers - always loaded bodied wagglers though.

Simon

Still got my AT float cards, know where they are too!

 

[alsur]

I'd still be buying those and the Drennan Tench Perfection if they hadn't seen fit to discontinue them. Getting an unloaded bodied waggler, especially in longer/heavier sizes, is a bit of a pain in modern times. I wouldn't even object to them being elongated and unweighted versions of the all plastic "Crystal" Puddlechuckers, but it appears that few actually want to buy such floats.

Have you looked a drake floats on Benwick Sports Angling they have some bodied peacock wagglers in long lengths

 

[davylad]

I remember having a couple of quid on Pete Palmer at that 1977 Gladding match, I can't remember the price but I got some good info that he was the one to beat. I sat behind him for a while, and he made it look easy, when a lot of household names struggled. I also remember how windy it was, in fact the scaffolding holding the commentary people collapsed, causing quite a serious injury to one of them I believe.

 

[Simon R]

I'd still be buying those and the Drennan Tench Perfection if they hadn't seen fit to discontinue them. Getting an unloaded bodied waggler, especially in longer/heavier sizes, is a bit of a pain in modern times. I wouldn't even object to them being elongated and unweighted versions of the all plastic "Crystal" Puddlechuckers, but it appears that few actually want to buy such floats.

I was gutted when Drennan stopped making them tench floats - and even more upset when I snapped my last one
Fortunately there's a local float maker who will make, within reason, anything you ask for and I've recently taken delivery of a couple of 3SSG unloaded bodied wagglers. Small body and long thin peacock antenna - not quite the same size but a very similar philosophy.



They were destined to be used on Lockwood Beck but about a week after I received them the place got shut down for maintenance works and won't reopen this side of Christmas.

Simon

 

[MarkW]

I remember having a couple of quid on Pete Palmer at that 1977 Gladding match, I can't remember the price but I got some good info that he was the one to beat. I sat behind him for a while, and he made it look easy, when a lot of household names struggled. I also remember how windy it was, in fact the scaffolding holding the commentary people collapsed, causing quite a serious injury to one of them I believe.

I was at that match, force 10 southerly wind, went up in a Mini Clubman at 80mph, returned at 62 flat out. Norman Worth was the journalist who ended up with a broken leg. I was the first time I'd watched the top anglers like Ivan, Kevin Ashurst and Billy Lane.

 

[MarkW]

The Welland zoomer is a very specialised float (pretty much for that venue only), a loaded bodied antenna that was fished top & bottom.

The name "zoomer" was also applied to bottom end only loaded floats for distance fishing. In fact - you can see the adoption of the term between Ivan's two books - match fishing and float fishing. In the latter he describes his commercial range of floats and includes both types of zoomer, whereas in the earlier book zoomer is reserved for the top& bottom float for the Welland.

Nice series that on the C&RT website!
Hard to pick a best from that lot ... two world champions and two silver medallists among them
There's also a canal anglers and greatest angler (who started out on canals). I think that area is curated by John Essex - who was a member of the Leicester Likely Lads and has recently had published a history of the national championships.

From a number of discussions I had with various Likely Lads in my research for my book Ivan and the others pretty much stopped using the original zoomers by about 1973. Ivan did use one in the 1972 Welland Championship but by and large they switched to long bodied insert peacock antennas around 1973.
Howard Humphrey's zoomers and Mardy floats:

 

[rd350lc]

Only have one angling hero..... My Dad, the guy who took me fishing, bought the Woolworths/Winfield fishing starter kits and spent hours watching John Wilson VHS tapes with me!

The same ?? oh and Pete Jayes .

 

[Zerkalo]

Ken and Janice Aske who founded and run Starlets AS.

 

[G0zzer2]

I was at that match, force 10 southerly wind, went up in a Mini Clubman at 80mph, returned at 62 flat out. Norman Worth was the journalist who ended up with a broken leg. I was the first time I'd watched the top anglers like Ivan, Kevin Ashurst and Billy Lane.

From memory it was held on Walter Bowers' water at North Muskham.

 

[Nicky Dodds]

Up yours pal, found it in seconds

I thought mine had cane stems but they are in fact painted plastic