Most excited

[Dave Spence]

When I was a kid my dad bought me a trentman hollow glass match rod built by the late Jim Sharpe. I was so excited I couldn't sleep and when I got my first frame envelope on it's first outing, it was the icing on the cake. What item of tackle has caused you the most excitement?

 

[Silverfisher]

I was super excited to use all 3 of my actually proper quality rods.

First was my daiwa saltist braid special 12-20lb boat rod. Was in awe of them in the local tackle shops on the south coast through my uni days down that way before getting one a couple years after finishing uni. First couple trips with it didn't produce much but on its third outing it got a good work out on I think 7 upper single to low double smooth hound and a similar size tope and it was just incredible how it had such a sensitive tip for bite detection yet had the power lower down to subdue pretty solid fish in what was a vicious tide towards the back end of that session after starting pretty placid. It changed British sea fishing for me as up until that stage with cheaper gear it just lacked the finesse and subtlety that I was used to from coarse fishing unless I went down to like 6-12lb rods.

Second was the 13ft drennan acolyte ultra float rod. It was another one I'd lusted over in tackle shops as I couldnt quite believe this rod existed that felt even better than a matchpro ultralight. My grandad then got himself one and I had a quick go with it one session and from that snippet of use I just knew I had to get one at some point. Then in the winter before last I shut my existing float rod in the car door so I bit the bullet and bought one, complete with a protective tube! Think my first session with it was the first I reported on here early last year on which I christened it with a comfortable double figure bag of good stamp roach topped off with a 2lb perch and from that day onwards it's been proving itself to me as the perfect silvers float rod. It's my most used and most loved rod and I've had some cracking sessions on it in the now near couple years I've had it including some lovely Thames roach and dace bags this year which really is its natural habitat. I have similar affection for the 11ft feeder version I bought this year as well as that was the first good feeder rod I'd ever used and it's been pretty revelatory to feeder fish and actually see every bite and feel every fish after a few years of cheap feeder rods.

Anyway apologies for the beer induced verbal squits!

 

[Pompous git]

Too many to mention really, always like to try out a new rod even after all these years still get a tingle.

Although I am only a part time fluff chukka I am in the market for a new fly rod not only is the choice bewildering but exciting.

I generally use a 13ft ultralite for stillwater roach but I keep hearing about these acolytes, the seed has been sown.

 

[robert d]

When I was a kid my dad bought me a trentman hollow glass match rod built by the late Jim Sharpe. I was so excited I couldn't sleep and when I got my first frame envelope on it's first outing, it was the icing on the cake. What item of tackle has caused you the most excitement?

My first creel ,i must have packed and unpacked it 20 times the first night ,i couldnt wait to get to the bank . I lived for fishing and although my tackle was all extremely cheap i loved it all . My first competition i came second on a river with about 2lb of silvers ,should have been more but my keepnet was full of holes . Some of the adults were fuming being beat by a teenager . Austin Clisset gave me some good tips of feeding little and often with bronze and white maggots . I didnt fish another competition for years as it scared me with the nasty comments a filthy looks ,i stuck to pleasure fishing but still had a great time always full of excitement.

 

[robert d]

Too many to mention really, always like to try out a new rod even after all these years still get a tingle.

Although I am only a part time fluff chukka I am in the market for a new fly rod not only is the choice bewildering but exciting.

I generally use a 13ft ultralite for stillwater roach but I keep hearing about these acolytes, the seed has been sown.

I used to love sitting in my uncles shed making my own flies and lures ,my best catches were on Arthur Coves nymphs or baby doll lures of various colours.

 

[The Landlord]

Got to be my first "proper" pole back in the 80's. 11m light & stiff, it was brilliant being able to drop a float in a gap in the far bank reeds of a canal and seeing it stay there!
When I took up fishing again a couple of years ago & discovered commercials, I realised it was no good for hefty carp though. Glad I kept it though, I used it on the canal the other week. Perfect for No3 elastic & small sish

 

[tipitinmick]

My first carbon pole. A Daiwa 10m pro carbon. It’s up in the loft somewhere. I was to fish a match on the Leeds / Liverpool canal the very next day with it. Conditions were horrendous and only me and two others turned up so it was called off. I was gutted.

