bluelabel

Hi Crusian... pm wouldn't let me send a pic...(odd) so posted the pic here...

You have a PM...👍

The darker cane on the sharpe is achieved by soaking the blank in a phenol based resin and then autoclaved, (heat and vacuum or high pressure) to force the resin into the cane fibres... it makes for a tougher rod... sadly as phenol is now banned you don't see many impregnated rods... A guy called Barry Grantham bought the process and found a way round the ban on phenols but I think the venture was short lived...

You little tinker you...🤣🤣🤣

One is an impregnated rod t'other isn't, the darker rod is how a sharpe should look with the screw down reel fitting, I had the pale rods's reel fitting removed as it had seized up. In not too precious about matching everything, that ship sailed long ago... life's too short to worry about that sort of thing any more...👍😉

Trad day today... well nearly every days a trad day now... just lost one off a big drop back, probably a Bream... bit of a stuttery movement on the bobbin, but I'm out and freezing in a north easterly..., got the wind off my back so its not too bad, no carp out this morning but plenty of Bream... giving the new banksticks, buzzbars and bobbins a run out... Rods are Sharpes 9'3" and the reels are Leszek Delag fettled Mordex Merlin centerpins...

He's a lovely bloke, the covering letter and descriptions of the work he completed were very detailed and a joy to read, he dismantled each reel completely and rebuilt them to exacting tolerances so they run true and freely, they are my go to pin for carping... if you see him, tell him Aitch from TFF said Hello, and the Merlins are still cracking on...👍😎

Got my name down for one of Leszek's reels, they are a thing of beauty. Sadly I doubt I shall ever own one, as he is in his 80's and has slowed down over the last few years... an utter gentleman and an artist... I have a trio of Mordex Merlin pins that have been modified by Leszek, they have been fitted with brass center bosses rather than the plastic ones that are prone to cracking... they look as if they were factory built...

Korum opportunist mat bag, 2 rod quiver with landing net and brolly, chair... Job done... My back and osteoporosis has called time on overnighters now so I have to travel light... Does tickle me the amount of gear we lug about...

Owdo mate...👍😎

No worries mate...😎👍 'Arry

Owdo Roughtor...👍😎

Nifty...👍

I have a Korum pop up mat and its fine for carp up to 30lb and I have a korum opportunist mat bag... both very usable walled mats and both quite reasonaby priced

Errm did you not notice the smilies... ???

The issue is the attitude of carpers nowadays, its catch at any costs... to be honest if the carpers of today had to endure the blanks, poor bivvies, bedchairs that folded up when you breathed in, exploding tilley lamps and chinese takeaways that didn't deliver there wouldn't be the carp scene there is now... I suppose us old boys were the trailblazers back in the day... you know what they say... On the shoulders of giants and all that...👍😎🤣🤣🤣

For an all rounder, I'd go with My MkIV Avon... great with a float or a bomb on a river or a pool, gotta say though its all subjective... we all have our faves, another rod I love as an All rounder is a Sealey The Roach, tough, tippy powerful nice to play fish on except the handle is a tad short...👍😎

If I could only keep 1 carp rod it'd be my Sharpe's Scottie impregnated 9'3" more powerful than a MkIV more usable, can cast heavier weights, and great in tight swims, if you wanted a longer carp rod it'd be Chapman's 550 Deluxe... same as the above but with a bit more length

Sorry, just seen this... I use them all year round they seem to work well as they are a big hit of fishy protein... I often feed a couple chopped with a few 8 or 10mm pellets

I really need to get my eyes retested Every time I open this page I see it as "New section for village people" 😳😳😳😳

I5lb line is too high for a 1.5lb rod... be okay for a 3lb rod, but not a 1.5lber... I landed a 22lb 10oz Mirror on 8lb line, on a cane rod. Dunno how big your sharks go... but ours are BIG .....🤣😛🎣

Zackley... I once made a paste out of one of my Haslet sarnies ... (boiled pigs head) I had a12lber on that

1, you can hair rig or not, it works either way... its just a different approach 🤷‍♂️ 2, never said the hair rig has blown, just offering an alternative, doesn't have to be a prawn either... Cockle, Mussell, Meat, anything 3, just said do summat different... do what you want...🤷‍♂️ 4, all the "Frippery" is pretty much variations on a common theme... there's been very little meaningful innovation since the invention of the hair rig 5, never said its an all in one solution, you can try different things and find what works for yourself All I'm saying is that a lot of fish and venues see the same thing day in, day out, a different approach often pays dividends and the old methods are working because fish don't see them that often and trip up... The thing that I see a lot is folks sticking to doing the same thing day in day out and moaning that the fish are off the feed, the water's moody, or there's a Y in the day My message is.... if summat ain't working change summat... do summat outta the ordinary... who knows... if it doesn't work try summat else... 🤷‍♂️😎👍

If you want to up the attraction you could chuck in a few 8mm pellets with the chopped prawns, sit well back with the rod tip away, or parallel to the bank

15lb line...? You after sharks...???😛🤣 I use 8lb or sometimes 10lb if there are lumps about...👍🤣