Back in the 70's I had a brilliant "Weed Cutter" that not only cut the weed but dragged the bottom at the same time.

I don't know what it actually was , but it was strip of metal about a yard long by 2" wide and only about 3mm thick that tapered to almost 1mm, it basically resembled a carpet strip you have in a doorway to fasten a carpet down. It may even have been one.

I cannot recall how I fastened it to the "Rope", but when I pulled it in, it would dive downwards and you could feel the drag on it as it was like a "Diving Vane" and hug the bottom tight and not leave it, it would send up "Showers" of bubbles and cut weed right down to the bottom of the pond and leave nothing poking up. When you saw it working in clear shallow water, you could see the "Arms" to the left and right of the rope flex downwards with the drag.

All weed cut would float to the surface and drift off or just throw the drag over it and pull it all in.

It was only about 3 years ago I found it in the garden and it had corroded badly and I threw it away along with another homemade one I pulled out of a pond that someone had lost. I havent had need for a drag / Weedcutter for years, but if I did, that is what I would be looking to make.

I like my "Camouflage clothing" and still have plenty of my old DPM jackets from the 70's onwards when I was in the army to wear out plus what I have bought, I avoid "Realtree Clothing" etc like the plague though. What I like with "Camouflage clothing" is, when you do long sessions, it looks cleaner for longer plus, if it is genuine army surplus, it is tougher and more hardwearing than the rubbish that tackle manufacturers produce which rips easily etc.

One thing to avoid though is "Plastic buckets" coated in "Realtree", leave them out in the Sun too long etc and they are getting old, the "Realtree coating" starts flaking off and first thing you will notice is little white flaky bits that looks like dandruff in your car and it eventually gets worse till it all has flaked off and your just left with white buckets. Its far better to buy just plain green plastic buckets.

About 20 years ago me and my friend fished in a storm down in Norfolk in swims next to each other and there was a right gale blowing. Every now and then I would stick my head out of the bivvy for a look left and right and if my friend was out doing similar he would be laughing his head off if he was looking my way.

Eventually, I had to get out for a call of "nature" and as I stepped out of the bivvy first thing I noticed was a great tree that had blown down and landed about 10' behind my bivvy. I walked over to my friend and asked him when that had happened and he just replied "Ages ago, didn't you know" and I just said, "No, I wondered what you was laughing at though!"

Basically, if your fishing in a storm, think twice about your swim, any tree can just come down in a storm or even a big branch breaking off. Just stay safe, it is not worth the risk.

In reply to Post #17
I wear them all day if I am sat in the bivvy on a cold Winters day as they keep your knees warm, Summer, I only put them on when I need them.

I have never wore them with just shorts so I'm not sure, but googling it, you need a special type

Two things that catch my eye, those things you call "Rubber cable ties", they look like the plastic tags you get to use as "Dumbells" for bait stops that the likes of Gardner used to sell, maybe still do, but they are identical to what you get tags on clothing etc you buy from a shop, I don't know what they are called but you can buy a 1000 in various colours for just a few pound off Ebay. I bought a 1000 20 years ago, I'm still using them as you get 10 "Dumbbells" or more off a stalk, plus I reuse them until I lose them..

Also, rather than a kneeling mat, I have used Knee pads also for over 20 years, far better as you are always wearing them and in Winter they keep your knees warm. The ones I use are the "Military style" that the army and the likes of SWAT teams and Paintballers etc use rather than the likes you would get from Wickes or B&Q for the building trade and carpet fitters.

Fishing directly in the "Edge" in your actual swim can be a "Hotspot" that is completely overlooked.

It's a spot where fish are virtually guaranteed to find food, anglers take hookbaits off the rigs and chuck them in there, wash bait buckets out etc, some anglers, myself included, have accidently "dropped" the hopper of the baitboat and all its contents right in front of the swim or the doors were not shut properly. Depending on how the swim is built, a baitboat can "Bump" into it on its return journey and any food bits etc will be knocked out or if they are like me, when I have done all my runs, give the hopper a wipe down with a sponge to give it a quick clean out of all bits of bait etc before lifting it out. Food from meals gets thrown in there.

I have had many a bonus fish from directly under my rods and back in the 80's, I would always have a bait in position just a yard to the left or right or below the tips....and it would work often, just make sure the "Bait Runner" is on as runs are savage. And one bonus was, were I was fishing, providing you kept quiet, nobody else could disturb that spot

One of the pictures reminds me that I still use my first set of "Avons" to this day for carp fishing, I bought them in the 60's when I first started carp fishing, the ones that went up to 32lb as they covered everything that I would catch in them days and then eventually got a set that went up to 40lb.

I have loads of "Antique" stuff that I use to this day for fishing: -

My steel mug and aluminium water bottle, matching set, are army surplus and stamped 1956

My plastic water bottle is 1963, Vietnam war army surplus

My two best fishing jackets are labeled 1954 and 1958, both Belgian Para army surplus, ex 1964 Congo, both different camouflage schemes, one of them valued over £200 and the other £300+.

As for tackle, I have loads from the 60's that I occasionaly use.

About the worst item of equipment which I still have and will never use again is the "Terry Hearn Stealth Bedchair", absolutely useless and worst bed in my collection. Claimed to give you more space in the bivvy with it being low, but what good is space above you, and barely no space to put bulky bags etc under the bed, what you supposed to do, dangle it from the roof of the bivvy? Even my Fox Double sided tackle box was to big to put under the bed as I would sink down onto it and to top it off, it was easy for mice and rats to join you if anything was dangling over side of the bed and I'm sure rats would jump up as well as climb up.

Then it only has about 6" of leg adjustment, useless on a sloping bank.

Also a "Raised Head" end, only good if you sleep on your back, try sleeping on it on your side for a long Winter night and you feel as if your neck is broke, and if you try and sleep on it face down or partially, your head and neck are bent back as if your a Gymnast.

Only someone with no knowledge of one would buy one second hand!!!

Should have weighed yourself....you might have had a PB!!!

One thing that I have just recalled that was years ahead of its time, "Efgeeco Bait Bombs", they came out in the 60's.

They were just a dried out barrel shaped lump of groundbait, with a hole through them to put your line through, then there was a domed area cutout which is were your bait and hook went, and then you just cast them out and the ball of groundbait would dissolve, you could fish a very small bait a long way out. I always had a couple of packs of 6 in my bag.

I think Jim Gibbinson mentions them in his book "CARP" as a means to fish long distances without using leads when you was "Freelineing".

Basically, it was a predessesor years ahead of the "Method Feeder", "Stick Mixes" and "Bags" etc.

I have always thought of making my own, but never have.


In fact, I have just googled them and they have "Collectors Status" and I am shocked to see that those green Efgeeco bait boxes sell for up to £32, if I recall, they were only a few "shillings" and probably last about half a dozen trips fishing before they broke!!!