Simple Match Fishing Forum

Even I know that gentleman 

Are those curtain rings around the top of his keepnet like I had as a lad ? 

I hope I get a sweater like that for Christmas

No Gortex or windstopper fleeces back in them days Simps

Top picture, what was that rod, Bruce & Walker ?

Could be CWH - top rods back in the 70's, I had a couple till they were nicked - scratching my head now, were they they the CTM and XLS?

I drew by that man on the Trent at Shardlow in a big open. Top gent, I was only a scrawny youngster (still am). We drew on the Pride water, a deep and steady section.
It was horrendously windy, Billy fished a huge waggler down the middle, (he made it look easy) and I fished a stick, rock hopping as we used to call it' - both with caster and groundbait.
We were the only two left in the section, - it was that windy and we dead heated for the section with 13 odd pounds of roach. He was brilliant after, something I'll never forget.

I used to use a CTM - great rods back in the day (I must have had forearms like Popeye!). I think Billy Lane used to favour the Milbro Golden Jubilee, and I know Ivan used them - they were forerunners of his persuader float rods - cunningly he used to have the blanks sprayed black so that they looked like Persuaders. I've still got some of my old glass rods, I used to have them made to my spec. at the Horizon factory in Redditch - brilliant guys there, and the rods were astonishingly cheap. They made the templates for the Shakespeare Match International (with the spliced tip - they used an aftm 5 fly rod tip in a Sportex blank) which Ken Giles and Clive Smith had used, before taking them to Shakespeare who made their version of it.

I hope I get a sweater like that for Christmas   

Stuff the jumper, i'm nickin' me dads hat

Shakespeare Match International (with the spliced tip - they used an aftm 5 fly rod tip in a Sportex blank) which Ken Giles and Clive Smith had used, before taking them to Shakespeare who made their version of it.

I've still got a 12' Shakespeare International, loved it at the time, still do(13 footers were awfull). Didn't know about the fly rod tip bit. Plenty in the middle section to handle big fish too.

Trouble is I followed fashion at the time and mine's painted matt black.

I made the handle shorter and put in a long flick tip on my International and used it as a feeder rod. Worked very well too. Won a bit of money at Willesley lake with it years ago.............And it was painted matt black.

I tried to convert my 13 footer into a feeder rod. Don't think I made a good job of it though

Anybody still got any original Duckers ?

I used to use a CTM -

Funnily enough I had a Bruce & Walker CTM and always used it on the stick on the Trent because they were so direct.
I think nearly all our lads had one.
I heard they had one for sale in a tackle shop at Stone so I went up there. As it was in those days the queue stretched outside. When I eventually got inside there was about a dozen or so in front of me and the next customer wanted a new rod. The owner showed him all sorts of rods and the customer said he liked the look of the Bruce & walker CTM but to cut a long story short the customer bought another rod and went out quite happy after the owner had completely rubbished this CTM and told him it was total crap and he wished he had never had them in.
Not one to miss an opportunity I piped up and got this CTM for next to nowt. The shop owner never foregive me for that one

There was a CTM and a CTMA, the CTMA was even stiffer

Bill were other versions as well.

Some interesting stuf about CTM's HERE on a pdf file.

I had a CTM13 and a CTM13A

Just had a look at that Mugger, - I never knew there was a CTMS or a swing tip CTM. Funnily enough that reminded me I had the two but found the CTMA too stiff and made a four feet swingtip rod out of it, - it was shyte

Anybody still got any original Duckers ?

Aye up Choppie,

We had a chap at Stafford, (Bert Bunker was his name, - honest, some might remember him?) that used to make his version of the Ducker and christened it the Dumpy. I'm certainly not undermining Billy Lanes float for one minute but these Dumpys were brilliant, - I do see this chap once in a while if I think on I'll ask if he can knock a couple up. having said that they were easy peasy to make.

He made them out of all balsa. They would be an inch and a half long (max) and shaped like a miniature light bulb or a garden bulb, about half an inch at the widest. The bulb was the base into which he inserted a simple swivel, he then painted them.

Choppie, they were brilliant for running down as far as you wanted on shallows; if you missed a bite the float just collapsed with the swivel; no snarl ups, twist ups or owt like that.

You could use them with large or small baits.

They were that simple yet he had loads of shops asking him to make them a supply but he never took them up on it.

i might have one or two of the very float bill and a ducker just for you choppy i'l take a photo if they are not the ones they are similar

They would be an inch and a half long (max) and shaped like a miniature light bulb

Used to have something that sounds similar - but didnt have a swivel - made by Image as a caster/far bank cut float