Big pike by Geoffrey Bucknall

[Tizer]

1965 he wrote this, I can not believe people still use trebles, it can only be because they are "catch at all costs".

[Mr B]

Thats looks a good book, I will keep my eye out for one at a good price ( there are a few around at the moment)
I always liked Geoffrey Bucknall, he always had time to talk in his shop in Lewisham, The Rod and Line,,
The shop wasnt like an full of character old time fishing shop, he stocked a lot of fly fishing tackle, but it was the shopkeeper that made it a memorable visit.
Mr B

[Tizer]

You should be able to get one for 20 quid, I paid 18 quid for mine, well worth it

[Tengisgol]

Wasn’t he linked to Sundridge? I think it was him that presented me a rod as a prize for winning a casting accuracy competition on a Kingfisher Guild trip to Denmark. All those days flicking leads around little rivers did the trick for training!

[Mr B]

Wasn’t he linked to Sundridge? I think it was him that presented me a rod as a prize for winning a casting accuracy competition on a Kingfisher Guild trip to Denmark. All those days flicking leads around little rivers did the trick for training!

I'm not sure about that Phil? He could well have been.
He must have brought his rods in ( cold well have designed some himself) His rods had the Rod and Line printed on them, I still have one.
Well done you for the prize! And in Denmark!
Tangisgol International!
There was a Kingfisher Club around Bromley I think?
A park and nature reserve I look after tree wise has a small hidden pond in a wooded area surrounded by trees, only very small. Anyway I was told years ago that there are some big catfish in there... I pop up from time to time and have a look at the old pond and get very tempted !!! (There is no fishing there now) ... That pond years ago was fished my members of the kingfisher Club,
Interesting...

[Jeff Smith]

1965 he wrote this, I can not believe people still use trebles, it can only be because they are "catch at all costs".

An interesting book ( I have a copy) but very much ‘of its time’ and this isn’t a criticism of Geoffrey Bucknall.
He seems to completely miss the point of the ‘snap’ tackle , which today we would probably label as an instant strike rig, by saying that he allows the run to develop, or even waiting for the second run before setting the hook in a pike.
Something that we would consider unthinkable nowadays( unless using a circle hook).
I suspect he chose a single , in order to ease removal by what would usually have been shook lodged well back in the mouth ,if not the throat of the pike.
Attitudes were to completely change just 6 years later with the publication of Rickards and Webb.’Fishing for Big pike’ which was truly revolutionary.
It’s well worth reading Graham Booth’s excellent’A History of Pike Fishing’ vol2 which looks in close detail at thoughts on pike fishing in the past.
I have to say, I don’t agree with your comment about treble hooks Tizer. Without wishing to ‘blow my own trumpet’ I have fished for pike enthusiastically for 22 winter seasons , catching close to a 1000 pike( yes sadly I keep a record)using a treble hook rig when bait fishing and have ‘NEVER’ left a hook in a pike.
Efficient bite indication ( usually an accurately set float) an instant ‘strike’ ( believe me I’ve dropped a few too) and considerate handling is the key.

[Tizer]

I am glad that you have never left a treble hook in a pike, but many have, I have seen it in myself in my 50 odd years of pike fishing I have also seen how long it sometimes takes people to unhook a set of trebles, I myself used trebles back in the day, I am blowing my own trumpet when I say I can land/unhook/weigh and take a photo of both sides and then one next to the rod and put the pike back in the water all within 2 minutes (I have a timer which I set to 2 minutes) my best time is 1 minute 20 secs , can you do that when you have both trebles inside the mouth I wonder.I do a hell of a lot of pike fishing from Oct to March,usually between 80 to 90 trips, I respect your opinion but I think that the snap tackle is for back in the day when the pike was not going back ie for the table or for the wall,the gaff is in the bin and the gag is in the bin and very slowly the trebles are going in the bin and I don't know where that noinsense about leaving the run with a circle came from, Iike I said elsewhere ,I get a run and lift the rod/close the bail arm and wind down to the pike, no waiting, Went I meet other pikers on the bank or on the forums I can usually guess the ones that will never go over to trebles

[Jeff Smith]

What hook rig do you use Tizer?

[Tizer]

I am so confident in using a circle that I even crush the barb,I use Mustad demon circles in sizes 4/0 5/0 or 6/0, my bait is on a hair which comes of the bend and 99% of my pike are hooked in the scissors and I can unhook them with my fingers,the smaller pike are unhooked while they are still in the water, It scares the life out of me when I see what some people use for a fish that if you are lucky in this day and age might just make 20lb

[Jeff Smith]

Del, is that you mate?