In reply to Post #29
I went from Grandad's old Intrepid Envoy to a Mitchell 320.
Still got the Envoy
Around 1974 - Winfield (Woolworths) tackle supplied pretty much everything until I plucked up the courage to go into a real tackle shop. My local Woolies had half an aisle of fishing stuff. My first rod came from there 6ft green, solid glass spinning rod.
Charlie's - the real tackle shop used to sell kids portions of maggots in tobacco tins! Huge stack of Golden Virginia tins behind the counter just for that, gods knows where he got them all from.
All terminal tackle in little divided up display cases under the glass counter to goggle at.
Half the time he wouldn't even charge kids for bits & pieces.
He used to very generously sponsor kids matches at the local park lake, so everyone got a prize of some sort.
Despite a bit of a reputation he really did have a heart of gold.
My first proper carp rod was a Craddock 2 piece fibreglass 10ft from there, maybe around '77? it was dark blue - wish to god I still had that, but stupidly sold it donkeys years ago.
I went from Grandad's old Intrepid Envoy to a Mitchell 320.
Still got the Envoy
Around 1974 - Winfield (Woolworths) tackle supplied pretty much everything until I plucked up the courage to go into a real tackle shop. My local Woolies had half an aisle of fishing stuff. My first rod came from there 6ft green, solid glass spinning rod.
Charlie's - the real tackle shop used to sell kids portions of maggots in tobacco tins! Huge stack of Golden Virginia tins behind the counter just for that, gods knows where he got them all from.
All terminal tackle in little divided up display cases under the glass counter to goggle at.
Half the time he wouldn't even charge kids for bits & pieces.
He used to very generously sponsor kids matches at the local park lake, so everyone got a prize of some sort.
Despite a bit of a reputation he really did have a heart of gold.
My first proper carp rod was a Craddock 2 piece fibreglass 10ft from there, maybe around '77? it was dark blue - wish to god I still had that, but stupidly sold it donkeys years ago.
In reply to Post #15
There's a few of us out there. First proper fishing rod was a Woolworths six foot red fibre glass spinning rod . Got it safely up in the roof . Over 50 years old now.
Wow this brings back some good old memories 👍
There's a few of us out there. First proper fishing rod was a Woolworths six foot red fibre glass spinning rod . Got it safely up in the roof . Over 50 years old now.
Wow this brings back some good old memories 👍
Got given a wicker creel and fibreglass rod in about 1983 aged 9. Been fishing to this day, albeit with better kit!
First carp rods were age 16 from Roy Marlow's shop Marks and Marlow in Leicester circa 1990. Daiwa Whisker Kevlar. Proud to say I still have them. Leicestershire wasn't exactly a hot bed of carp fishing but it helped light a fire that still burns to this day.
First carp rods were age 16 from Roy Marlow's shop Marks and Marlow in Leicester circa 1990. Daiwa Whisker Kevlar. Proud to say I still have them. Leicestershire wasn't exactly a hot bed of carp fishing but it helped light a fire that still burns to this day.
In reply to Post #27
I built a pair of those in 84 and still have them.
I built a pair of those in 84 and still have them.
I started first with dads old gear around 1965. My first gear of my own was a walkers of hythe cane and glass rod and an intrepid black prince purchased around 1970 aged 10. Floats hooks and weights were mostly pinched from Woolworths around that time. Aged 14 I built my own carp rod from a green glass 1 1/4 tc blank and made my first net in metalwork at school it weighte a tonne but was ok strapped to the crossbar for my trips to Horton Kirby, dart ford, and cray lakes. I wish I had kept my childhood gear. I still have some rods And a Mitchell 300 from my teens but not the stuff I started with.
In reply to Post #35
Baza,
My first Real Rod was also a cane and fiberglass JB Walkers Rod! Probably built by Ernie Wood.
With an Intrepid reel (can't remember the model. Well, it was 1963.
Baza,
My first Real Rod was also a cane and fiberglass JB Walkers Rod! Probably built by Ernie Wood.
With an Intrepid reel (can't remember the model. Well, it was 1963.
In reply to Post #2
Remember going into a local tackle shop (Camden Ironmongers) and buying split shot in these small tins that slid open from either end. Nasty horrible things that would never be sold today. The times we nearly sliced the top of our fingers/thumbs off trying to slide those open!!
My first rod was a split cane jobbie. It was my older brothers and I loved that rod. My mum bought it off of him for me for Christmas one year, must have been mid 60's. I couldn't wait to get out and use it.
I set out on Boxing day, walked miles over fields to get to a lovely lake we used to fish that was nicknamed "The Lilly". It didn't dawn on me at that tender age that the white, crunchy grass and frozen puddles meant that the whole lake was covered in ice about a foot thick! Needless to say I didn't fish that day......
Remember going into a local tackle shop (Camden Ironmongers) and buying split shot in these small tins that slid open from either end. Nasty horrible things that would never be sold today. The times we nearly sliced the top of our fingers/thumbs off trying to slide those open!!
My first rod was a split cane jobbie. It was my older brothers and I loved that rod. My mum bought it off of him for me for Christmas one year, must have been mid 60's. I couldn't wait to get out and use it.
