My boy who is 11 is now taking a massive interest in Carp fishing. I was telling hime how I learned through books and Anglers Mail articles. No 'You Tube' and 1000 videos to show you how things are done. I was telling him that when I was a kid/youth in the 80s how everything was a little bit different from what is avaiable now!
My carp fishing started with cubes of luncheon meat and a blade of grass as the hair stop, bot rig using two shot
on the line and a fairy liquid bottle as an indicator
As I got more into Carp fshing, rods were Daiwa whatever were the cheapest at the time, cant remember the model?. Reels were Abu Garcia 'Fast Cast' free spool (Oh how I wanted the Shimano baitrunners)
My first 'bivvy' was 45inch Nubrolly with a Nash nylon overwrap. The condensation was like an interior water feature
First Rod Pod was the original gardner one where you slid the metal bars through the body
My bedchair was the old blue sun lounger with the ratchet system
Bite alarms were original basic Optonics with monkey climbers.
Wondering what other people's first set ups an memories are from 'back in the day'
My carp fishing started with cubes of luncheon meat and a blade of grass as the hair stop, bot rig using two shot
on the line and a fairy liquid bottle as an indicatorAs I got more into Carp fshing, rods were Daiwa whatever were the cheapest at the time, cant remember the model?. Reels were Abu Garcia 'Fast Cast' free spool (Oh how I wanted the Shimano baitrunners)
My first 'bivvy' was 45inch Nubrolly with a Nash nylon overwrap. The condensation was like an interior water feature
First Rod Pod was the original gardner one where you slid the metal bars through the body
My bedchair was the old blue sun lounger with the ratchet system
Bite alarms were original basic Optonics with monkey climbers.
Wondering what other people's first set ups an memories are from 'back in the day'
In reply to Post #1
Not much different to yourself
My rods were DAM 11footer not even matching
I think one was a quicksilver charcoal grey and the other was an Andy little brown coloured
Can't remember the reels but I remember buying the Abu bait runners to go with them later on
Alarms were bitech vipers
Same pod as yourself
Same as you with fairy bottle top indicators and the. Upgraded to fox swingers when they came out
Bivvy was a Shakespeare cypry dome 2 man for me and the now wife
Not much different to yourself
My rods were DAM 11footer not even matching
I think one was a quicksilver charcoal grey and the other was an Andy little brown coloured
Can't remember the reels but I remember buying the Abu bait runners to go with them later on
Alarms were bitech vipers
Same pod as yourself
Same as you with fairy bottle top indicators and the. Upgraded to fox swingers when they came out
Bivvy was a Shakespeare cypry dome 2 man for me and the now wife
In reply to Post #2
BTech Vipers ha ha I remember them that is a blast from the past
BTech Vipers ha ha I remember them that is a blast from the past
In reply to Post #1
Silstar power wind rods, some cheapish daiwa reels with 8lb sylcast line, rolon buzzers, 45inch brolly with a tarp over the top, monkey climbers made from steredent tubes, the first fox bedchair. Had o e of those same gardner pods too, god they were awful
Silstar power wind rods, some cheapish daiwa reels with 8lb sylcast line, rolon buzzers, 45inch brolly with a tarp over the top, monkey climbers made from steredent tubes, the first fox bedchair. Had o e of those same gardner pods too, god they were awful
In reply to Post #4
Those pods
They spent more time on their sides than standing upright lol
Those pods
They spent more time on their sides than standing upright lol
In reply to Post #1
Bit younger than you lot, my first carp outfit was all bought from Argos. Those blue and black rods that were about 2.5lb tc but about 30mm thick. Garbage but I loved em.
I too had one of those pods and it spent most of its time on its side! Ha funny times
Bit younger than you lot, my first carp outfit was all bought from Argos. Those blue and black rods that were about 2.5lb tc but about 30mm thick. Garbage but I loved em.
I too had one of those pods and it spent most of its time on its side! Ha funny times
In reply to Post #1
First proper carp gear was
Bruce & Walker MkIV glass rods (10ft and about 1 1/2 lb test curve, I think)
Mitchell 300A reels
BJ Bite alarms
sylcast or maxima line
Balcombe fastnet landing net
sunlounger bed chair (bin liner over the end to protect against rain)
45" nubrolli
link ledgered cat food paste or various particles as bait
Good times
First proper carp gear was
Bruce & Walker MkIV glass rods (10ft and about 1 1/2 lb test curve, I think)
Mitchell 300A reels
BJ Bite alarms
sylcast or maxima line
Balcombe fastnet landing net
sunlounger bed chair (bin liner over the end to protect against rain)
45" nubrolli
link ledgered cat food paste or various particles as bait
Good times
In reply to Post #1
My first set up in the late 80's:
Local Tackle shop rods 2lb TC
Abu Cardinal 155's (not bait runners - used to fish open bail arm or reels backwinding as they were well greased up)
Alarms were Optonics which I later got converted
Had one of the awful gardner pods
Gardner monkey climbers which I still use today for catfish
Blue Argos Bedchair, or the back killer as I called it
50" Wavelock Nubrolli + Nash Overwrap
Nice spirally rig tube
Jack Hilton Partridge hooks
Dacron hooklinks (think it was Gardner)
The good old days.......
