Finger hovers over the 'buy' button... It's only the fact it's not the -L in the photo, it's a flipped photo of a standard (not to mention the extraordinary price tag) that's stopping me...
I'm not a tackle-tart, doesn't bother me what brand or TV angler's name is on the kit so long as it does the job… Except when it comes to Abu baitcasters… Love them!
My baitcaster fetish already sees me own more of them than I use… But I will go and have a look at this one in the tackle shop..!
Don't buy it. I have a left handed Abu here that has been used maybe twice that is sitting in the box in my attic. You are welcome to it. I'll send it over with the RedDrum man if you can wait two weeks.
Just looking at the pretty reels online, wasn't going to buy, hadn't had enough to drink for random internet shopping* - still using the baitcaster you gave me, it hasn't had a twenty so I'm not retiring it just yet (best 17lb). But thanks for the offer.
When does Captain 'RedDrum' McStingray arrive?
*Best drunken internet shopping was Jedi, had a few too many and woke up to discover he'd bought a Jag off eBay!
Hope he didn't have to pay postage!! I'll send you the reel anyway, better it die in battle than live another 11 years sat in a box. Capt Ahab 'red drum' McStingray and his trusty first mate arrive today.
Troot. Sea Troot.
-
I promise I won't mention or moan about the SHITE weather.
I've not been fishing this past week, just working and plotting.
Bazza called the other day. I...
Canal Roach - The Sisyphean Task ? Pt.3
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I was back at Wild Garlic Way to see if I could pick up a roach from these
moody turbid waters, and to also forage some more leaves for some pesto I'm
goi...
Rain, Beautiful Rain
-
I haven’t written anything since Christmas because, as is so often the case
in winter, I didn’t have anything useful to say. Now it’s April: the
salmon...
Photography Tips for the Not-a-Photographer
-
Like loads of birders, I take photographs but am not a photographer. I like
to decorate this blog with them, and a visual record of any unusual birds I
a...
Species hunting adventures in Florida: Part 4.
-
The following day we headed back to Silver Palm Park to fish in the channel
there. It was Sunday, and it was very busy due to there being a slipway
there...
Prints on the Fen
-
I haven't posted anything on my prints for years so I decided
rectify that with my new project. To keep it short I'm illustrating a book
for The ...
April 14, 2024
-
Temps in the 80's, rather windy much of the time (like 15mph). Went to two
fishing spots, racked up well over 10,000 steps on the day, and caught a
coup...
At last a rising fish
-
It has been by all accounts and also by some considerable margin. A
depressingly long , wet and miserable winter. There has been no proper
winter weath...
Grumpy Sunday, Happy Monday
-
Sunday morning, the Princess had grim news, my presence was required at a
garden centre; “*I need your input – we’ll just get what we want and come
home…...
Another day, another "double"
-
A bit like "Groundhog Day". I was back down at Sandwich Coarse Fishery for
a "sundowner" session, on Thursday afternoon, and managed to trip up
another ...
What A Start!
-
Since the river season ended I've taken a 3 week hiatus from fishing, work
as usual the excuse! Storm Kathleen however was predicted to bring in some ...
Windmill Fishery Open
-
Last weekend I had a fabulous time with my wife in the New Forest. We
walked 15 miles over 2 days and I got to see some great birds that I
haven’t seen...
Munterama. or a face only a mother could love
-
Given the warmer, drier conditions I thought I'd check out one of my daily
commute waters for the odd early finish raid. Small urbanish gravel pit not
fa...
Hypnotic
-
Date fished 6/4/2024
7am until 12pm
A date with Kathleen later today didn't sound fun, so I headed out early.
The rivers being closed to coarse fishing ...
01/04/2024 - Bank Holiday bits and bobs
-
Managed to get down to Pembrokeshire for Easter despite the weather
throwing everything at us on the way down, including a hail storm near
Merthyr. Had a...
Books About Fishing
-
Here are some nice books about Fishing if you're looking for reading
material:"The River Why" by David James Duncan"A River Runs Through It" by
Norman Macl...
IF CARLSBERG BREWED BEAUTY
-
There are so many horrors in the world right now that I badly need some
mental medication and one way of recovering is to remember some of the
inspiring...
Mine Shafts, Floods and The Harwood Arms
-
Happy New Year everybody,
Covid for Christmas, which is not what we asked for and resulted in a funny
forty eight hours of sleep, sweating and unusual d...
Het lange wachten
-
Wat was het een natte winter. Er is afgelopen maanden meer regen gevallen
als normaal in een heel jaar. De visserij was dan ook slow en taai. Een
trip op...
