The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

I'vegot one of themcheap and nasty ones and I have used it as well,wonder what people thought as they walked past

I use various alarms from my old Optonics to the latest technology and I agree with Shaun that none are traditional all are technological. That therefore only leaves the look feel and functionality of them relevant to the era of tackle one is using though the new ECU's have a very classical look with amazing functionality. Its all down to the individual and from a personal perspective I cannot function without sleep on 24hr+ camping trips so either I bring my rods in or use alarms depending on conditions at the time. I care not to be bound by deeply held convictions as inevitably most of our gear is usually driven to a venue by a modern car...where does it end if one pursues such irony?

Bike - tarpaulin - groundsheet - candles - primus stove - Heinz tinned treacle puds - --- cold - wet - miserable night's sleep - followed by a long cycle home!

That's how I remember first nightfishng prior to the Send brolly camp!! And it wasn't a lot better after that for some years!

At least when audible (not a penny in a hub cap type!) bite indicators arrived you could get a bit of peace to sleep.

I use abu cardinals but I always sit on my rods the noise of the clutch would wake the dead I'm deaf completely in the right ear after a car crash dosnt solve night time problems though I'm half blind so stumbling around in the dark not a option I use delkims for piking I know they are not traditional but they are the best out there what is a traditional alarm and I think Richard walker bb and co might have used bite alarms if they were available back then mike

Olly wrote: ↑Fri Nov 03, 2017 12:56 pm Bike - tarpaulin - groundsheet - candles - primus stove - Heinz tinned treacle puds - --- cold - wet - miserable night's sleep - followed by a long cycle home!

That's how I remember first nightfishng prior to the Send brolly camp!! And it wasn't a lot better after that for some years!

At least when audible (not a penny in a hub cap type!) bite indicators arrived you could get a bit of peace to sleep.

Remember all that boy,and it always seemed to rain if I remember right,happy days

Olly wrote: ↑Fri Nov 03, 2017 12:56 pm Bike - tarpaulin - groundsheet - candles - primus stove - Heinz tinned treacle puds - --- cold - wet - miserable night's sleep - followed by a long cycle home!

That's how I remember first nightfishng prior to the Send brolly camp!! And it wasn't a lot better after that for some years!

At least when audible (not a penny in a hub cap type!) bite indicators arrived you could get a bit of peace to sleep.

Indeed James MkIV tied onto cross bar of bicycle with old shoe laces, flask of coffee, a pack of 20 cigarettes and a box of swan vestas - but I only night fished in June and July when it was dry and no rain as I used to sit on a folded copy of what was then a well known broad sheet newspaper. Anyway it was not really dark till 10.00pm and was getting light again by just after 3.00am so just 5 hours of maximum concentration on the folded card bite indicator before the Optonic was acquired.

What I remember about night fishing was that you couldn't wait for the next day to come so you could go home......................and do it all again next week

I've still got an original Optonic, it must be 30-35 yrs old. I Occasionally Iuse it at night when I'm tired...I may modify it so that another resistor is added to further reduce volume. Its only traditional to me in that my first fishing book has a picture of one along with an Abu Cardinal, Maxima Line and various other bits of tackle, all things I still own since I first started fishing in the early 80's.

Tizer wrote: ↑Fri Nov 03, 2017 5:03 pm

Olly wrote: ↑Fri Nov 03, 2017 12:56 pm Bike - tarpaulin - groundsheet - candles - primus stove - Heinz tinned treacle puds - --- cold - wet - miserable night's sleep - followed by a long cycle home!

That's how I remember first nightfishng prior to the Send brolly camp!! And it wasn't a lot better after that for some years!

At least when audible (not a penny in a hub cap type!) bite indicators arrived you could get a bit of peace to sleep.

Remember all that boy,and it always seemed to rain if I remember right,happy days

And it was proper rain in those days Tizer, not this mizzely stuff we get now....

It’s a thin line between traditional and retro I suppose, myself I like to focus on the era applying the tackle and methods of the time as a sort of self imposed challenge, it’s a bit like those that get involved in re-enactment, they research what was done in a particular period and restrict their selves to methods and technology of the time. I use the word focus because within fishing there were methods and tackle used that we just should not use anymore e.g. knotted nets, lead shot etc. And of course I use new line and hooks, but even then would try and use a modern alternative similar to those of the period. I guess what I am trying to say is...Yes I would use a optonic if I was focusing on that era, but would use that era to restrict/create the challenge to my fishing and when focusing on a era prior to their introduction I would not.