My first set up in the late 80's:
Local Tackle shop rods 2lb TC
Abu Cardinal 155's (not bait runners - used to fish open bail arm or reels backwinding as they were well greased up)
Alarms were Optonics which I later got converted
Had one of the awful gardner pods
Gardner monkey climbers which I still use today for catfish
Blue Argos Bedchair, or the back killer as I called it
50" Wavelock Nubrolli + Nash Overwrap
Nice spirally rig tube
Jack Hilton Partridge hooks
Dacron hooklinks (think it was Gardner)
The good old days.......
I met a Bricklayer in 1962 I was a hod carrier
and he was one of the original carp anglers of the 50s he fished Cut Mill pond Farnham every Sat night with his wife both keen carp anglers
at that time I was a mad keen Barbel angler fishing the Thames at Sunbury next to the open air swimming pool and guesting on the Kennet at night
about this time his wife was heavily pregnant and she could not go so he invited me and I was to use his wifes setup bite alarm was a half penny on the open spool with an enamel plate underneath a loop of baking foil on the line free lined spud that night sods law only one fish and came on my rod !!!!!!!! (always been lucky)
and so shortly after that came my first proper setup I went to the shop in Ealing where for Half a Crown down you walked out the shop with a pair of Mk 4 split cane carp rods and a payment book you went back every week and paid your weekly amount brolly was a wood pole version and a situp and beg chair an army blanket and a square of canvas over your legs
and when I could afford it I bought a Heron Bite Alarm
reels I think I first had Mitchell half bail arms but later got 300s and then met Len Arbury who lived in those days fairly close in Southall and he did a conversion and made the bail arm a roller I think Mitchell pinched his idea and bought out the 410 with yes the same sort of roller sadly Len passed away recently as practically all my old mates have
but the wonderful memories of a different time remain thermos flask with a cork stopper a couple of sandwiches wrapped in grease proof paper in a brown paper bag a couple of carrots to munch on and maybe an apple a candle in a jam jar
and he was one of the original carp anglers of the 50s he fished Cut Mill pond Farnham every Sat night with his wife both keen carp anglers
at that time I was a mad keen Barbel angler fishing the Thames at Sunbury next to the open air swimming pool and guesting on the Kennet at night
about this time his wife was heavily pregnant and she could not go so he invited me and I was to use his wifes setup bite alarm was a half penny on the open spool with an enamel plate underneath a loop of baking foil on the line free lined spud that night sods law only one fish and came on my rod !!!!!!!! (always been lucky)
and so shortly after that came my first proper setup I went to the shop in Ealing where for Half a Crown down you walked out the shop with a pair of Mk 4 split cane carp rods and a payment book you went back every week and paid your weekly amount brolly was a wood pole version and a situp and beg chair an army blanket and a square of canvas over your legs
and when I could afford it I bought a Heron Bite Alarm
reels I think I first had Mitchell half bail arms but later got 300s and then met Len Arbury who lived in those days fairly close in Southall and he did a conversion and made the bail arm a roller I think Mitchell pinched his idea and bought out the 410 with yes the same sort of roller sadly Len passed away recently as practically all my old mates have
but the wonderful memories of a different time remain thermos flask with a cork stopper a couple of sandwiches wrapped in grease proof paper in a brown paper bag a couple of carrots to munch on and maybe an apple a candle in a jam jar
In reply to Post #1
My 1st paired set up for carping was just a rehash of my bream/tench/barbel set up.
10ft daiwa harrier feeder rods, mitchell 300 reels loaded with 11lb sylcast, basic optonic alarms, original gardner pod, 45" brolly with home made storm sides, red argos sun lounger.
Rods were upgraded to Harrison multicarp 2lb, reels were downgraded to crappy daiwa bit and run reels, and when they died I got some stunning shimano aero gt 6010.
About this time I also got some optonic xl alarms, and a 45" Nash zig wrap to make a bivvy.
