Have you got to the point where you don't need to buy any more.tackle, you know, new rods, reels etc? Obviously we all need to buy end tackle when we run out of things.

The question I'm asking, are you happy with your lot yet?

In reply to Post #1
Just kept on buying, buying and buying. Now got too much and need to get shot of it.

There's a phrase about a fool and his money which sadly applies to me as far as tackle goes!

In my defence I get so little time to fish (by choice - family, work etc has to come first) that I end up scratching ‘the itch' by buying kit and focusing on getting my gear refined down to the exact set up I want that works for short trips and work nights.

It's a standing joke with a couple of pals that my kit has changed every time we meet for a social.

That said I think I'm pretty much there now - all the main items sorted with an upgrade on rods being the final piece in the jigsaw at some point.

Until I get a rush of blood involving eBay at some point that is...

Yes...


Don't need to buy anything at all,unless it breaks or wears out...satisfied,with my stuff..maybe get rid of a spod/marker rod,and reel,never use it...

That's it....

It's amazing the amount of stuff you have to buy to scale down even further and keep it simple

Yes . Had most of the same stuff for years.
Only changes I make are age and lifestyle related.
Like an insulated bib and brace this year.
Swapped an old heavy long session two manner that
Never gets used out for a Tempest Brolly
And that's the only think I've changed in many years

In reply to Post #1
Problem with your post is the thread title says 'happy' but your question says 'don't need'

Is there such a thing as 'don't need'...hmm 'don't want' might have been better.

I haven't bought a item of tackle for around almost 2 years. Can I 'struggle' to get 'by' with what I have but is there stuff I want....hell yeah

In reply to Post #1
I'm always buying something new, but always buy top end gear, no compromises, ever. So the need to buy new gear isn't so great. Rods I tend to hang on to and very rarely change. Reels I do upgrade now and again, e.g. I recently sold my old Basias and got the new ones. But other gear? Well, I sold my Delkims and got the new ones this year, but everything else stays static until is wears out or breaks. My most recent purchase was a new cradle to replace Godzilla (my Trakker Oval Crib) - bloody thing was taking up too much room in the car and I was fed up wrestling with it every time it came to pack it away. Not much else though, although I did have a binge on clothing this year - none of it from fishing tackle companies (it is all over-priced crap) - mainly Pentagon and Helikon gear. It's consumables where most of my fishing spend goes - line, hooks, leads, PVA, etc... and bait and permits...

In reply to Post #1
I've a spare room and have to rent a container to store other rods and sods I have spare..but happy with what I use...and don't get me started on old school bmx bikes and parts, ill get shot...

In reply to Post #1
If it's not broke don't fix it, complete waste of money. I've wasted thousands over the years like most

Older type power aero reels, finally settled on a set after selling my infinity's quite a few years ago!
Worldwide pod, first version, brilliant
Fox STRs, reliable
Century ADV1, decent all rounders
Cotswold trident, top bit of kit
JRC Xlite net, good net for the money
Vulpine rucksack for all my fishing tackle bits
Fox Medium carryall for short sessions
Jumbo carryall for longer, can't remember the make

Covers everywhere I fish

In reply to Post #1
Through my late teens and twenties I would sell up, have a few months off then buy everything again, but I would buy totally different. I always had a plan to get to a certain point whereby I would buy everything for the final time, but I would buy only the best of what I had used in the past. That way I would have total confidence in what I was buying. Plus, over the years you get to know what you can "get by" on, so you only buy what you need. I have saved an absolute fortune this time round, which is the last time I buy everything.

Plus, I am a huge advocate of buying second hand. I would rather trust a ten year old 5000T than some of the budget reels of the same price that are coming out now. My theory is, if it has lasted ten years, it will probably last another ten if I maintain it and look after it. Made the mistake of buying brand new pair of Vader reels for my 15 year old Pike rods and I want to set the reels on fire already.

I've got nigh on all the gear i need now. Just the odd bit that pops up now and again that makes things a bit easier, like the new 24v power porter I recently bought. It really, really makes a difference. Can now smoke a tab on the go... winning!

It's taken a while to hone my tackle and get to a place where I think I've got everything covered. Now is the time to get rid of the gear I don't need or stuff that's been replaced for better gear. Feels good man.

