I love listening to these guys talking like they are old men. They're only babies! My first rod was made of split cane and my first reel was a Strikeright centrepin! My current set-up hasn't changed much tbh! I also remember put-in poles - mine was a Silstar that had a metal ring around the end of each section. Weighed an absolute ton. Fish with that all day and you ended up with Popeye arms! 😂
You had it easy boys, when I started fishing there were two types of hook, Hotspur or specimen ten and fifteen pence respectively for ten hooks. I had an actual repurposed laundry basket, because it was wicker and traditional, weight ten tons and was character building, when lugging it 5 miles each way to the river and back. Intrepid reels, don't get me started, anything bigger than a pound in weight would strip the gearing, you could turn the handle until the universe ends and it wouldn't pick up line. I still remember my old dad using old spark plugs as ledger weight on the Thames at Richmond Bridge. Solid fiberglass rods with brass joins that two shire horses couldn't pull apart. Those were the days.
Shakespeare Cosmos....that was my first pole too. Flopped about like a tank aerial. 🤣 Also had to the Kiley box. Retro hooks....Image Ghost, really square shape.
I had and still do have an AS1 box. Ahead of their time and i would not change it for the world, But you do need a trolley for it as the bugger is heavy. Good luck everyone and stay safe
Still use a Nash holdall, milo tardis, shimano stradics, tubertini 808s,bayer perlon(only on rivers) original preston chianti floats and a 20 year old tricast pole(cerberus) took just over 10 years off from match fishing and lock down brought me back, still back to winning matches with me retro gear, didn't know what dobing, mugging was, puller bungs were, never heard of a jigger float, had to learn all over again lol, still got me boss pole rollers aswell😁
I used to use those pole disks as a kid on the canals. I used to wet them and stick them in my joker and leam, ship it over and slip it under the water 👌
My first proper pole was an 11m DAM Carbomesh that my Dad bought for me, absolutely loved that pole and still have it for sentimental reasons but it’s officially ‘retired’ as I don’t want to risk breaking it.
Flashbacks and memories. I can remember thinking that sunridge box was the pro when I got mine as a kid. A step up from my old granddad's wicker hamper box . 😂
I started with a proper fishing basket. You mentioned Watercraft, I remember Watercraft made a great box which everybody seemed to have at one time. The ASI boxes were bomb proof but weighed a ton even without gear in. Think my first pole was a browning and purple trim on it. Probably best bit of vintage gear I still have is a 13ft prototype Daiwa Tommy Pickering amorphous/graphite stick float rod which actually belonged to Tommy that I bought third hand off Alan Taylor who served as YTS in Tommy's shop at Donny and who now works at Wickersley and a local lad to me. Love that rod but not used it in years.
I love the way the lads are reminiscing about kit I actually use now - a B-tec box with seymo rollers that doesn’t give me a hernia to carry, Mitchell match for waggler work 😁
Love these vids…….keep em coming plz. My first pole was (if I remember right) a bright orange ‘roach’ pole - think was telescopic and around 8m?? Tied line direct to the end I seem to recall.
I always wanted a Rive Conti Box. But never had the money. In terms of poles, I've got very fond memories of my Shakespeare Flavia that my parents bought me from Leslie's of Luton for my 10th or 11th birthday. I loved that pole.
Pole wise I had a 6 metre leech pole in orange. Like yourselves I had a green cantilever box with orange changeable sections. My mam got me this when I was 12 in 1976 and I got this through her saving embassy cigarette coupons. I then got a whicker basket. I have still got my Shakespeare blue seat box and bought my son the Shakespeare beta box which Andy was on about.
Richard I am in your gang I had and still have my old sunridge seat box some good memories and plenty on numb bums later its still going strong I now use it when I go sea fishing.
Had the daiwa equivalent to the Shakespeare box. Maver Jurrasic Carp 11m pole and the daiwa rod holdall with the tubes. Also had 2 Shakespeare ledger rods with swing tips and a silstar match float rod. That silstar rod was the mutts nuts, bloody loved it. Still have all of it. I keep thinking I need to have a go with the swing tips again
My dad had a Efgeeco tackle box that you sat on. It was green canvas type material over a metal framework. Hard as a rock to sit on. Very few poles in the U.K when I left in 81. Abu Cardinal 44 Express for ledgering.