Carp, Ciaran, and Catastrophe
-
During the last visit to the surgeon he seemed impressed and decided that a
replacement shoulder could go on the back burner for a while. I even
bragged ...
Specimen roach quest
-
I had never managed a really big roach. Like many, I had caught some nice
ones over the years but a 2 pounder had never graced my net albeit I had
never ...
Sussex Diary: 16 September 2023
-
*A diary of my visits to my club's section of river, somewhere in deepest,
darkest Sussex.*
Last month I received an email from Kyle, a fellow South Afri...
I,m back
-
As a lot of you will be aware, i had my van stolen back in mid july, with
over £4000 worth of tackle in the back, i got up on that sunday morning ,
looked ...
Differing days on the Wye
-
*June 26th & 27th 2023*
• River Wye at Ashford on the water EA measuring gauge at .29 water
crystal clear
• Weather partly sunny short shower late after...
The first post of 2023......
-
I have not fished many matches this year hence the lack of activity on this
Blog.
I did fish a match on the Gloucester Canal back in early January but I ...
2023 - A few trips so far
-
After a fairly significant break from angling, I’m glad to say the bug is
well and truly back. For now, it’s just great to be getting out and going
for it,...
AWOL Again
-
I won't dwell too much on the last 6 months of angljng inactivity. Fishing
has been sparse. Life's responsibilities, challenges and niggles all too
often...
-
* HAPPY NEW YEAR FOLKS *
im very much still alive and ultra busy with flies so heres a couple of
videos from the last few months , please feel free to su...
Prime Suspect
-
He was a naturally scruffy and imperfect little soul. Black and grey hair
matted and his shins often coated in spare gravy 'for later'. The dandruff
fell...
A few hours..
-
As close friends know & anyone who follows Bedale & Beyond on social
media, I have been out the game for the last 7 weeks with a torn ligament
in my kne...
Grindr
-
Variety is indeed the spice of life and my lack of update here is
principally due to the fact I've been doing the same thing over and over
again for some...
A couple after the heat
-
* 23/07/22*
Straight to the river after my last shift of a 60hr week, half a can of
Redbull on the way, the other half for the drive home. I was parked u...
Welcome back to sunny Thailand
-
Welcome to our latest Exotic Fishing Thailand newsletter. I would like to
wish everyone good health in these unusual times. It's been a while since
our la...
Catching some for Dad
-
The handle's a bit wonky but the dusty old Mitchell Match is still silky
smooth. The finger-dab bail arm flicks open as I do an air cast in my late
fath...
A Redtail Adventure.
-
Having travelled to both Guyana and Suriname in South America on several
occasions I had decided that it was becoming much the same and I would no
longer ...
Top water fun.
-
With the summer just about here and the plethora of lure matches drying up
I can feel the weed festooned lakes calling me. Soon I will able to think
of no...
A Pikers Autumn Morning Canal Session...
-
A warm welcome to this week blog i hope i find well and your nets wet.
Autumn has certainly arrived here in the UK and with it has come the
blustery winds ...
New Target
-
So it has been like for ever since I posted anything up on the blog, well
sometime absence makes the heart grow fonder.
To be honest the fishing and the ...
Swansong
-
Opening day of the 2018 trout fishing season and a first blog post in
almost 18 months. It is also the last, a swansong of sorts as I admit
defeat and unde...
Unfinished Business — The Width of a Circle
-
I assure you, the picture above is no joke. That is a real hook — the
'Mustad 39937NP-DT Giant Demon Perfect Circle Hook' — and one that will set
the big g...
New Rods – Making Moves
-
I expect most keen coarse anglers own a rod or two dedicated to fairly
specialist tasks – perhaps a crisp, fast action float rod, designed solely
with long...
"Just one more"
-
I know a place not far away, where I can have this solitude. I can wander
the fields, unhindered, locate barbel easily and catch a few of them with a
cer...
Boddington Bobbers Vlog
-
I know what you are thinking "he'll use any excuse to purchase Boddingtons"
and that might be quite true as I am rather partial to a drop or two, the
fac...
Canal Tench - Something Green, Somewhere New
-
In spite of living within relatively close proximity to the Grand Western
Canal for a decade now, there are still parts of it that I have not fished
proper...
All change for 2017!
-
Greetings to all blog readers! It's not often I write in this location any
more, but if you're one of my old followers on this platform, or have just
di...
March Madness
-
I feel that I really should fill in some gaps after my self imposed
absence. I had a difficult start to 2016 because of a severe chest
infection which re...
Ouch.....
-
Popped down to the river for a couple of hours last Saturday morning and
conditions were pretty un-inspiring as they have been in general this
season. To ...