In reply to Post #9
Got a king liberty in this old stuff clicky

Happy - yes, will I stop buying more - probably not.

In reply to Post #1
I remember quite a few years ago hearing the phrase “Upgrade”. The advertisers dream phrase
So many times people say they are “upgrading”
Let's look at it a different way, you are not upgrading you are just buying something more expensive that does the same job.
Just a little bugbear of mine and its not just in fishing its in so many aspects of life

In reply to Post #15
Wouldn't mind upgrading the wife it's all starting to sag and smell funky and she refuses to go anywhere near it.

In reply to Post #1
Probably nowhere near where I want to be with my gear. I'm more than happy enough 'at the moment' with the amount I get out and fish but always looking to upgrade my stuff. Also, a smaller setup for some waters I fish would be good

In reply to Post #1
I got there.......then I got robbed!

Bittersweet feeling. I get to start again and will correct what I got wrong, but lost my gear and could do without spending the money

In reply to Post #13
I had to google that, no trumpets in my allidins cave..

Very happy now.

Sold loads over the years on eBay though to get to this point.

In reply to Post #1
Yh apart from luggage always seem to go thru phases of changing that lol

I thought changing your gear more often than your undercrackers was a given for 95% of modern carpers. We've all bought more than we need or just for a bit of retail therapy but even at my worse, I'm a lightweight in the 'must have' set. Yet I still seem to have collected a ton of gear I'll probably never get around to using.

In reply to Post #18
Really feel for ya mate. Was it at home or on the bank?

In reply to Post #15
Yup, I'm in the upgrade camp. Upgraded my reels to Techniums. Should have bought Techs way back when I bought the reels I've replaced. What a knobber 😔

In reply to Post #1
I'm very happy with my gear now, took me a few years to upgrade all of it but only thing I want to upgrade now are my rods I'm doing that in January. Upgraded my bait boat last week and my pod last month to a jag Super compact black mk2, I'd hate the think how much I've spent on my setup tho 🤦‍♀️

In reply to Post #18
Sorry to hear that mate nothing worse than a fellow angler getting his gear stolen

A little off topic but I would somehow justify buying new gear every time I got a new ticket, ended up with numerous sets of rods and reels, alarms, bivvies, bed chairs.
I thought I was satisfied then something new would come out and I had to have it.
Finally had enough and pretty much sold everything.
I now fish a days only place and have a small amount of gear ,... My tackle takes up a very small space in the house.

Like many have said hate to think of how much money I've spent over the years.
The older I get I know I've become way less of a tackle tart

In reply to Post #1
I am now apart from my metalware. Have had 99% of then stuff available over the years but never been satisfied with once set or another for any real length of time (other than the Super Sod Pod I bought way back in the 90's). Can't justify having multiple sets of metalware to suit whatever mood In am in at the time!

Everything else I am happy with now.

most of the stuff in this photo is well over 10 years old including bed, bag, net, etc.

At 62 years old and fishing for carp since I was 16 I have considerably less kit now than I have had in the past but I'm very happy with what I have. Nowadays I buy what I need rather than want and yet I could buy the expensive stuff far easier now than when I did have it. Guess it's just part of getting old but also realising that the top teir high end stuff isn't always better than the mid range stuff and knowing what suits you and your fishing rather than what others think.

In reply to Post #29
Obviously suits you and your happy with it.

In reply to Post #31
Yes, mate. But I've always got my eye open for anything that will set itself up though LOL. Hence adding a Tempest
100T to the bivvy stable this year.

In reply to Post #32
The last two fish I caught came to a rod I built in about 1975. My Ballista's were bought in '93, they're coupled with 4500 GT's bought in '89. My "new" set of rods and reels were bought secondhand around 2010. Alarms and pod about '94. So yeah, I'm fairly happy with my set up. Though I did treat my self recently to a V2 brolly to replace my ancient oval profile that had gone very baggy.

I'm pretty shrewd when it comes to buying tackle and pretty skint most of the time..

But the thing with us anglers is we spend so much time staring at what we got. We get bored with it pretty quickly and thus always on the look out for something new to stare at..

In reply to Post #1
. . .got to that point a while ago . . .but as Sundance says always after more age related items generally these days that provide warmth / comfort / ease of transportation.

