Tackle Tart

I first used a fishing rod way back in the summer of 1963. It being a natural progression from the small nylon nets that I'd used to catch Sticklebacks from the River Gade previously. I was totally mesmerised by the fish which inhabited this tiny river and is how my angling journey began. I've written many a post about those crazy times, especially the late 70's - early 90's stuff, yet these are the experiences which have shaped the adventure and dictate my approach to the angling challenges that I now seek. I cannot deny the resistance to change that is part of my make up. Haven't had a visit to a barber since 1993! I tell Bev it's a look that I've been cultivating since primary school - she say's "I'm just a lazy tramp!" How kind? Still; it works for us, so how I look can't be that bad?

It's a bit of a weird one. How can I embrace the benefits modern thinking have upon the business environment in which I derive my livelihood yet remain so set in my ways beyond the factory environs?Horses and courses seems to be the best way I can explain my thought processes. Fishing is my hobby, not my job, thus I feel at ease with rejection of change, for change's sake. The fact that I've actually taken a step backwards, swapping carbon fibre for split cane, just highlights what a bizarre conundrum I now find myself in. At Fuji we are all about pushing the boundaries in a quest for success, and if that means exploring new avenues then I'm as willing, as the next man, to see where the process takes us. Success or failure, it matters not a jot - at least we had a look at the possibilities. Failure doesn't equate to a wrong objective, just a skewed approach which might become successful if tackled from a different perspective. Keeping an open mind is key under these circumstances. Enjoying my life is, also, a simple concept once age had allowed me recognise, and accept, that I'll never know everything! 

Angling has been, and will continue to be, a journey of discovery which I use to push the boundaries of my involvement with the natural world. I've stated many times previously, "there's more to fishing than just catching fish!" Of course I've para-phrased Dick Walker's statement which Jim Gibbinson used to open his 1983 "Modern Specimen Hunting"

So I'm totally at ease with my decisions, purely because they're made to suit me and my requirements; not in order to comply with expectations of others. My current situation allows me the luxury of being able to "cherry pick" those advances in angling tackle, technology, bait or technique without having to sell my soul to the logo, nor worry whether my face fits. It's a very nice position when I can do something because I want to, not because, somehow I feel, I have to. This applies to all aspects of my existence, work included. I am now going to write about two Nash products which have made a massive impact upon my appreciation of how modern manufacturing technology has enabled anglers to reap the rewards. 

I'll start with my thoughts on the Scope 4000 GT reels. £150 a pop, so they're certainly not cheap yet, I would say they are value for the money involved. Build quality is akin to those early, Swedish manufactured, ABU Cardinals and some more. Line capacity of the spools, for such a compact reel, is amazing and the drag mechanism way beyond anything I've previously experienced.  They are light, yet robust, and everything I was looking for when in the market for some new fixed spool reels. I understand that they're not Mitchell 300's and have no place in "traditional angling" yet they still perform wonderfully when mounted on the split cane Mk IV's.

A Nash R3  - superb, but are they value for money?

Nash Siren R3 bite alarms are something which I'd never needed, nor desired, yet a quirk of fate has allowed me to purchase three, plus a receiver box, purely because of the Fuji IPICS (ideas scheme) rewards system  presenting me with an extra £500 that I'd not expected. Now I own these alarms, I have to admit that they are in a different league to any I've used/owned previously. The electronic innards are derived from those used by the speed cameras which are the curse of speeding drivers. I was down at the syndicate earlier in the week, and spoke with a fellow member, who also owned these alarms. Both of us in agreement that they are something special in bite registration, especially if the take is not a full on "ripper"! Benno uses Delkims, which are vibration sensors, previously I was happy to use roller alarms marketed by Dragon Carp! 

At the huge sum of 3/£5, I actually owned four of these Chinese made devices. The two blue LED versions have long given up the ghost, yet the Red and Green alarms remain perfectly serviceable and I am very happy to use them in most situations. Knowing how the Dragon Carp logo is the sign of the Devil, to most carp anglers, I just can't help myself . Add to the mix a set of Taska "snag ears" the cost of the set up is still less than 3% of a Siren R3 - my problem is how are the Nash alarms that many times more effective? OK, no receiver box, but I still hear an audible alert and have the added bonus of a low light level LED during the hours of darkness, thus allowing me to see where the rods are. Not too shabby for alarms which cost £1.66 each! I have to ask myself if the R3's are so much more sensitive to command such pricing?  Luckily, I have no need to worry, it wasn't my money which purchased them, plus I look the part to the carp "fashionista's" when they're perched on my buzz bars.

A Brown Rat feeding on spilled particles below my rods.

Plenty of stuff going on, just much of it not within the remit of this blog?

Loads of stuff going on in the background, work, home and family related, so my blogging is well behind the reality of life. Plenty to look forward to, plus the hope of normality, the BWKm0 will start to pick up as autumn develops. So sorry for the paucity of my recent blogging - normal service isn't too far away!