I grew up loving to fish. My Grandfather and Father taught me the joy of fishing, and when I say fishing, I am talking about two fishing rods, my tackle box, a can of worms and a chair. I have always used the old style open face casting rod and reels. There's a knack to using them, and if you don't have enough thumb pressure on the spool when the hook and sinker hits the water, the line keeps unwinding, and you have a mess called backlash. Not everyone is able to successfully cast these reels, and sometimes the backlash can be pretty nasty, requiring a lot of patience unraveling the mess. I was able to master the art of open face casting at a fairly young age, and even in areas that are overgrown with trees, I can usually get my hook and sinker where I want it without getting hung up in the trees. Last year I had to retire my Father's old casting reel, and on my last fishing trip I noticed my Grandfather's old reel is beginning to wear out. I've looked at some of the newer bait casting reels, and contemplated buying one, but I have a problem giving up the old type reels. Yes, remember, I am sentimentaI. I do not need a fancy reel to enjoy a day of fishing. I prefer finding a spot along the lake, casting out my line, and then sitting in the chair, waiting for the fish to bite. That's how I grew up fishing. I've tried fly fishing, and that's an art in itself, and I am man enough to admit that I am not good at walking that line out across the water. My Dad loved to fly fish, and I loved the movie, A River Runs Through It, but it's not for me. I also tried plugging for bass, but I always come back to the old fashion habit of sitting by, waiting for the fish to bite. There is nothing sweeter than the sound of the old time clicker once the fish grabs your bait and decides to run with it. You grab the rod and anticipate the size of the fish by the pull on the other end. That's what it's all about. My Son has also mastered the use of the bait cast reel, and it is now his reel of choice. So now with both of my favorite reels out of commission, I was forced to think about my next set of reels, but then about a week ago, my Brother told me he had two nice old fashion reels that he had bought at a sale, and rather than having them sitting on a shelf, he asked me if I wanted to buy them. I checked them out, and wrote the check. He told me that he had spent an evening cleaning them up real well, and expected them to work just fine. When I held them and gave the reels a spin, they rolled as smooth as my other ones used to. I searched on-line for some of the old fashion braided fishing line, because you cannot find it anymore in stores around here, and once I found a supplier I ordered several spools, and tonight I will get them ready for my next fishing trip to the lake. Boring, perhaps to some who enjoy the excitement of fly fishing and plugging for bass, but this is what makes me happy, and that's what counts, LOL. Have a great evening.
This is a lovely photo,, and a great memory once again..
I only have one rod & reel & haven't used it for a while.
This reel looks good. I love your story of your fishing experience.