Making an Aerial-Match

[ReelMaker]

Better than the average ,well done.Reelmaker

[PershoreHarrier]

I took the Aerial Match 2 on a second outing yesterday. I had intended to fish the Teme with a link leger set up for a Chub or two but the rain on Saturday would make the hacking through the jungle with a wet clay surface beneath more suitable for a Torvill & Dean event so I switched to the farm ponds in the hope of finding a Tench with a float leger set up as the water is some 9 feet deep at the swim I would be fishing.


The reel was teamed up with a Milwards Swimversa - a very nice rod that I like enormously and as the Tench I have caught there before fell to prawns - the bait was obvious. However, after 2 hours with only a bob of the float I switched to luncheon meat which delivered more inactivity. I had a couple of slices of bread albeit not too fresh in the bag and backed up with some mashed bread a piece of flake was presented and a bream duly took the offering. With the bread being somewhat stale I was having trouble keeping it on the hook and was squeezing the bread on to the hook far too hard with the result that I hooked a couple of really decent tench only for both of them to throw the hook which was not connecting with the fish properly.
I managed a final bream by just lowering the bait into the water at the end of the rod tip without having to over compress the bread on to the hook.



Once again the reel ran really well and casting off the drum demonstrates how free running this reel is - in fact better than my original Aerial Match. The lay remained good and there were no problems with the line trapping within the reel. Just a perfect performance from the reel in fact.

The only error on the session was I should have packed some fresh bread as that would have delivered the intended quarry of that I am sure - so it was a case of tackle good - the weakness was the angler. I will see if I can squeeze in another visit and see if a tench or two might oblige.

[Paul F]

Brilliant Keith, another good work out, thank you for the updates

[Lovatt]

A lovely reel made by a skilled and clever craftsman, as always an interesting informative event and great story to go with it, absolutely brilliant! thank you Watermole sir.


Trevor

[Tengisgol]

I'm really interested to see how it sits in the hand, on a nice rod over a glorious river, and how the flow pulls the line against a float. And the ratchet sings with a big chub. Does anyone have any plans to take her to the river (I'm assuming it is a 'she')?

I've never seen anything like Watermole's work before, this is the pinnacle, can we make the ultimate dace pin?

[PershoreHarrier]

I'm really interested to see how it sits in the hand, on a nice rod over a glorious river, and how the flow pulls the line against a float. And the ratchet sings with a big chub. Does anyone have any plans to take her to the river (I'm assuming it is a 'she')?

I've never seen anything like Watermole's work before, this is the pinnacle, can we make the ultimate dace pin?

I am taking the prototype reel to the River Teme on Thursday of this week in search of a Chub or two. If I manage to tempt a chub then the report will be added to this thread. Not sure yet which rod I will use but I will take a couple maybe including a Craftversa and see how things go. There are a couple of testers after me who are the real deal when it comes to trotting a float down a River - I am sure they will not disappoint.

[Tengisgol]

I'm really interested to see how it sits in the hand, on a nice rod over a glorious river, and how the flow pulls the line against a float. And the ratchet sings with a big chub. Does anyone have any plans to take her to the river (I'm assuming it is a 'she')?

I've never seen anything like Watermole's work before, this is the pinnacle, can we make the ultimate dace pin?

I am taking the prototype reel to the River Teme on Thursday of this week in search of a Chub or two. If I manage to tempt a chub then the report will be added to this thread. Not sure yet which rod I will use but I will take a couple maybe including a Craftversa and see how things go. There are a couple of testers after me who are the real deal when it comes to trotting a float down a River - I am sure they will not disappoint.

What a masterpiece, looking forward to the running water update!

[PershoreHarrier]

Today I took Leszek's magnificent reel with me in search of a Chub or two from the River Teme. Since my last visit a couple of weeks ago we have had a great deal of rain the evidence of which was apparent as I hacked my way through the jungle. On arriving at the swim where a couple of weeks ago the water had been clear but about 2 to 3 feet below the normal level the level had returned to what I would expect at this time of year. The water remained fairly heavily coloured and there were plenty of leaves and twigs being washed down. There was clear evidence that after the heavy rain the level had risen considerable more than the level that now existed. The lower parts of the banks were treacherous being very soft and very slippery. There were also signs of potential imminent bank collapse so a level of caution was required.