Had a second hand Garbolino Mustang Pole ( as heavy as a Telephone Pole), and an Abu mk5 all England 13’ Match Rod for many years and an Efgeeco metal framed Seat Box.Now after over 50 years of Fishing have more Rods than I really need,and still buy that “special ultimate,fish catching “Float.
Interesting video lads I can remember saving up twenty pence coins to by myself a Shakspeare box and the first pole I used was like holding a scaffolding post and it weighed as much so tight lines 🎣🎣🎣⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐👍
Hooks… I found a packet of “pinch barbless” in my box when I was sorting it out to transfer into new box. Think they were Drennan and I would have bought them in early 2000s when I used to go fishing with a mate from med school. No barb but the hook from just below the point to before the bend was pinched flat perpendicular to the shank.
I still have a Shakespeare box (with two trays, and Octoplus legs. I started with a wicker creel type basket. They were baskets then not boxes and not seat boxes. I had the cantilever plastic box, followed by a wooden hinged box, with two layers and foam rubber stuck in it with slits, for floats. Remember them keepnets that were basically a big sock made of knotted string? I had one of them. the good old days. Split cane rods with brass ferules, and fibre glass rods that weighed a ton. Stick float fishing the Dane with a 13ft orange glass rod, and a right arm like Popeye. Mitchell 300 and 400 reels, were almost bullet proof. I still have one with spare spools (dont use it).
My first pole had external elastic, was maybe 8m long but it did me ok on the Exeter Canal. My first 'proper' pole was an 11m silstar powerwind put-in, really strong and could catch bream 11m to hand and handle carp easily, the strongest laccy was a Preston solid 8, ideal for spring lake at viaduct (not). I still use my boss rollers when fishing down the edge as my 3rd/4th rollers.
Still got a put-in pole, 6m Shakey Mustang, refreshing the top kits right now. First box was a Steadfast-Leeda, big black box. Eventually got an Octoplus super xl set-up for it, which I still have. Switched to a basic Leeda 2xl chair though, more comfortable. Old fishing buddy had a Watercraft box with octoplus gear. That was a bloody heavy box for being all plastic.
Orite lads , I’ve still got a shimano diaflash 14 meters in its cover and it’s mint !! Haven’t fished in nearly 30 years and now I wanna fish again, bought the pole for ted carter’s done me a great deal pole and conti box with octoplus legs and deep draw elasticated £1000 chuft 😊
Another great video Guys. I'm still using an eight-drawer Boss Box that I bought second hand in the early nineties complete with wheel kit and footplate. (The little sticker inside says 1987) Can't remember the exact price but I do know the Wife would have removed part of my anatomy if she'd known. I flirted with a beautiful burgundy coloured ASI Box for a few months but it weighed a tonne empty so I got rid.
Tricast Commander pole / Normark No1 + No2 + Fast Feeder rods / Shakespeare black net handle with white grip / Steadefast or Keenets Safeweigh keepnets with round rings / Daiwa TD1350 + 1650 reels / NewarkNeedle float (ask Daddy May) / Tricast Diamond Kevlar float rods / DAM Futron pole / Mal Storey feeder rods / Daiwa Shinobi line / Normark Norboron + Microlite + Titan + Avenger rods (pre--2000 series) / Preston Carbonactive Dream rods......and loads more. PS. The Conti-box was the pre-cursor to Rive - I had the Octoplus system that fitted under the box on mine, and an Octoplus side wheelkit and footplate.
Browning Black Magic put ins are absolute legendary bagging poles.None better,I have had a few and to this day they are the last word in bagging long line to hand.I have the Shakey Hexa 14m,hexagonal sections,great pole but fragile,would love a Diaflash 14m,fantastic poles.
My first pole cup an aerosol lid with 2 holes drilled in and slid onto a top. The improved version was lid glued to clothes peg and clipped to top. Evolution.
Back in the day it was a Daiwa box octopus leg system and Daiwa luggage with a jaguar ledger and float rods that was my first complete.set up before then was a five foot Winfield rod and reel set lol sitting on deck chairs
Happy memories - 1st pole was an Ian Heaps 11m followed by the purple Dam pole and I still have a Maver k25 shame you can't top kits it's still a great pole
My first pole was an 11m garbolino spirit,used it for years fishing on Todmorden canal.Never broke a section and I’ve still got it at home,somewhere.🎣🎣
I thought I was king of the river when the Mitchell match first come out and I got one until windy days and the line would either wrap around the twin springs and I would snap off or it would drag the line underneath the spool 😂 the good old days lol
I had the sundridge box chappy was on about but the one before that had a cushion, also had asi and a brilo eventually, first carbon rod a dam champion 10ft
Started off with a "general" rod - for float and feeder fishing, which you screwed in additional quiver and swing tip sections. Made of fibreglass, weighed a ton and ended up with a permanent bend in it after I caught a pike on it. They don't make em like they used to....