My 1st paired set up for carping was just a rehash of my bream/tench/barbel set up.
10ft daiwa harrier feeder rods, mitchell 300 reels loaded with 11lb sylcast, basic optonic alarms, original gardner pod, 45" brolly with home made storm sides, red argos sun lounger.
Rods were upgraded to Harrison multicarp 2lb, reels were downgraded to crappy daiwa bit and run reels, and when they died I got some stunning shimano aero gt 6010.
About this time I also got some optonic xl alarms, and a 45" Nash zig wrap to make a bivvy.
My first carp forays were on a small water full of 'wildies' or feral carp. I used my glass ledger rod and an old 3 piece cane rod from my early days. Having discovered that line on the cane set up was ancient and snapped at about 2lb, and being unable to afford new, I carried on with one rod.
This was used on countless day and night sessions, silver foil (from KitKat wrappers) then washing up bottle tops were my bite indicators, bait was crust, sweetcorn or meat.
I slowly advanced to a MkIV copy in hollow glass, Mitchell 300 and later an Optonic. It took a long time to get a two rod set up and much longer to have matching gear.
Camping chair, Argos sun lounger, leaky brolly, rubbish flask.....
Eee, y'tell that to t'kids today and they won't believe ya.
I still though, have a pair of BTech Vipers in the garage, so I must have progressed at some stage
This was used on countless day and night sessions, silver foil (from KitKat wrappers) then washing up bottle tops were my bite indicators, bait was crust, sweetcorn or meat.
I slowly advanced to a MkIV copy in hollow glass, Mitchell 300 and later an Optonic. It took a long time to get a two rod set up and much longer to have matching gear.
Camping chair, Argos sun lounger, leaky brolly, rubbish flask.....
Eee, y'tell that to t'kids today and they won't believe ya.
I still though, have a pair of BTech Vipers in the garage, so I must have progressed at some stage
In reply to Post #11
😂yeah them pods were awesome
So was the sylcast line
Wait ten years for a biggy and then watch as your line parts company
The anti tangle lead system that stuck in the bottom like a flag👏
😂yeah them pods were awesome
So was the sylcast line
Wait ten years for a biggy and then watch as your line parts company
The anti tangle lead system that stuck in the bottom like a flag👏
In reply to Post #1
First set up was sundridge 11ft 2lb tc and diawa sensor 2.25 ,gardner rod pod monkey climbers ,my great aunts old sunlounger which I upgraded with an aqua bedchair mattress bought from carp shop in Rotherham
Nubrolli with nash storm sides think the reels were those mitchell 1140 rd ? Alarms were optonics with sounder box
Upgraded rods to North Western Sealeys later on 👍
First set up was sundridge 11ft 2lb tc and diawa sensor 2.25 ,gardner rod pod monkey climbers ,my great aunts old sunlounger which I upgraded with an aqua bedchair mattress bought from carp shop in Rotherham
Nubrolli with nash storm sides think the reels were those mitchell 1140 rd ? Alarms were optonics with sounder box
Upgraded rods to North Western Sealeys later on 👍
All hand me downs, 2x Shakespear glass float rods with Mitchell 300's maybe and a leaky brolly in the late 80's. Learnt of some big Bream that were coming out of Lymm Damm at night to the Carp boys, and as I'd just got my 1st car and could get there I went after them. The problem was it wasn't much fun taking it in turns all night to watch the rods/floats for bites, so that called for some Optonics and I treated myself to some Solar banksticks which I still have. One night a double figure Carp decided it was going to have some fun with me and my gear, from that point on I was hooked.
My fist rod used for carp was a silstar “ledge” rod and silstar rear drag reel, 8lb line and a swing tip....
I was only 10 at the time as was jealous of other older people using two rods.... but my dad wouldn't let me use of 2 rods until i was 14... i was young and wanted to be like everyone else..... bait was luncheon meat with grass as a bait stop..... caught my fair share...that's wot got me hooked on carp fishing.... for a seat i had my dadas mates old whisker basket with a bit of sponge on top....i dunno how i fit all my tackle / bait and lunch in this seat and still had room to spare.....
I was only 10 at the time as was jealous of other older people using two rods.... but my dad wouldn't let me use of 2 rods until i was 14... i was young and wanted to be like everyone else..... bait was luncheon meat with grass as a bait stop..... caught my fair share...that's wot got me hooked on carp fishing.... for a seat i had my dadas mates old whisker basket with a bit of sponge on top....i dunno how i fit all my tackle / bait and lunch in this seat and still had room to spare.....