Hello From New Jersey
Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2022 4:45 am
Hi, I am an 81-year-old who began fishing at age 6 with my father and grandfather on Long Island, NY for saltwater fish. My only acquaintance with fishing for "coarse" fish was in a farm pond with a cane pole, a bent needle, and bread for bait. My father filled a woman's nylon stocking with oatmeal and that was dangled beneath a board. We caught small carp and "shiners".
Years later, I spent the better part of 2 years in the 80s working in Bognor Regis. I spent many weekends fishing for coarse fish on the Test and, occasionally, the Thames. The fish were not that big, but I enjoyed good sport using a 12 to 14-foot flyrod and a single-action reel loaded with 2 - 6 weight monofilament.
Back here in New Jersey, I fish for carp with heavier rods of about the same length and 8 - 12 weight mono. My largest weighed 28 pounds, but I have caught hundreds over 10 pounds.
Among my favorite rods are several Foster Perfects, Partridge 12 and 14-foot salmon rods, Orvis Battenkills, and many Hardys, particularly Wyes, Perfects, an LRH Dry/Wet, and a Teviot. My most recent acquisitions are rods and reels from Gillett, dating from 1880 to 1900.
Other vintage reels include Vom Hofe, Pflueger, Shakespeare, Orvis, Mitchell, and Abu.
My book collection is fairly large, but not nearly as large as the 5000 volumes collected over 20 years throughout the USA during my work travels and lost in a house fire in 1990.
May I suggest that my feeling about "coarse" fishing is best expressed by an American who fished for all species, Roscoe Vernon "Gadabout" Gaddis, "Don't let it fool you; that's a good fish."
Tight Lines,
Bob Vornlocker
Years later, I spent the better part of 2 years in the 80s working in Bognor Regis. I spent many weekends fishing for coarse fish on the Test and, occasionally, the Thames. The fish were not that big, but I enjoyed good sport using a 12 to 14-foot flyrod and a single-action reel loaded with 2 - 6 weight monofilament.
Back here in New Jersey, I fish for carp with heavier rods of about the same length and 8 - 12 weight mono. My largest weighed 28 pounds, but I have caught hundreds over 10 pounds.
Among my favorite rods are several Foster Perfects, Partridge 12 and 14-foot salmon rods, Orvis Battenkills, and many Hardys, particularly Wyes, Perfects, an LRH Dry/Wet, and a Teviot. My most recent acquisitions are rods and reels from Gillett, dating from 1880 to 1900.
Other vintage reels include Vom Hofe, Pflueger, Shakespeare, Orvis, Mitchell, and Abu.
My book collection is fairly large, but not nearly as large as the 5000 volumes collected over 20 years throughout the USA during my work travels and lost in a house fire in 1990.
May I suggest that my feeling about "coarse" fishing is best expressed by an American who fished for all species, Roscoe Vernon "Gadabout" Gaddis, "Don't let it fool you; that's a good fish."
Tight Lines,
Bob Vornlocker
