Old days

[61 crusher]

Great thread, love reading all your old memories, I nearly lost my brand new outfit back in the mid to late 70’s, it was a brand new 12ft butterworth 2 piece (green blank) with Olympic spinning reel I’d got for my 16th. I was fishing with my younger brother on a rock ledge 20ft up at crescent head during the winter holidays & drummed into him the importance of one eye on the water at all times, sick of re tying his gear I was showing him how to tie a locked blood not when out of know where a wave swamped us & dragged my new outfit down the rocks,  I dived for it as it went over the edge gashing my knees & hand, felt the last 2 runners slip through my fingers & soon let out an almighty scream as one of the gangs embedded deep into my index finger with my new outfit bouncing below  Went back to our accomodation & washed all my gear while my mom tended to my wounds that was a great rod over the years not so the reel which didn’t recover so well from the dunking 

[noelm]

Yes, I do remember the conversion, it was hard to wind the handle, but it sure had some speed, I had one for a little while.

[noelm]

Rock fishing has its moments for sure, there is a spot on the South side of Bass Point that is good for Snapper, but, unless you know what you're doing, it's a death trap! the rocks slope away in front of you, which is OK, you just need a long rod to keep your line up out of the barnacles, but, off to the side, there is a kind of gutter that the swell washes up, then overfills and runs along the rocks behind where you fish, if you don't know the spot, the swell runs up in front of you, no worries, but the one from behind can catch you off guard from the rear, knocking you down the barnacle covered slope, and if you get near there, you get cut to bits on the way in the drink, it's safe enough, but not pleasant if you take a swim.

[Blackfish]

2 hours ago, bluefin said:

There was a spin stick a good mate used that was half aluminium tube. Very good rod, But cant remember the name.

I have used Butterworth 8144.and 8120 ?    Ironglass,   and sabre 220. Seascape  minor, standard and Major. Poly 2b. Everol 2 1/2 . 0    and  Pen senator, Jigmaster.   Anyone remember the 9 to 1 bolt on conversion for the Jigmaster ? And the newer Shimano tld 25.  Im Old !!  Howard.

 

 

I do remember those blanks with the Aluminium tube at the bottom of those blanks, if i had to "Guess" i did think they were Sabre blanks attached ....... but a rough guess.

And yes those 9-1 conversions.

I remember a fellow who was a rep for maybe Diawa then went off and started Silstar had one at the time. The gears used to strip because of the ratio.

Now my memory is vague on this so if I'm wrong please correct me.

Edited June 29, 2019 by Blackfish

[wazatherfisherman]

1 hour ago, Blackfish said:

I do remember those blanks with the Aluminium tube at the bottom of those blanks, if i had to "Guess" i did think they were Sabre blanks attached ....... but a rough guess.

And yes those 9-1 conversions.

I remember a fellow who was a rep for maybe Diawa then went off and started Silstar had one at the time. The gears used to strip because of the ratio.

Now my memory is vague on this so if I'm wrong please correct me.

Hi Blackfish the rep was Shakespeare's Brian Hale from memory, the 'tube' blanks were Silaflex FT 70's (mainly)- a brown blank with sanded finish, I still have one with about a third of the aluminium tube cut off- the tube was about 40 inches long- for building 2 handed overhead rods- mine is a 'cut-down' version for live baiting with old Penn 113H for "ANSA" fishing (preferred live baiting with Alvey for 'regular' live-baiting in Syd).

Thought the 9:1 conversion kit for Jigmaster was "the ducks guts" until I tried it- too much like hard work! Some guys loved them though. Original geared Alvey was similar- too much inertia needed at start-up. Sold the Alvey cheap, now a rare collectors reel 

[wazatherfisherman]

3 hours ago, bluefin said:

There was a spin stick a good mate used that was half aluminium tube. Very good rod, But cant remember the name.

