The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Graeme Pullen ,horse hairs and beanpoles

Brilliant! thanks for posting.

Fantastic! Many thanks, doesn't get anymore traditional than that.

Proof, if it were needed, that despite all the fancy new fangled tackle, it's done nothing to improve on what we already had. Maybe made it a bit easier. Excellent find that. Really enjoyed it.

Superb link enjoyed that

I can see those old horse hair twisting engines becoming popular again

Wal.

But what if you haven't got a pool table?

I recall John Wilson catching a chub on a length of willow and length of line - says more about the ease of chub fishing than anything historic perhaps? I think that traditionally rods were made of wood from the hedgerow rather than cane, Jon Berry covered old rod construction in 'A Can Of Worms' I just cannot recall the details but hazel springs to mind.

Looks fun though.

I really enjoyed that and seeing the knot used for joining the horse hair reminded me of tying a shock leader on my sea gear. I hope I don't hear on the news that a number of horses have been found with tails missing.... I will know where to look for the culprits!

I recall as a kid my 'Uncle' Fred, a friend of the family who lived his whole life in the same Snowdonian valley that my mum's family lived in, telling me how they used to fish as young men. This also involved cutting down a length of hazel and attaching line to the end. That would have been the 1920-30s? He thought it infinitely more refined than the poaching techniques of Craddog down the road, who would tie baited lines to the side of the bank and collect them the day after with the dead trout attached.