Making the TFF Aerial

[Lea Dweller]

You'd think he'd been doing it all his life, wouldn't you?

The thing that I find most extraordinary is what creative talent has emerged from someone that had no background in engineering! From rebuilding an old Myford lathe recovered from a skip, Watermole + has produced a number of centre pin creations that defy description. We are truly lucky to have such a talent within the TFF!

[Nobby]

He does have a 'sort of' engineering background in that he worked with engineers but he was personally more involved with polishing he told me.

Not only did he save that old lathe but he invented and built accessories for it that are better than the original makers ones ... most noticeably a converted gearbox that lets him select how many holes he wants to drill in a spool rim, for example and the gearbox thingy centres them all perfectly. To him it was an obvious design...to me it is thinking 'outside the box'. Just like the powered drives that let him use the lathe as a mill.

The TFF Aerial was possibly only his third reel ever...might even be the second!

[Liphook]

Even more remarkable!

[Kingfisher]

Has he not?

I'm sure he has, it was said "Tongue in cheek".

I had the pleasure of fishing with Bob Brooks a couple of weeks back and he was using his "BB reel" made by Leszek (Watermole) and it's a fantastic work of art and piece of engineering. Even nicer in the flesh, so to speak.

[Kingfisher]

I've just looked again through those links that Nobby so kindly posted. I'm blown away by the craftsmanship of Mr L D Delaq. It's eye candy to me. I only wish I could afford a comission. His work is absolutely sublime. Well done on all of it Leszek. Your memory will live on through the hands and eyes of many an angler or those lucky enough to have placed a comission with you.