I have used Butterworth 8144.and 8120 ?    Ironglass,   and sabre 220. Seascape  minor, standard and Major. Poly 2b. Everol 2 1/2 . 0    and  Pen senator, Jigmaster.   Anyone remember the 9 to 1 bolt on conversion for the Jigmaster ? And the newer Shimano tld 25.  Im Old !!  Howard.

 

 

Hi Howard the rod was probably a "Silaflex" FT 70- the blank was Brown and sanded with about 3+half ft of Aluminium tube. They were really popular. Silaflex also had a couple of other blanks with the tube but I can't remember the details

[bluefin]

YES thats it !!!!!!!!!!    I actually typed FT 70 then removed it because I thought I was getting mixed up with the FMT 72l Butterworth.  I tried the 9 to 1 but couldn't turn the handle with a fish on !!! went back to the scape !!! Thank you everyone !!!

 

[Blackfish]

Bloody hell that a a good memory Wazza.

Thanks again, as I said the memories vague but I recon you have nailed it.

[wazatherfisherman]

25 minutes ago, bluefin said:

YES thats it !!!!!!!!!!    I actually typed FT 70 then removed it because I thought I was getting mixed up with the FMT 72l Butterworth.  I tried the 9 to 1 but couldn't turn the handle with a fish on !!! went back to the scape !!! Thank you everyone !!!

 

There's another great 'bit-o'kit' the Butterworth FMT 72L and MT72L- nearly all the club guys had one as a Bream/Trout rod. I built one at the end of last year for a present. Got 1 more  FMT 72 blank left and a FT 67, a Super Barra and a 384GP to make up. All time Favourite rock rod was a Fenwick 1086 with Timber butt, and fav ultralight Lamiglas UL168

[Berleyguts]

33 minutes ago, bluefin said:

YES thats it !!!!!!!!!!    I actually typed FT 70 then removed it because I thought I was getting mixed up with the FMT 72l Butterworth.  I tried the 9 to 1 but couldn't turn the handle with a fish on !!! went back to the scape !!! Thank you everyone !!!

 

Butterworth FMT72L! That was the first rod I ever built myself. Still have it. It’s been rebuilt a couple of times and I painted it blue. I caught both my ANSA Masters striped tuna on it on 3kg, from memory, along with other Masters fish. It’s a very forgiving stick. I since bought an off the shelf rod built on a FMT72L that my wife likes to use.

[rickmarlin62]

I still use an ft70 as a snapper stick and i have 2  fmt72l bream rods  i also use a js980 quite often

[wazatherfisherman]

8 minutes ago, Blackfish said:

Bloody hell that a a good memory Wazza.

Thanks again, as I said the memories vague but I recon you have nailed it.

Thanks!- That one was easy because I have one! Weiss Supermarket had about 8 of them on the blank rack for ages- I bought mine second hand made up for $20- bargain!! The extension-butt never took off in Aust

[wazatherfisherman]

3 minutes ago, rickmarlin62 said:

I still use an ft70 as a snapper stick and i have 2  fmt72l bream rods  i also use a js980 quite often

Perfect! All of those are classics (I reckon anyway) got them all myself

[Berleyguts]

7 minutes ago, wazatherfisherman said:

There's another great 'bit-o'kit' the Butterworth FMT 72L and MT72L- nearly all the club guys had one as a Bream/Trout rod. I built one at the end of last year for a present. Got 1 more  FMT 72 blank left and a FT 67, a Super Barra and a 384GP to make up. All time Favourite rock rod was a Fenwick 1086 with Timber butt, and fav ultralight Lamiglas UL168

I still have a rod I built on a Super Barra blank, too! It has also served me well. All the rods I built were 1 piece but after a few years, I stripped it down and put a ferrule in it, so I could backpack round Australia with it. Again, it’s caught a lot of fish. 😎

[bluefin]

I made a few 35 years ago. All were extended 6" with a cut off from another rod.  I was still using 3 up until a year or so ago. My daughter broke 2 , and my son the other in car doors. I cried !!!! Just replaced them with ugg sticks, Nowhere near as good. but just used for bait fishing . 

