bluelabel

Try these... same action as a 3.5lb Scope and Cotswold Pace... I honestly don't know why you need a 3.5lb rod... I catch nigh 30lb fish on a rod with 1.5lbs tc and it'll still chuck a bait 70 yards🤷‍♂️ Good luck though...

I don't smoke and have no apprentice... got a tweed hat and jacket though...😛🤣

Cheers lads... my heart was in my mouth when it surfaced... it's a stunner...👍😎

Caught a new club water, 2lb even... delighted🥰😍

In a word, YES...👍 I have landed fish up to 27lb on cane rods with a test curve of approximately 1.5lb. A 2.5lb rod will be fine as long as you are not looking to spank it a huge distance

Had another meself today, had 3 now

Korum Opportunist Mat Bag, with a Korum fully loaded tackle box in the kit bag, along with alarms, sticks, catty, pva tube, bait tub (bait tub since replaced with a Korum EVA eva bait and tackle station), Chair, rod bag and I still have a hand free for gates etc... I travel fairly light these days... short trips for me nowadays, even reverting to the use of a trolley as my back is totally naffed Do yerselves a flavour and travel light... it do tickle me sideways when some bod with a barrow piled higher than the Shard say's... "Ya gotta stay mobile man"... 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Dem sox is funky...🤣🤣🤣

Wunno these... nifty bit o kit...👍

He's one of my Angling influences, as well as Fred J Taylor,... both superb anglers... Try and have a read of Fred's "Favourite Swims" a cracking read...👍

The pin Short, the Abu long...👍😎

He was a truly innovative angler in his day and definitely the forefather of modern carping... Rest well Richard Walker..👍

Just a Bream so far...

They'll be fine... the Sharpe 9 footers are Salmon spinning rods, all I'd say is they are not meant to cast heavy leads, I keep my leads down to 1.5oz max for a chuck

I have 2×9'3" and 2×9'6" plus an 8 footer... all have handled 20's... the only time I struggled with one,was when I hooked a 40lb+ at Ashmead in 2018... just couldn't stop it ploughing through 2 weedbeds... lost it...😭 I retired 6 years ago, (ill health) get my state pension this year, got my name down for one of Leszeks Masterpieces but he's getting on a bit now

Not a fan... I use a Korum Opportunist mat bag... storage, carryall, can even return fish safely with it... does me...

Wraps, sticks, cords....???? naaaah... not for me... Find a spot I like, mark the line with tape, put a big wide laccy band or bit of bike inner tube on the spool (don't have line clips on old Abu's or Mitchells) and chuck it out with a stringer or PVA bag... you guys are over complicating stuff... and the above is only If I'm fishing at owt more'n 20 yards or so, any closer and I'm on a centerpin reel.... (Shakes head and walks off muttering about the yoof of t'day)😛😉😎👍

My back isn't up to the drive Andy... anyway, we're doing Romsey later in the year... had 8 cortisone injections in one hit last month... drove to Portsmouth for the Wally trip and I was in agony... waiting for an op on my back to de-nerve it so I'm down to a few hours fishing locally at the mo... The Sharpe is a tough rod, I can almost cast across our club lake with a 1.1 Avid lead, but I'm holding off giving it the beans on a really long chuck... besides if I want to fish the far bank I'll go round the other side and fish the margins...😛👍🤣

Got out today... over me club lake... a nice scrappy common got in on the act and gave me a good tear up all the way in from about 30 yards out... Rod was a 9'3" Sharpe, reel is an Abu 77 Cardinal, had a smaller carp which didn't stay still long enough for a shot... also had the scabbiest Bream in the lake...🥴

While my Floats Still Cocked, Still half Cocked Two superb books by Maurice Pledger, AKA Mole... artist and author... superbly written and illustrated, a consummate angler who goes under the radar... The books are gently humorous, with tales of his friends, himself and his dog Mouse, the artwork is superb... Give em a go, you won't be disapponted

In the great scheme of things, I'll not be voting in the election this time round... As a pensioner I've seen too many abuses of power and privilege over the years, I think this years election will see one of the lowest turnouts in history, people are sick of all the infighting and point scoring rather than genuine work to better this country Billy Connolly has it right... "any desire to be a politician should automatically preclude you from being one" Politicians are in it for money, perks and power... nothing else... Don't encourage them...

Take care mate... you'll get the bug once more... In 2011 I lost my dad and I packed up for 2 years... my lass told me to leave the gear in the garage in case I started up again ( I did) When I returned it wasn't the same, but the enjoyment for fishing was still there, I later packed in match fishing and got into vintage gear... I've not looked back... I still have my carbon carp rods but they are rarely used now. I now don't fish as often as I used to through ill health (collapsed back and knackered knees) but when I do the thrill is still there.. Look after yourself... 😎👍

Bought a 4th Sharpe Scottie 9'3" for stalking, its been rebuilt to original spinning rod spec rather than rebuilt as a carp rod... its a cracker And for a bit of ordinary feeder flinging, a Preston Ignition 10' carp feeder rod

Another river shot.

Feed the flippin hamster fer gawds sake