I miss my AS1 twin crossdraw seatbox with its integral groundball bowl and holly pole holder I've still got my DAM high litanium Tectron 15.4m pole - am old
Every pole became a landing net handle! Leather rod bag with wooden spine! Sure the joker disc was Seymo too! Crazy bait gold groundbait. And not having a bloody trolley...
I had a Mitchell Match, a Christmas present from my parents in the mid 1970's, brilliant reel with the "finger dab" system for casting. Unfortunately some bastard nicked my tackle including the Match. Irreplaceable as it was from my parents. My first pole was a 20 foot roach pole, made of brown fiberglass with a flick tip (no elastic) and the advice from the tackle dealer was "don't use it in the wind". My first box was a proper willow basket, again a Christmas present from my parents, and I spent the whole of the Christmas holiday sat on it in the house until I got to go fishing with it. Great memories.
I used to use an Ariel washing ball the squashy rubbery ones I used to keep them on my top kit while fishing too 😂 two holes thru it threaded on . Tip and drop maggots shallow method was killer on partridge nearly 20 year ago that 🤣.. before that was the dangle pot on a spare top with foam on the bottom which used to tip over as it touched the water .. great fun looking back but I rate u would get pissed ripped out of you now💀
Ahhh...when D A M tackle was top notch and not just rebranded Chinese rubbish ... I am old enough to remember when the Tectan line came out and it was the bee's knee
What about the Daiwa tournament pole elbow pole holder was a sleeve with a blue foam block with a half moon cut out down your forearm to help hold the first 16metre poles back 20 years ago still got mine they was crap haha 😂. And think it was sensas that did the pole feeding discs I remember seeing them, What about the pole wings that was meant to help you hold your pole in heavy winds went around your no4/ topkit and was like a aeroplane wing
Silstar 8m second hand pole was my first pole. Wicker seat box in my early teens as a hand me down. Plenty of old crap reels, a cardinal I recall. Can't even remember my first rods, but they were crap too. Then started to work in Raisons tackle shop in 80s ans 90s as a weekend job then full time for a bit when left school. So gradually bought better kit as I saved. Conti box with octoplus bits I recall was my 90s box. Only recently sold off my grandslam match box, was very tidy. And what about Normark rods, had a few of them in 90s, sold them off, including a Normark Titan match 13ft, they were the rods to have.
My first pole was a Shakespeare(Fibreglass) Roach Pole. Back in the day when poles was Roach Poles in the late 70’s. It was a goldy colour and was around 10-12m. It was so heavy. But didn’t matter. I felt the dog’s danglies with it 😂 The pole floats back then was made in France/Italy
My first pole was a map CFS like holding a limp hose pipe at 14.5m and a badger seatbox. Any humidity in the air and the drawers would swell shut. Had a Shimano technium after that strongest pole in the world but was very heavy.
I'm surprised either of you didn't have a Brennan a Hickman box or a Brilo. I had an ASI back in the day. Anybody remember the first 12.5m pole sold as a 12.5m. Red butt section, used by Kevin Ashurst ...the Sundridge Boron pole, sold those new in my young days working in a tackle shop. And sold an 11m Maver pole to a guy called Ron Dennis, one of Ivan Marks best pals, he electrocuted himself on the Ashby Canal arced electric from overhead cables. Hospitalised and thankfully recovered but with some issues. This event spurned the legislation for all Carbon poles and rods to carry the warnings regarding electric shock risk.
Diawa pro carbon 11mtr pole had a metal screw cap and was half the diameter of the Lerc 11 mtr but cost £325:in 1982 / 1983 . Phil Barwell recommended it at the time. Then a Shimano AX 11 mtr. Followed by a dia flash Shimano 12 5 mtr . Super Ultegra 17 mtr x 2 Diawa Connisure mk 1 then mk2 . Tournament pro X .
i used to have an ASI box, and it took me 6 months to find out why it was sliding all over the canal bank............... the tray strapped under it hahaha but hey i found a side tray and legs haha