I have 3 superbarra, one was a christmas present to my girlfriend, now wife, 36 years ago. I still have them. 2 spin 1 BC.

I now have a garage full of carbon rods !!

[Blackfish]

9 minutes ago, wazatherfisherman said:

Thanks!- That one was easy because I have one! Weiss Supermarket had about 8 of them on the blank rack for ages- I bought mine second hand made up for $20- bargain!! The extension-butt never took off in Aust

Hey Waz, "Weiss Supermarket" rings a bell. where we they.

Edited June 29, 2019 by Blackfish

[Blackfish]

Think Ive got a Supa Barra under the house, must check tomorrow.

Old Chrome on Brass Reel Seat.

[wazatherfisherman]

3 minutes ago, Berleyguts said:

I still have a rod I built on a Super Barra blank, too! It has also served me well. All the rods I built were 1 piece but after a few years, I stripped it down and put a ferrule in it, so I could backpack round Australia with it. Again, it’s caught a lot of fish. 😎

The Super Barra was another 'must have' I've had about 4 of them (3 stolen from garage)- it was also probably one of the first 'off the shelf' rods as a 2 piece- that wasn't in 2 equal halves- the butt 'half' was much shorter than tip 'half' built to suit the blanks taper.

Millions of fish met their doom on Super Barra's - one of the most versatile blanks of it's time

[wazatherfisherman]

4 minutes ago, Blackfish said:

Hey Waz, "Weiss Supermarket" rings a bell. where we they.

8 Broadway- almost straight across from the Tech and a few doors from the Tooth's Kent Brewery

[bluefin]

Burleyguts,  Baz,  Can we still buy fmt72l's made up off the shelf ?

[wazatherfisherman]

11 minutes ago, bluefin said:

I made a few 35 years ago. All were extended 6" with a cut off from another rod.  I was still using 3 up until a year or so ago. My daughter broke 2 , and my son the other in car doors. I cried !!!! Just replaced them with ugg sticks, Nowhere near as good. but just used for bait fishing . 

I have 3 superbarra, one was a christmas present to my girlfriend, now wife, 36 years ago. I still have them. 2 spin 1 BC.

I now have a garage full of carbon rods !!

I ended up replacing my Alvey mount Super Barra with an 8' Ugly from memory 1108 GB- was a great rod for throwing Gars n Pillies- a foot longer than Barra- I made it with really short butt to match 600A5 Alvey n 18 lb Tortue

[Berleyguts]

16 minutes ago, bluefin said:

Burleyguts,  Baz,  Can we still buy fmt72l's made up off the shelf ?

I’m not sure. I bought it a number of years ago. I’ll get the specs off the rod but I’m sure I was told it was the same blank with a Silaflex label.

[noelm]

Holy Jesus, there's some memories in the last 10 or so posts!

Edited June 29, 2019 by noelm
Added something

[wazatherfisherman]

5 minutes ago, noelm said:

Holy Jesus, there's some memories in the last posts!

I'm currently living in a "fishing museum"- my mate who owns the house has a great collection of mostly pretty old wooden reels, cane rods all up along the ceiling, old lures and a fair few old solid glass rods. His favourites are 2 x wooden Seamartin's and a few wooden Thompson (by Len Thompson) sidecasts. There's a row of Irons. Maverick's and WK's hanging off the mantelpiece and all sorts of interesting old stuff. 

I have more of a 'working' collection, of gear mostly used by me, but there just isn't enough room to get it out and display it- my own favourites are collection of sidecast's from 4+half to 7 inch in different timbers- cedar, poplar, beefwood, white onion wood, rosewood and something the spool turner found on the beach! Spool turner/reel maker was Barry Langley (ex Alvey turner) of Kyogle. 

Probably have 130 odd rods, 160 (roughly) reels and couple of thousand lures. Have long promised a couple of my Raider mates some photo's. Will try and get some photo's together.

My motto used to be "you can never have too much fishing gear" but I am seriously considering 'revising' that statement!

[Blackfish]

Not Living the Dream Wazza, but living with the  memories..

Fantastic.