I set out on Boxing day, walked miles over fields to get to a lovely lake we used to fish that was nicknamed "The Lilly". It didn't dawn on me at that tender age that the white, crunchy grass and frozen puddles meant that the whole lake was covered in ice about a foot thick! Needless to say I didn't fish that day......
In reply to Post #25
Same age as me.
My grandma bought me my first rod and reel, along with floats, shot and hooks.
A Czech rod, with metal joints, and a Ryobi reel.
We used to have a post bus that went from the village to the nearby town of Diss, which had both a proper tackle shop, Catch22 and Woolworths.
Catch22 was right on the outskirts, around a mile and a half from where the bus stopped, so we often used Woolworths as it was closer, plus obviously sold records, posters and sweets, a proper kids shop...
Catch22 if we walked down there, we'd buy wagglers, the round tubs of shot and maggots if we could afford them. If we couldn't afford maggots we'd be digging up in our compost heap for worms.
My first fish was a rudd from a farm pond.
Same age as me.
My grandma bought me my first rod and reel, along with floats, shot and hooks.
A Czech rod, with metal joints, and a Ryobi reel.
We used to have a post bus that went from the village to the nearby town of Diss, which had both a proper tackle shop, Catch22 and Woolworths.
Catch22 was right on the outskirts, around a mile and a half from where the bus stopped, so we often used Woolworths as it was closer, plus obviously sold records, posters and sweets, a proper kids shop...
Catch22 if we walked down there, we'd buy wagglers, the round tubs of shot and maggots if we could afford them. If we couldn't afford maggots we'd be digging up in our compost heap for worms.
My first fish was a rudd from a farm pond.
In reply to Post #1
Post 13. Split up with my first wife when Shimano released the baitrunners. Was out of work at the time so had a social security grant for pots and pans, bedding etc. Wasn't much of a cook back then so splashed out on the baitrunners ( after a very short spell with the Abu baitrunners which failed me after a couple of trips ). When I gravitated to a proper carp rod, AC6, glass. Described as a carp/barbel rod. Still have it. Then NW through actions, which I also still have and still use occasionally.
Post 13. Split up with my first wife when Shimano released the baitrunners. Was out of work at the time so had a social security grant for pots and pans, bedding etc. Wasn't much of a cook back then so splashed out on the baitrunners ( after a very short spell with the Abu baitrunners which failed me after a couple of trips ). When I gravitated to a proper carp rod, AC6, glass. Described as a carp/barbel rod. Still have it. Then NW through actions, which I also still have and still use occasionally.
My uncle left me a 10" spinning rod and an Intrepid Black Prince in about 1965, when i would have been about 6. Thought i was the dogs do-das at Gillingham Pier.
A bit later i got a 5 in 1 rod and Gallion 12R off the John England catalogue as i had progressed to fishing Allington Locks.
When i was a teenager i progressed to a 440 Mitchel Match with a fancy rod that i can't remember the name of - and then came Tench and Carp. Still got an old Pegley-Davis rod, my first 300, and Heron. I probably bought these from the Angler's Den in Gillingham.
A bit later i got a 5 in 1 rod and Gallion 12R off the John England catalogue as i had progressed to fishing Allington Locks.
When i was a teenager i progressed to a 440 Mitchel Match with a fancy rod that i can't remember the name of - and then came Tench and Carp. Still got an old Pegley-Davis rod, my first 300, and Heron. I probably bought these from the Angler's Den in Gillingham.
In reply to Post #40
'Gallion 12R' that rang a bell, googled it and, yup, used to have one of those!
'Gallion 12R' that rang a bell, googled it and, yup, used to have one of those!
In reply to Post #41
Me two I bought a pair of them in France on a school day trip to Boulogne. Used them for float fishing for years.
Me two I bought a pair of them in France on a school day trip to Boulogne. Used them for float fishing for years.
I used to love getting the Bennett's of Sheffield catalogue through the post as a youngster, circling all the things I wanted. My first carp rod, reel and optonic were purchased from there.
Mail order back in them days, send off your order form and hope they get it in the post
Mail order back in them days, send off your order form and hope they get it in the post
In reply to Post #36
A bit earlier than my one then. I loved that shop in a little side road off the high street if memory serves me correctly. We used to holiday in hythe and I spent a lot of time on the canal and on the Romney marsh great memories and some great fishing.
A bit earlier than my one then. I loved that shop in a little side road off the high street if memory serves me correctly. We used to holiday in hythe and I spent a lot of time on the canal and on the Romney marsh great memories and some great fishing.
In reply to Post #43
I used to love that mag. Bought so much stuff from them over the years as my local tackle shops were almost all attached to pet stores and had very limited stock of anything and were good for maggots, floats and weights but not much else (which covered most of our fishing which was mainly in small farm ponds)
I used to love that mag. Bought so much stuff from them over the years as my local tackle shops were almost all attached to pet stores and had very limited stock of anything and were good for maggots, floats and weights but not much else (which covered most of our fishing which was mainly in small farm ponds)