-
*Riverpiker has moved!Be sure to check out the new home, riverpiker.com for
all your pikey related stuff. Lure fishing videos, articles and the shop.*
Rio
-
Watching the Olympics reminded me of the blog that never got typed up.
Three years since I tackled the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas in Rio de Janeiro.
I wa...
Transition time
-
Warming surf temps mean bait fish and things that eat bait fish are showing
up.
This 40Lb + Cownosed Ray gave a good pull. I flipped her over for a quic...
2016 Diary - The End
-
*Date:* Sunday 13th March 2016
*Venue:* River Tone, Somerset
It might not be final day until tomorrow, but today was my last chance to
cast a line on runni...
Popped up herring tail does the business again
-
Dawn was breaking when I arrived and a pike swirled on the surface in front
of the first swim I stopped at. A wind was blowing across the lake and this
w...
All Change.
-
When September mornings arrive who's mind doesn't inexplicably turn to
autumn perch, barbel, chub, roach, and dace to come?
Summer is waxing and Autumn is...
Blimey I’ve not posted here for a while!
-
I’ve been fishing a fair bit, but in my opinion badly. Blanking for tench,
carp barbel and big bream seem to have taken up most of my summer. It’s
been h...
Check it..
-
I post a bit on face book these days and have a "This Angling Life" face
book page. It's far easier to use than blogger especially on a mobile or
tablet...
Early morning double
-
My last session was again on the wonderful Wye, I arrived just before dawn
with a plan of fishing as the first rays of light for the day were popping
over ...
Mayfly Reflection
-
There hasn't been much time for fishing recently - my degree has taken
priority over the last year and subsequently hobbies have taken a back
seat. I did h...
Suspenders!
-
Now that the rivers are forbidden, we have to turn our attentions to lakes,
pools and canals. There's a very small pool 5 minutes drive away which,
despite...
How to combine two hobbies
-
Here is how to combine two hobbies - I created a drying machine for my tube
flies out of the LEGO Technic blocks. The machine is remotely controlled,
it ha...
"Lean fourteen" to avoid a blank.
-
After catching my very respectable 24.5lb pike yesterday in trying
conditions...i knew my window of opportunity was diminishing by the hour
(as is on the W...
Another Deer hair diver.
-
A different color setup,
The black gives a good contrast against the light colors.
A good silhouette for Northern Pike to follow and als...
Tuesday 19th February 2013
-
Weather -3c Start Brightening up later
I've managed to temp my son Dean out today for a rare midweek trip.
As usual we start the day with a full cooked brea...
04/03 Trent
-
Recovery day following mates stag weekend...played 9 holes of golf then off
to the river. Was looking forward to a good days fishing with the weather a
bit...
Peter Green PAC Lifetime Achievement Award
-
The PAC would like to congratulate Peter Green on his Lifetime achievement
award, which was awarded for his commitment and dedication to the PAC.
Peter h...
Barbel on the float!
-
I was intending on posting sooner than this, however after a
few disappointing sessions this has led to me have little enthusiasm for
blogging.
A day trot...
Mmmmmm, baitcaster reels.... I love 'em but can't get on with left hand wind for some reason.
ReplyDeleteGo on, treat yourself ;o)
I'm not a tackle-tart, doesn't bother me what brand or TV angler's name is on the kit so long as it does the job… Except when it comes to Abu baitcasters… Love them!
DeleteMy baitcaster fetish already sees me own more of them than I use… But I will go and have a look at this one in the tackle shop..!
Err, I think that makes you a tackle tart :o)
DeleteCrap... You're right!
DeleteDon't buy it. I have a left handed Abu here that has been used maybe twice that is sitting in the box in my attic. You are welcome to it. I'll send it over with the RedDrum man if you can wait two weeks.
ReplyDeleteJust looking at the pretty reels online, wasn't going to buy, hadn't had enough to drink for random internet shopping* - still using the baitcaster you gave me, it hasn't had a twenty so I'm not retiring it just yet (best 17lb). But thanks for the offer.
DeleteWhen does Captain 'RedDrum' McStingray arrive?
*Best drunken internet shopping was Jedi, had a few too many and woke up to discover he'd bought a Jag off eBay!
Hope he didn't have to pay postage!!
DeleteI'll send you the reel anyway, better it die in battle than live another 11 years sat in a box.
Capt Ahab 'red drum' McStingray and his trusty first mate arrive today.
No but it only lasted a couple of months before scrapped!
DeleteThanks - it'll definitely get a work out here - soon it'll be pike time!
Good luck with the sharks!!!