Another handle variation

A bit of an odd one this, and not one I'll be able to replicate. I had an enquiry about a full Duplon handle with a reel seat incorporating a long locking nut like the horrible (to my eyes) one which has been used on certain Daiwa rods.

The only thing  I could think of that comes close is a Fuji fitting that I had used on such a handle on one of my spod rods, more to see what it looked like than anything.  My customer liked the look and so I went to look for the fitting in the catalogue only to find it had been left out. I guess it had never proved pupular and had been dropped. Nonetheless I phoned to check availability and managed to get hold of some from the depths of the stock room.

I'd forgotten the trouble I had fitting the seat to my rod. It's a design fault. If the long nut had been made about five mm shorter it would be as easy as fitting a standard reel seat. Still, a bit of bodging got me through again and the result is quite pleasing on the eye, and pleasant to hold with a reel attached.

Click to enlarge

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Under the reelseat 96

The number of iffy ways of fitting reel seats that some manufacturers (or their far eastern suppliers more likely) use to fit reel seats never ceases to amaze me when I'm stripping rods for repair or rebuild. Admittedly most seem to work as it's surprising how little glue is required to bond a reel seat to a blank securely. Most times I'm replacing a worn seat rather than one that is loose - although that does happen.

The latest find is a fantastic piece of minimal tape use. I think I've seen this cloth tape used before, but not in such narrow rolls. The glue is a mystery though. It took very little heat to free the seat and the glue didn't look, feel, or smell like an epoxy.

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Another try

Back for another eel session on another still evening. Not as warm as yesterday, but sunny and quiet with fewer dog walkers. The approach was pretty much the same except I fished a different swim and put two dendrobenas on a size eight on one rod. Two spots were baited with maggots and my attempt at catching a small fish for bait was successful. One small rudd was landed, a similarly sized skimmer escaped as I swung it in.

There was a change to the bite indication this time round. I hung my lightest bobbins on the line and had the baitrunners slack as before. The plan worked in part. Just after eight thirty, with the sun set but still plenty of light, I had a run to the rudd head section. My strike met with no resistance. The bait was gone, however. While rebaiting with the tail section the bobbin on the worm rod flew up and after flinging the rod I was dealing with to one side I connected with something. Something that turned out to be a modest bream. Reasonable for the canal, but modest as bream go. The way the bobbin had shot up had me convinced an eel had been responsible.

It's that time of year when the heat soon goes out of the air and dew forms on the rods. The cool dampness is most noticeable at ground level and standing up always makes me feel warmer. Even so the woolly hat was required, and the fleece mittens got an airing too. Not having taken a flask, and not being in the mood for a longer stay, I was on my way home at nine.

It's a funny thing, but these days I can only face really short sessions with no travelling - the canal is ten minutes from home - or two/three night sessions a long way away. I can't get into gear to fish six or eight hour sessions an hour's drive from home, or full day sessions anywhere. Maybe the short winter days will change that. I'm getting twitchy about doing some piking this winter. Although I know a couple of blanks will soon change my mind. I seem to be getting more and more impatient with fishing as I get older - unless I'm chilling out on a long session.

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Not catching eels

This evening I went for a second half-hearted eel session. I took a couple of rods down to the canal again, using half rudd as baits on simple running legers. Sort of like the John Sidley eel rig, incorporating some ProLeader for the short hooklink.

I started off by feeding two spots with maggots, then fishing a float over them to try to catch some fresh baits. One small perch was all that I managed, from the only decent bite. So after quarter of an hour I put the eel rods out. One bait over each patch of maggots.

Some bubbles appeared, moving around between the baited spots. Could have been bream, but I had a feeling an eel was responsible. My hopes were raised.

First time out I had one twitchy take and the bait had disappeared. This time, in ideal warm still and muggy conditions, I started getting twitches when the sun had disappeared below the  horizon. Enough of them to keep me interested. Like a fool I was fishing off a very slack baitrunner. Evidently not slack enough. I tried touch legering, but I was still only getting short tugs. Open bale and slack line, watching where it entered the water, was no better.

When I wound in to check the baits were still on the hooks they both looked to have been clamped down on. After I recast them the bites stopped. As it was only a tester session I packed up at nine fifteen. I might have stayed longer if I'd been better prepared. Then again I probably wouldn't have.

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More rod photos

I've been playing around with my camera gear again. This time to revamp the dlst.co.uk homepage. All very artsy, but something I couldn't have done with my old camera.

 

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New handle photos

I've finally taken some half decent shots of my new abbreviated handle style. One of these days I'll make a proper set up for doing product shots. It shouldn't be difficult, or too expensive. All I need is a large white backdrop as I have all the other gear. But like so many things in life I simply can't be arsed! The new photos and information are on the Predator Rods page of my dlst.co.uk site.

Or you can click the ones below for a better look.

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