Still do get tempted - my new weirdity is replacing / creating back up items for stuff I've already got - eg. I own 1x 3rod and 1x 4rod Fox Quattro pod plus a myriad of different sized banksticks . . .bullet proof system and one that is getting on for 20yrs old. Have looked at all the latest pods etc but I'm now after a Quattro mk2 (years after its original release) for reasons I cannot explain . . . .I just want one!

Just bought a Daiwa 125M (mint unused 2nd hand) closed faced match reel for trotting on the river for chub etc . . .already have an original 120M (which I've owned since I was 13yrs old) but always desired the rear drag version . . will probably just look at it in awe for the next decade then eventually use it lol . . . .

In reply to Post #34
I'm happy with what I have, but am always looking for something better/faster/easier/lighter

@belch, if you're buying trotting reels just to look at a centrepin might be nice

In reply to Post #35
How funny but I have had my Quatro pod since the 90s but I did buy one off eBay when I saw it just in case my one ever breaks 😂
For someone who works in the fishing industry and has fished for a long time I have very limited gear and all quite cheap really
My little rig rings I use to this day must be 10 years old and I'm still on my original packets! I don't lose much tackle, and I get given odd pieces from some of my lads who are sponsored by top brands. Just don't need much gear really! Finally got a new bivvy recently and a spool of sub braid but that's about it

In reply to Post #1
I guess the reason we buy stuff is to improve what we already have, because stuff improves over time. We'd all be fishing with tank aerials otherwise. Had the original Gardner pod then moved on and got a Solar sod pod. Had a Nash canvas bivvy on top of a Wavelock nubroli. When wet, a mother to carry so replaced that years ago. But for it's day, probably was the best shelter available. Still have the 50 inch brolly. Wish I'd kept my Bob Church wax 1 piece suit. If only to look " old school". Haven't bought much "major" item of tackle for quite a while. I like the fact that I know the limitations of the tackle I've had for many years. And I know sentimentality shouldn't come into fishing but I'd be really sorry to lose some of the tackle I've amassed over the years. But, hey ho, horses for courses and folks are entitled to spend their hard earned on whatever they choose to. Personally, pretty happy with what I have, and although a big fan of the Kinks, I've never really been a dedicated follower of fashion. Tight lines and stay safe you and yours

I'm very happy with the tackle i've gathered over the years.
Started carp fishing in 1988 and built up a nice collection of tackle by working hard and saving my money.
Sadly i got robbed of most of my tackle in 2010, so i had to start virtually from scratch again.
Luckely i had great contacts in the trade and i was fishing properly again 2 months after the robbery.
I also got several bits from people here on Carpforum, which i'll always be greatfull for!
The last 10 years i've been lucky enough to have been attached to a couple of well known companies, which also helped me building up my tackle arsenal again after the robbery.
At this moment i'm at the stage that i just have to buy some rig bits every now and then, that's it. 👍

If you feel the urge to look at something different or feel restless about the gear you own, have a spell of traditional carping. Use one or two rods, split cane or glass, old Abu or Mitchell reels or better still some centre pins. I'd avoid going back to Heron alarms, they still work but are somewhat less reliable than modern alternatives.

It'll give you routine carping a whole new perspective. Distance fishing means 60 - 70 yards max, playing fish is a lot less heave-ho and more evenly matched to the carp. No spodding unless you have a spare tuna rod so much more watercraft comes into play. Also, when you are between bites you have some beautiful tackle to lust over.

Plus, the huge bonus that when you've maybe struggled to come to terms with your newly acquired limitations, your old gear will look like the collie's jollies and you will be happy to spend bank time with it again.

In reply to Post #40
Cat gut for line?

I like to use my 55's on my oldish pre df longbows. Good for fishing at shortish ranges. Thing is, most of the time I fish low stocked big waters (less fish the better) which need big tackle as the smaller waters are banged out with anglers which makes the fishing hard, plus the greater the likelihood of coming across a load of nutters that do my head in - half the time said nutters don't even know what they're talking about and make up the rest.

You don't have to have big everything for large waters, just that you're more adaptable with it and not restricted with the likes of 55's with fish crashing out at 150yds.

In reply to Post #40
Or even more traditional, don't use alarms, dough bobbin or a ring of foil work great, sit and watch instead of playing with tech.

In reply to Post #42
Still *new wave* angling. Need to learn carp tickling...

Could crabline a mixer if you wanted to cheat.