The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

JAA wrote: ↑Tue Mar 29, 2022 9:27 pm

Aitch wrote: ↑Tue Mar 29, 2022 1:19 pm But whilst I'm here, please lets not forget that many of us still fish for carp with varying levels of traditionalism

This was me on tuesday till thursday last week...

Sharpes 9'3&6" mated to Abu77 Cardinals, yes the alarms are modern in the interests of fish safety but the rigs were stock 1oz running leads to that new fangled hair rig baited with maize... suffice it to say I never had a touch, yet I thoroughly enjoyed every minute...

Ah...I was trying to work that out - I'm more of a '66X man myself. How do the 77's compare?

I haven't used a x66 only the 444a's, so no real comparison, but they cast well and are pretty good on the retrieve... nice reels, big thankyou to Northern Nomad and my lass who sorted them out for my Christmas prezzy

Modern alarms in the interests of fish safety ???
A big fish,any fish,is a beautiful animal but to suggest we care and respect them whilst trying to puncture their faces with a sharp piece of metal is ridiculous.If we truly,honestly and sincerely cared for their wellbeing,we surely wouldn't be anglers.I will now stop moaning and say that your rods n reels are excellent

These posts are meant to be for books.My apologies to all.

Russell Brown wrote: ↑Tue Mar 29, 2022 11:31 pm Modern alarms in the interests of fish safety ???
A big fish,any fish,is a beautiful animal but to suggest we care and respect them whilst trying to puncture their faces with a sharp piece of metal is ridiculous.If we truly,honestly and sincerely cared for their wellbeing,we surely wouldn't be anglers.I will now stop moaning and say that your rods n reels are excellent

Fish safety as in avoiding deep hooking, or fish becoming snagged in weed beds or other such obstacles (and no... I don't use self hooking bolt rigs) and once on the bank they are treated with care and reverence, and that goes for any species of any size

Well said Aitch Absolutely no one cares more for our planets fish and the environments they inhabit than good anglers around the world - I've travelled and fished a lot around the globe and maintain that is a fact

"Quest for carp" is one of my favourite books.Also I really enjoyed the book "Redmire" published by Stephen Harper"

There are some good, more traditional, carp books, and books where carp are featured among other fish, eg Chris Yates- The Secret Carp and Four Seasons are both excellent, along with some of his other books. Most of my current angling is for carp, but all of it is traditional and most of it is free lining on the surface, with a cane rod, reel, line and hook, with the bait on the hook, nothing else. Stalking carp is as exciting as it ever was on suitable waters- eg quiet estate lakes, old pools, clay pits, etc. For me nothing beats silently stalking a large carp in the margins, sometimes inches from the bank, and the incredible power that the hooked carp exerts at such close range. On the other hand I do still really like, occasionally , float fishing for tench on old pools.

I too enjoy using the above methods.

Derek Strittons book " east end days, east end ways" - Eagle pond, shoulder length hair and simpler times.

Derek fished the Eagle occasionally, a small group used to gather behind to watch in awe. Similar to the crowd gathering outside the Oscars now? ( without the fisticuffs)

I think it was Jim Gibbinson article about camouflage and staying out of the carps view that saw us crouched behind two poles holding army disguise netting and stopping the fish seeing us at Hainault Park lake.

We took little notice of the que forming at the ice cream van close behind us, the dog walkers paddling in the margins and on one day a " make your own" roller Derby race down the hill.

If Jim said it was a good idea- it was a good idea!