I had retained the 4lb Maxima line on the reel and paired it with a Milwards Craftversa which Andrew Davis kindly restored for me a while ago. I would be fishing from a high bank some 5 feet above the water level and bearing in mind the colour in the water I opted for a 2LG shot link leger set up terminating in an 18 inch tail to a No10 barbless hook. For bait I had some prawns and luncheon meat with some bread mash and hemp.

I am by no means an expert at casting from a centre pin - more of an enthusiastic amateur so range was limited to approximately mid stream followed by paying out line to let the current carry the tackle down stream before settling. Over exuberance of paying out line resulted in an over-run but this was not fault of the reel but defined more so the ability of the angler.

However, it was not too ling before the rod top rattled and a chub hooked. I had to work the fish upstream to the cattle drink for netting but rod and reel coped admirably and a pristine chub was duly photographed and returned. I tried prawns next in the belief that a smellier bait would be found more easily but when I struck at the rod top rattle I did not have my finger on the reel drum and the light ratchet was insufficient to hook the fish - my error by the way.

A little later I reverted to luncheon meat and secured another Chub which I netted from the high bank - just - but the line got caught around stinging nettles and I could not sort the mess out so cut the line to free the net from the rod hence there is a photo of a Chub with no rod or reel but a fine fish all the same.

I shall be out with the reel for my final test on Sunday and may try for a tench albeit a little late in the year so one more report to come from me and then one of the experts will be taking over.

[PershoreHarrier]

Today I took Leszek's magnificent reel with me in search of a Chub or two from the River Teme. Since my last visit a couple of weeks ago we have had a great deal of rain the evidence of which was apparent as I hacked my way through the jungle. On arriving at the swim where a couple of weeks ago the water had been clear but about 2 to 3 feet below the normal level the level had returned to what I would expect at this time of year. The water remained fairly heavily coloured and there were plenty of leaves and twigs being washed down. There was clear evidence that after the heavy rain the level had risen considerable more than the level that now existed. The lower parts of the banks were treacherous being very soft and very slippery. There were also signs of potential imminent bank collapse so a level of caution was required.

I had retained the 4lb Maxima line on the reel and paired it with a Milwards Craftversa which Andrew Davis kindly restored for me a while ago. I would be fishing from a high bank some 5 feet above the water level and bearing in mind the colour in the water I opted for a 2LG shot link leger set up terminating in an 18 inch tail to a No10 barbless hook. For bait I had some prawns and luncheon meat with some bread mash and hemp.



I am by no means an expert at casting from a centre pin - more of an enthusiastic amateur so range was limited to approximately mid stream followed by paying out line to let the current carry the tackle down stream before settling. Over exuberance of paying out line resulted in an over-run but this was not fault of the reel but defined more so the ability of the angler.

However, it was not too long before the rod top rattled and a chub hooked. I had to work the fish upstream to the cattle drink for netting but rod and reel coped admirably and a pristine chub was duly photographed and returned. I tried prawns next in the belief that a smellier bait would be found more easily but when I struck at the rod top rattle I did not have my finger on the reel drum and the light ratchet was insufficient to hook the fish - my error by the way.

A little later I reverted to luncheon meat and secured another Chub which I netted from the high bank - just - but the line got caught around stinging nettles and I could not sort the mess out so cut the line to free the net from the rod hence there is a photo of a Chub with no rod or reel but a fine fish all the same.



I shall be out with the reel for my final test on Sunday and may try for a tench albeit a little late in the year so one more report to come from me and then one of the experts will be taking over.

[Paul F]

Well done Keith, another great test, I like that the level is dropping more for me on Sunday

Ha Ha, you have just added some photo's, nice chub's