 

[trotter2]

That would have been my first 506 spotted it in a second hand shop I used to visit on a regular basis age 13. The seed was sown never looked back 41 years years later still using the trusted Abu original 500 series.

 

[Zerkalo]

My first pole too. A Milo Carp Crusader, 13m I think, allowed me to fish in canal matches with my Junior Club. That and my Smart Box around the same time.

 

[squimp]

My first piece of quality tackle - a Mitchell 300.

I saved up for a year and paid £8 8 shillings to Sportsmail in about 1970.

 

[Maesknoll]

Hmm, could be my first Mitchell Match, or possibly my first top of the range pole, an 11m Shimano AX - it was the mutts nuts at the time.

 

[davepellet]

I suppose it’d be my first Abu 501, second probably my Drennan Zircon pole, next would be a list if Acolytes

 

[mickthechippy]

My first Zziplex 2500 beachcaster

it was back way when I was always broke, penniless, had a mrs and a young sprog to bring up, and also saving for a first mortgage

if I remember rightly the cash for that blank to be bought, then built, came from my nightwalks out netting rabbit and shooting pheasant and selling them to a local butcher, plus all the wheeling and dealing with motorbikes and extra carpentry works

the first time out was one night with a mate from down the road and we walked down to the warren beach and hoofed our leads out

what a relavation, even with my rudimentry skills, it blasted toward the horizon with ease, far exceeding the distances cast with my old Normark

Ive still got it, though its been re-ringed more than once and now sports the later powertex 5 ft carbon and I doubt if I ever will get rid of it, far to much invested in it, memory wise to ever go

 

[rufcuk]

Few years ago i ordered a rive r design feeder which was top of range at time and got it for half price - made me shake so much in anticipation- unfortunately on first use the rod was appalling and was for sale before I even left pond

 

[Sportsman]

My first proper rod. Bamboo with a fibreglass tip section. Would have been 1956/7.
Caught hundreds of small rudd and carp (we called them crucians, don't know whether they were or not) on local farm ponds.

 

[Nasha]

Mid 1990's (ish) my Grandad came home with an armful of brand new rods. He managed a car park in central London and would often find himself being offered various different goods at highly discounted prices from the boot of some regular punters' cars.

I was in my early teens and bang into my match fishing. I didn't have the money for nice rods so was using any hand-me-downs from my dad who was never that serious so hadn't spent much on the gear I was getting.

"Pick two, the rest are going back", my grandad said to me. I looked through the range and F me, they were all £100+ rods!

I ended up with an 11ft Normark quiver tip and a 12ft Daiwa Whisker Match Tommy Pickering. Buzzing was an understatement they felt like Rolls Royce's.

Still use them today, thanks to good old grandad x

 

[Zerkalo]

I must have got my new Tricast Feeder rod out in the garden about 3 times for a waggle, it will be later in the year before I get to use it but can't wait.

 

[tipitinmick]

Hmm, could be my first Mitchell Match, or possibly my first top of the range pole, an 11m Shimano AX - it was the mutts nuts at the time.

This was my second pole. A Shimano 1100 EX. A marked improvement over my 10m pro carbon.

 

[Total]

I must have got my new Tricast Feeder rod out in the garden about 3 times for a waggle, it will be later in the year before I get to use it but can't wait.

^^ Smiling here!.....Having a practice cast and forgetting to seat the quivertip sufficiently and casting it three houses away!

"Excuse me Mr, can I have my rod piece back please?"

 

[Zerkalo]

^^ Smiling here!.....Having a practice cast and forgetting to seat the quivertip sufficiently and casting it three houses away!

"Excuse me Mr, can I have my rod piece back please?"

Haha. And I have to watch out for the washing line. Only so much you can tell from a waggle but it already feels like 'Bream Rod Perfection'.