Gear Freak, Kit Tart, Blogger

" I know nothing else that so restores the buoyant optimism of youth as overhauling ones kit "

Horace Kephart 1906


"Um-errr, I think I've got everything"
SBW 2012

More soon
SBW

Field Sports In Scotland Pt 4

It's all change here, I've swapped ....

This

 Yo-Zuri, Shimano Bio Master, and Rapala fishing Pliers (2nd pair I've lost - cheap and good)

For this

Rod: Greys Missionary 8'3" #5/6. Reel: Orvis Battenkill #5/6. 

Line: Hardy WF5F line. Fly: Gold Bead Hares Ear

And This

The car park at Rock-A-Nore in Hastings. East Sussex

For THIS!

Andy's private mini-loch.

Grin caused by massive improvement in casting [thanks Andy].
We're going back to work tomorrow afternoon, it's hard life being a celebrity adventure guide!

More to come
SBW

Shimano STC Travel Rod Review

"The rod is a bamboo weighing seven ounces, which has to be spliced with a winding of silk thread every time it is used. This is a tedious process; but, by fastening the joints in this way, a uniform spring is secured in the rod. No one devoted to high art would think of using a socket joint."

Charles Dudley Warner 1829-1900

Long before this blog was born or thought of I took up fishing, but living an hour or more from the sea and hating the tyranny of long sticks in a small car or the hassley long-sticks-on-the-train. I looked around for a travel rod - same idea as before, One Rod For Everything. Some people (who own fishing shops) say there's no such thing, but I did find a rod that does it all.

The Nine Foot Spinning Rod.

You can spin with it (obviously), you can ledger with it (a 1oz+ weight holds the bait to the bottom), you can freeline with it ( using a shimmering slice of fish as a spinner), you can float fish with it, and it's much better than a boat rod for fishing off a pier.

I've got the Shimano STC 330 (which has now been superseded by the 3033H6) it's a really great rod with a medium action (the speed it springs back to straight) and its tough. I've lost count of the times I've bashed it into trees or dropped it onto the rocks. Keeps on keeping on.

The rod accompanied myself and The Northern Monkey on our 'fishing trip of shame' where we successfully had fish 'under observation' on both sides of north america - They sneered at our bait in the east (until the hook had been removed when they chowed down like they'd been starved) and from Venice Pier we were treated to piscine mockery of the worst kind - a whole posse of table size fish literally swam 'round my Yo Zuri lure laughing, as a particularly handsome specimen wiped the tears from his eyes he guffawed 'HA HA You paid a tenner for THAT!'

Lots of companies make something equivalent to this rod. Some for more money - some for less, but I've never been tempted, and I must have had it for about 6 or 7 years. It's in six sections, casts 20-50g (very cool for big lures - and freelining), packs up into a 700mm tube that can survive being sat on, and at the time was less than £60/$100. The full range is here. Total Thumbs Up from me.

The worldseafishing.com forum posts are pretty typical of the reviews the range has had over the years.

I guess Chad would give it Things That Don't Suck status.

Your pal

SBW

Keeping The Dream Alive - Get Reel (From Japan)

Sitting at my desk dreaming of the next time I’ll light a little fire for a brew and sit by the estuary, watching a cork float pull out into the current, carrying it’s cargo of Ragworms out to the fish. Or when time and tide permit; making the steep walk through the park, and down to Fairlight. Where I can offer a splashing, spitting YoZuri topwater lure to the Sea Bass as they patrol the weed-strewn rocks.

In the meantime I, like suburban fisherman the world over, have to settle for the sad truth.
I don’t so much go fishing, as collect fishing equipment.
And it’s justified. Really it is.

Repeat after me
‘Quality will be remembered long after price has been forgotten”

For small baits (5-20 grams) the Biomaster C3000

5.0 gear ratio
4.0kg drag
245g weight
Mono - 0.330mm-115m
Braid #2.0-180m
70.7 cm or 5/1 retrieve
19,000 yen
Double handle Option 3,150 yen
Spare spool 2,940 yen
All in £106.73 or $218.65

Repeat after me
“The Pain Of Equipment Failure Lasts Longer Than The Thrill Of A Bargain”

For bigger baits (20-50 grams) Biomaster 6000

4.6 gear ratio
4.5kg drag
365g weight
Mono - 0.330mm-240m
Braid - #3.0-280mhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
76.6cm/ retrieve 5/1
21,000yen
spare spool 3,675yen
All in £104.92 or $214.94

Repeat after me
‘Quality Will Be Remembered Long After Price Has Been Forgotten”

Japanese fishing kit from Plat:
Amazing Kit! Clunky website, Good prices, Rapid shipping
Plat.co.jp

Keep your dreams alive and your lines tight
Bushwacker.