Category Archives: Tackle

61 Pall Mall.

17 Wednesday Oct 2012

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Twenty or so years ago I walked into 61 Pall Mall and was addressed as “Sir” quite an achievement for me at that time as I was a scruffy looking art student dressed in ripped jeans and a leather biker jacket. The man who addressed me looked more like an undertaker rather than the normal tweed clad (this is how you are supposed to dress like in the countryside young man, don’t you know) shop assistant. I was addressed with respect and asked no awkward questions regarding my request, a Hardy waxed wading jacket. A suitable jacket was found, wrapped and paid for with a credit card that was on the brink of letting me down, those two dreaded words ‘card declined’ thankfully didn’t flash up and I marched triumphantly out of Hardys with a waxed jacket. I was not going to wear this on the chalk streams of southern England but in the shady bars and night clubs of Shoreditch, East London. One day I would wear it on the Itchen or Nadder but until then I was to make my rural fashion statement in the Vale of Hoxton!

Soon after Hardy’s of number 61 Pall Mall closed down, my wading jacket still hangs in the basement and has since been blessed on the rivers banks of southern England for brown trout and Scotland in search of salmon. Looking back now I never thought that 61 Pall Mall was an era on the brink of extinction, I thought this establishment was to go on for ever, sadly it didn’t. If I had known of its impending demise I would have spent more time in there.

For those who remembers the wooden panelled shop and its calm atmosphere only broken by the occasional New York accent of an excited over seas visitor, you may also remember the changing faces of the shop window…

A pair of Allcocks Aerial C 815 3 & 3/4″ centrepins.

01 Monday Oct 2012

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I have always fancied owning an Allcocks Aerial, some models do command a very high price amongst collectors which has put me off but many are quite reasonably priced especially the post war models which are excellent users.

This weekend was an early start as I was working at the Angling Auctions in Chiswick, while browsing through the cabinets on the friday I spotted an Aerial C 815 which was a good ‘user’ and I had a thought that it may just pass by the bidders who seem more focused on Speedias (currently very much the reel of choice amongst traditional users) or the more elite centre pins like the Coxon and the earlier Allcocks that the collectors favour.

Lot 192 came up, a starting bid of one hundred was announced and the room fell silent, my hand raised and the hammer fell, Neil at Angling Auctions does not like to hang about when the room becomes a little sleepy, a few quick lots normally wake the hall. It happened a little later on with a pristine Mark IV thats also fell at the hammer for a £100!

Coincidently, this weekend I had my eye on a EBay lot marked down as a selection of sea tackle, pick up only. Within the single group photograph lay what suspiciously looked  like another Allcocks Aerial. I contacted the seller and my suspicions were correct after two new images were sent. Sunday night, a last-minute bid with a few seconds to go and another Aerial was in my possession for £30, plus a fishing bag, cardinal reel, some sea rods, a fly waistcoat and a fly box! The lot was up in the west Midlands somewhere but this is where my cunning plan came together, I’m heading there this thursday to fish the Wye at Hereford for my annual week after barbus maximus, and possibly a Wye pike to celebrate the start of the pike season. In the meantime the reel pictured will be loaded with 8 or 10 lb line (I can’t decide yet) and hopefully the other Aerial when picked up will get the same treatment as I take it down to the Wye.

Angling Auctions September 2012

25 Tuesday Sep 2012

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Myself and John Andrew of Arcadia take on the bi-annual task of donning a tie and looking after the rod section at Angling Auctions at the Chiswick Town Hall, London. Twice a year we carefully un-wrap the cling film from the bundles of rods, assemble the rods while avoiding the old light sockets dangling from the town halls ceiling in wait for an excitable bunch of traditional anglers.

I do this twice a year because of my interest in old tackle, I like to hear the tall tails from some larger than life characters and generally listen to John having a moan, wouldn’t miss it for the world! If you are in the area I urge you to drop in either for the viewing on Friday 28th September and Saturday morning or try the auction from noon onwards. Each auction is an education and beyond the usual displays of Coxon’s and Silex’s are the boxes that lay under the tables, old collections of tackle and potential gold. Prices are up and down but there is always a bargain to be had, even without a penny in your pocket it is well worth a visit but don’t tell Neil I said that!

If you like the smell of old tackle shops then pop down this 28th and 29th.

Tackle boxes part eleven…the artist tackle box?

31 Friday Aug 2012

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Finding suitable receptacles for fishing tackle can be a challenge, perhaps nerdy but ultimately good fun. Artist boxes are a good option as the outside finish is normally well polished which keeps the rain off in more extreme outdoors situations when angling.

