Recently I have acquired a great looking split cane rod and after quite a bit of research I believe it's a Sealey 10ft, 3 piece rod and I've had it since last Saturday, at work all week, itching like mad to get on the river with it, it probably hasn't been used in one maybe two decades, so I wanted to give it a go and I thought the perfect species to go after would be the Chub.
Today's trip for Chub I choose to go to a river I haven't been to in quite a long time and by the looks of things it hasn't seen anyone else, (picture above), it took about half an hour to get to the river, the combination of sun and the occasional rain has allowed the vegetation to explode, with the shrubbery growing to double my height of 6.1, I felt as if I was on jungle trekking expedition.
With the rod set up with my new centre pin that I was also gagging to try out, I cast out with a lump of trotted sausage meat and the bait barely touched the surface of the water when the rod hooped over, I struck in to the fish immediately and the old cane rod came alive, the fight was totally different from what I usually experienced on a normal carbon fibre rod, every single jerk and dive was amplified through the rod but on the other hand the rod certainly had some strength too. A good few minutes of battling and I had a good Chub in the net.
A large Chub of 4lb 13oz, just the test I hoped that the rod would get, a proper thick set fish and come the winter it will be a certain five pounder, next cast after releasing that Chub I had another one of about 3.8 yet again it gave a good account of itself, I gave it 20 minutes and then moved down river where I did catch a couple more Chub to the three pound mark and another good Roach of 1.3 also being caught on the cane rod.
As the day wore on I changed venue and headed off over to one of my ticket lakes in search of Carp, my target was to catch one of the resident Carp on my cane rod, really give it a stern test as most of the Carp are Common's and they are crazy fish so I will get to see how good it is.
After two hours of stalking I managed to get catch a couple of Common's both off the top using crust, both of which provided me with the test that I craved and it passed with flying colours, the relic that was hidden away from the world in a basement finally got it's new lease of life and breathed once again, just a pleasure to use such a fantastic rod.
First of the two at 7.7 (above), the smaller at 6.3.
Just don't go all tweedy on us James! A cane rod rest is a cane rod rest too far! I cant see that though. Bare chested with a cane rod doing the business is real!
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear that the old trooper performed as was intended all those years ago. I own a couple myself and I might just dust them down and go put a bend in them this weekend coming.
Long, lithe 'commons' are always the craziest fish, aren't they?
Too bloody hot in amongst that Hymilian balsam to don a shirt, but as goes for he commons, they are they craziest of all the carp species, i canny believe how quickly that balsam grows, so rapid.
DeleteTime for the barbel test?
ReplyDeleteBrian I'd love to but I can't find them, god knows where they've gone, I think I'll leave them for a while and target other species.
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