Testing, testing............!!!

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Moley
Brown Trout
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Testing, testing............!!!

Post by Moley »

Tuesday 1100-1630hrs


More river thrashing by yours truly with the stick and bread accompanied by a very ancient but virtually unused 14ft glass Daiwa Matchman Deluxe of late 1970's vintage, won as a prize for winning a match back then. You see, rather than obscene amounts of cash thrown about today, most clubs used to award decent tackle prizes instead. It certainly helped build up my tackle stocks and most gratefully received, believe me. This rod, designed by Mark Downes, yes him, was top of the range and well out of my purchasing level, at the time. I found it again whilst looking for some tackle in the shed and thought to myself, as you do, why not?

So paired with an equally vintage Trentman 'pin, a selection of stickfloats, 2lb line and loads of bread we found ourselves Testward bound after some fat roach..... :Wink:


Well to cut a longish day, for me anyway, down to a few sentences an absurd number of massive trout gave the set up and Mole, a very thorough work out........probably more than twenty, up to 7lbs, took a liking to bread!

Splashy devils.

However amongst this marauding throng of brownies were some very nice grayling.........

Image

17 inches and hurriedly weighed at 2lb 2oz. He was the biggest of half a dozen, or so. :Thumb:

As the light began to go at 1530hrs the bites became swifter and harder to hit but one of the culprits hung on just long enough.......


Image

This was more like it.

At 1lb 9oz and properly weighed the result was one very happy Mole :Hat:

But the light had virtually gone, so time to leave before the keeper does his nightly round and chucks any late anglers off with a flea in their respective shell like. :Chuckle:

Singing all the way home.

As ever,......

Moley
Say aye tae'a pie!

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Michael
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Re: Testing, testing............!!!

Post by Michael »

Well done Moley, nice to see someone using a reasonable b/s for once, though I do push it to 2½Ib on occasions!....

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Moley
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Re: Testing, testing............!!!

Post by Moley »

Two and a half pound bs line veritable tow rope!

Still many thanks for liking my roach pic Michael. Hopefully will get his mum or dad in the next week or so, as I have followed this shoal up and down the river for ages.......hopefully one of the biggies will drop a rickett and come and see me on the bank; instead of the usual two finned wave at yours truly!

As ever,........

Moley
Say aye tae'a pie!

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ExeAngler
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Re: Testing, testing............!!!

Post by ExeAngler »

I was very guilty of using too light lines in my former years. 3LB test being the stuff of Sharks. Now it is rare for me to fish a main line under 4lb mainly because I can no longer see the dam stuff!!!!Hook lengths are hooks to nylon if I am not too tight to buy them.

Anyway you had a good days fishing their me old China. Wish I could have few had a few catches like that this year.

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Moley
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Re: Testing, testing............!!!

Post by Moley »

ExeAngler wrote: Tue Feb 14, 2017 1:09 pm I was very guilty of using too light lines in my former years. 3LB test being the stuff of Sharks. Now it is rare for me to fish a main line under 4lb mainly because I can no longer see the dam stuff!!!!Hook lengths are hooks to nylon if I am not too tight to buy them.

Anyway you had a good days fishing their me old China. Wish I could have few had a few catches like that this year.
I know what you mean with regard to seeing the line sometimes ExeAngler.......but I tend to use 2lb, or thereabouts, Drennan Floatfish for the Stick and Maxima 2.5 for the Waggler. Both lines show up well and are easy to use neither requiring floatant or sinkent, respectively, to make them work :Hat:

This suits the indolent Fat One, as anything to make my fishing easier is alright in my book.

As to pre-tied hooklengths, what a boon these are. Extremely reliable and extremely easy to use when combined with Cralusso fine quick snaps in size 10 or 12. Changing your hooklength is a doddle with these, prevent hook link spin and they act as a tell-tale shot too.

Brilliant piece of kit for the river float man :Thumb:

Also the Fat Mole pre-ties his float rigs and stores them on winders. If I did not do this it would take most of my fishing time to just make the float rigs up on the bank.

These seemingly small changes are the difference between me being able to fish nowadays and not, believe me.....age and Parkinson's are not kind bed fellows.

So I recommend any one, of a more senior disposition especially, to consider my advice, freely given and with no sponsorship ties, because they work and make a vital difference to my fishing and could to yours.

Worth a thought anyway :Wink:

As ever,.......

Moley
Say aye tae'a pie!

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LuckyLuca
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Re: Testing, testing............!!!

Post by LuckyLuca »

Lovely write up Moley.
Great that you got out and amongst them.

Hooks to nylon are a real boon when the old peepers are failing!
I walked across an empty land
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand
I felt the earth beneath my feet
Sat by the river and it made me complete.

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ExeAngler
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Re: Testing, testing............!!!

Post by ExeAngler »

Mole,

I have made up rigs for quite I while. Mainly for the pole, but I have often do for running line float rings. I need to do it more often as it would save me so much time!!!!Need to find a few hours one evening over a weekend when my wife is watching some rubbish on TV when I can do it in the comfort of my own home.

Thanks for the heads up and those micro swivels.

Do you get much of an issue with snap off's with big fish? What knot do you use to join your main line to the float rig????

Kinda Regarda

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Moley
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Re: Testing, testing............!!!

Post by Moley »

ExeAngler wrote: Wed Feb 15, 2017 8:17 am Mole,

I have made up rigs for quite I while. Mainly for the pole, but I have often do for running line float rings. I need to do it more often as it would save me so much time!!!!Need to find a few hours one evening over a weekend when my wife is watching some rubbish on TV when I can do it in the comfort of my own home.

Thanks for the heads up and those micro swivels.

Do you get much of an issue with snap off's with big fish? What knot do you use to join your main line to the float rig????

Kinda Regarda
Ditto with the rig tying when the soaps are on....... :Hat:


The micro swivels have a lot of strength. Enough to cope with most river fish easily.

As to snap offs, no as the rods I use are mostly glass and as a consequence very, very soft. Also the hooklinks are always finer than the mainline, so should I hook weed or a particularly strong fish like a salmon, the float rig comes back intact but for the hook-link, which is easily replaced due to the pre-tied hooklinks and Cralusso swivels.

With this set-up I am back fishing in seconds....rather than the hours it used to take :Wink:

Image

Image

Image

Image



As an example The Fat One was on the Test again yesterday and had two very nice chub, both over 4lbs, half a dozen herring sized dace and three roach to about a pound or so and a grayling that would not lie still for his portrait.....all on the rig set up outlined above.

A very good day apart from the torrential rain :Thumb:

The result was more very bad singing on the drive home; just as well I drive alone :Chuckle:

As ever,......

Moley
Say aye tae'a pie!

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