My Wicker Creel

[Mark]

I have been generally getting all my tackle ready for the 16th and my creel was in need of a spruce up. So it went into the pond over night with a couple of bricks in it, the next day after fully drying out it was rigid again, well for a few weeks anyway. Once it had dried out I wanted to treat the wicker and looking on the forum I found a few posts with various concoctions of treatments, i.e. linseed oil mixed with meth's and/or vinegar. I had neither linseed oil nor meth's so I scoured the wicker basket makers on the net looking for an alternative.

Eventually I found one such website which recommended vegetable oil, to be brushed on neat and mixed with nothing else. Well I had a bottle of this in the cupboard and so cautiously set about treating my creel. Within seconds I could see the difference but was worried about it being permanently greasy from the oil. Twenty four hours later there is not a grease mark on the creel and it has brought it up like new.

Also the leather strap which fastened the lid down was going hard and asking the good lady for her advise on how to make the leather supple she handed me a bottle of her body moisture cream and said rub that in the strap and leave a thick coating on, do it twice she said. Well the leather strap is now as soft as baby's bottom.

Its all ready for the river on Thursday.

[Paul F]

Good job Mark, looks a nice size creel for the coarse fisher

[Wallys-Cast]

Well done Mark, that looks like a new creel.

Wal.

[AshbyCut]

Splendid advice Mark, Sir.

[LuckyLuca]

Fabulous!
Great to have these little tips and tricks, especially when they're easy on the pocket.
Thanks Mark. I have a wicker basket that's due for a dunk. I think I'll try the vegetable oil treatment.

[Wagtail]

Hmmmm vegetable oil eh? That sounds far more user-friendly than the mixture I've been using which gets down my throat and seems to remain there for days. Thank you Mark for sharing,

[Duebel]

Thank you, Mark! I'll try some olive oil on mine.

[Paul D]

lovely job Mark, the only thing I would be wary of is the oil going rancid, Wal gave a good tip recently using dilute builders pva followed by varnish, works a treat.
Thank your good lady for the tip concerning body lotion, I'll try that, as an aside if you have a leather sofa or car seats baby wipes clean and feed the leather beautifully

[Chris Bettis]

Some great advice there and using cheap and easy to find materials as well. Thanks very much.

[Scott]

Creel looks lovely Mark, thanks for sharing this info. As others have said it's always nice to hear of easy solutions using easily obtainable products. I always feel disheartened when I hear things like, "mix three parts this with two parts that, leave to ferment for 72 hours....."