Vintage Tackle Tope

[comanche 3,057]

After a couple of cancelled trips we finally managed to get out boat fishing. 

The catch included mackerel,bream,bass ,conger and undulate rays.  Though l didn't catch any conger or rays myself l did end up as Tope Catching King.  All day long the mini-sharks ,mostly between 10 and 20lbs,  kept hoovering-up my badly presented baits. 

What made it fun was that l was using an old cane rod and a reel that is best described as a quirky but well considered bit of British engineering.

Made by Grice and Young ,The Orlando looks like a simple drum reel  apart from a weird  sticky-out thing at the front.

With the press of a lever the spool comes away from its back- plate and slides onto the sticky- out thing and voila; Bob  and Fanny are suddenly related to your parents......

Not only that,but suddenly you have a thing known as a side-caster ; basically a  fixed spool reel . 

You cast in fixed spool mode ,then clip the spool back into the  winch position for reeling-in.

This causes the line to twist and get all loopy .   But no; British engineering has the answer to that.

By popping the spool onto the sticky-out casting thingy in a different way each time - handles forward for one cast, handles back for the next - line  twist is neutralised.

Ah yes British engineering had an answer for everything.   ..   Well nearly everything ; just imagine what might happen if a decent fish took the bait while you were changing from casting to retrieving modes!

 

[Nicepix 5,650]

Retro hat too Kev  

Nice to see you posting again  

[fireman 10,977]

Wicked and i want to bag a Tope sometime this year, smart when old school tackle is used and still does the job....

[Nicepix 5,650]

About ten or twelve years ago I had this mad idea to catch one using fly tackle off my kayak. I rigged up a strong mono trace with a lure made from large white feathers, big hook and attached the leader to a downrigger so the fly would be kept near to the bottom while I drifted over the sandbanks off Filey. Never got a touch. 

Then I had another mad idea about trying to catch a halibut like the Yanks do off California by trailing a chain from the downrigger with a leader to a  lure clipped to the top end. Another failed effort. 

I never make it easy for myself 

[South hams hunter 8,926]

On 16/06/2021 at 18:46, fireman said:

Wicked and i want to bag a Tope sometime this year, smart when old school tackle is used and still does the job....

Hayling Island near you? Due there anytime

[fireman 10,977]

37 minutes ago, South hams hunter said:

Hayling Island near you? Due there anytime

Nearer you than me mate ,we get them a few miles out here and just waiting for some nice weather to get further out on the new boat..