Here I have an example of a small artist box that takes a modest tackle collection and will accommodate some floats where once brushes would have laid. Pictured here the box has some old tackle along with a collection of past fishing licenses. Dabs of oil paint cover the lid from a previous artists journey into colour and composition, brightening the greyest of days while out on the river.

Tackle boxes part ten, the rod box.

09 Thursday Aug 2012

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Like most fanatical anglers buying tackle is an addiction especially those with a taste for cane rods. In an ideal world a rod room would be appropriate but with my current moving from one abode to another and roving small hands, a safe but fitting way to store cane rods is in an old Victorian or Edwardian rod box.

Back in the day one would lift the solid pine box laden with salmon rods onto an awaiting carriage and there onto Paddington station, then take the night-sleeper to the North West of Scotland in anticipation of a salmon or two. Well those days are long gone but these well-built boxes still exist and you maybe lucky enough to find one still covered in the old transportation labels of yesteryear and possibly the initials of a previous owner. The ends are normally reinforced with metal on the outside and internal brass fittings on the inside, the hinged lid held down with leather straps buckled around each end and a built-in brass cabinet lock to secure it, these boxes were built to last!

The insides are plain apart from some retaining leather straps to hold the rods in place.  These days a Cordura covered aluminum tube have put these old boxes out to grass, but may I suggest for home storage these boxes are beautiful to look at and perfect for the task of storing old rods. For the purist, one can place brass hooks on the inside so to hang your beloved cane rods but I gently pack them full so that they stay together in a neat straight bundle.

I have two rod boxes, both with leather handles just like an old suitcase, one is five feet six and can take all my ten foot two piece rods, the other box is a bit of a monster at seven feet but comfortably takes all the longer two piece eleven foot six rods I possess. The larger of the two have the monogram ‘O C B’, I’m afraid I have no idea who that person was but he or she must have owned some seriously long salmon rods, possible spliced rods?

The smaller box which is a really nice size and still has the Paddington station railway label stuck on the box from many moons ago.

Tackle boxes part nine, the Palmer float case & surgeons roll.

25 Wednesday Jul 2012

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Stuffing all my terminal tackle in a Oxo tin leaves one item of tackle un-protected, the float. Long waggler’s are always vulnerable to breakages so the Palmer Float Case is ideal, light and strong and can hold up to ten 14″ floats.

To store shorter floats I have come up the rather ingenious (I’ll say it myself) solution of using a cotton surgeons tool roll which looks like Efgeeco themselves could have stitched  it together. It can take up to around twenty floats and rolls up into a neat little bundle, this one is made by S Rampling of 8 Market street, Cambridge.

Tackle boxes part eight, the carpers Oxo Tin!

11 Wednesday Apr 2012

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The carp fisherman of the 1950’s had different requirements to the usual float angler, the Oxo tin was the perfect size to take a selection of hooks, numerous weights and spools of line. Just like the carp scene now, fashions prevail, so once the Oxo tin was seen in a few Redmire photographs the tin and specimen hunter became common place on the water’s edge for another decade in search of Leney’s.

This season (2012/13) I’m trying the Oxo tin myself, aside from floats, it can take all my terminal items plus a torch and two bite alarms. My angling this year will be very much grab it while I can approach, one small bag, a net and a rod (maybe two).

Gerry Berth-Jones is sited here with what I believe to be an ‘Oxo’ set up and a ‘Pup’ tent also an essential part of my 1980’s carp outfit. Pre sun-lounger stuff, I believe.

Tackle boxes part seven, the wooden seat box.

03 Tuesday Apr 2012

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There was a time when the majority of the nations anglers were firmly sat on creaking willow but some had taken on the wooden seat box as an alternative, perfect for the river rover or carp stalker who requires the occasion resting perch.

I’ve seen an example of this box  in a photo gracing the banks of Redmire in the 1950’s, if I can recall it may have belonged to John Nixon? So in homage to its pedigree my example contains the content of my 1980’s carping tackle, Les Bamford Optonics, monkey climbers, a pair of Cardinal 55’s, Zip leads, boxes of Nash hooks and old bubble floats.

With the removable tray and space for line winders down each side this could have be designed for earlier tackle or even for the sea angler? Until someone puts me straight on this I shall picture this in Willow Pitch with a motionless angler perched on top with a Ambidex and Hardy L R H No 2 in hand.