Heron indicators....

[Beryl]

Reading another post on here I do wonder....

I had one of the original Heron electric bite indicators from new and it was a horrible thing. I do think extending traditional angling into early electronics is a bit hair shirt for me. What do others think? Okay for the showcase but no place bankside?

[Stuart Whiting]

I suppose it's each to there own mate, however as much as it is disliked by some, it's still holds a place as being traditional and was actually invented and used by one of the most famous ledgends in fishing history

Stuart

[Harry H]

They're not for me but for those who still do a bit of night fishing need something to wake them from their slumbers. For me there's nothing quite like a ratchet on an Aerial for getting your attention while waiting for a bite.

[OrangeJonny]

I think the heron alarm has just as much place in our hobby as any aerial, cane rod, ash net or canvas bag.

It all down to preference I suppose. I find it's often the flaws that give the equipment its character. The set in the tip, the hole in the bag; they each add to the enjoyment in their own way.

[Stuart Whiting]

They're not for me but for those who still do a bit of night fishing need something to wake them from their slumbers. For me there's nothing quite like a ratchet on an Aerial for getting your attention while waiting for a bite.

Oh yes mate quite agree, or getting your knuckles wrapped by reel churning Mitchell 300

Stuart

[Olly]

Rather like the invention of hollow glass rods? Or aluminium or steel rods or ball bearing run centre pins? All preceded by solid glass

Each to their own - so long as it is not the newest invention - bait boats and bait drones plus those mostly stiff unforgiving C rods?

[Beryl]

I do like the aerial or Speedia kicking off... Much better than a buzz. Alas, just line bites today...

I use two rods. One is always a bolt rig. The other is always a free ledger and watching the tip. This is so intimate, more so than the float in my humble opinion...

[RBTraditional]

I don't use them either Beryl, I much prefer the scream of a pin. Although if you are going to use an alarm then I think a Heron is vintage enough.....

[Olly]

The use of Herons for me was to tell slight pick ups not shown on a bottle top or other indicator - in my case a bread or pastry bobbin!
Using a heavy bread bobbin balanced with a Heron antenna showed what became twitchers, not carp but tench in this case. 1 or 2 casters on an 18 or 16 hook ledgered very close, with an ounce running lead, where you could feed by hand. The line would tighten setting off the buzzer, the line movement being invisible to the eye, resulted in big tench upper 6s and 2 sevens. So yes they caught me some good tench in the gloom.
I once had a money spider set one off - that sensitive.

[Tengisgol]

I have a pair of original Les Bamford optonics that were acquired for me when I was about fourteen by a chap down the road called Derek Stritton (who became quite well known in carping circles). I still use them a couple of times a year when I'm after a big bream, turned down low when I'm the only one on the lake. They enable me to relax down, watch the lake, listen to the owls, the night and maybe doze a bit. When they do go 'off' it takes me back to when I was a kid. Nothing wrong with that.

In the morning, the tench rod comes out with a little float and the world is a fine place.