good vibrations


I love vintage fishing tackle. I'm certainly no expert, but just for fun I like to pick up odds and ends, here and there. It's a fairly random process, preferring to let serendipity bring treasures within reach, so I rarely bid online - being able to touch an object and gauge whether it will speak to you, and to wonder at stories untold, is a special pleasure. 

Take this spring balance, a simple functional item, probably from the turn of the last century. Such a lovely patina, the burnishing tells a story of a century of use, and it's still remarkably accurate today. And therein lays the appeal - beautifully crafted items that stand the test of time and still have a useful role to fill today, if only we take them out of exile and have a little faith. It's a wonderful antidote to today's built-in obsolescence. 

As I don't possess especially deep pockets - my little collection is idiosyncratic and (mostly) inexpensive. Objects must be usable, reliable and enjoyable to fish with to make their way into my affections, but more importantly I want to feel good vibrations. The greatest thrill of all is found in taking some lovely old forgotten tackle down from a dusty shelf and administering a judicious refetteling. Taking it out then on new angling adventures is a unique feeling. Occasionally, a special rod or reel that has seen glories past really seems to sing again when brought back to the waterside. I recently hooked a good chalkstream pike on an old cane fly rod and felt an unexpected surge of emotion, as if the rod was imbued with the spirit of an angler past, and at that moment we three were connected and all were happy. This rod throws a beautiful line and simply yearns to be fished.             

The 1950's or thereabouts - that's my favourite period, typified by this CAP 54 reel. There is a jauntiness to the design that just oozes French cool. Made though it was, for the masses, this for me is one of the most desirable of classic ultralight reels. Simple technology, simple to fix, beautifully styled and finished.

I found this one in a box of bits in an antique shop. It was totally overpriced - as is common with general dealers who don't understand fishing tackle - I think they just see what they can get. In this case I convinced the proprietor that the bird's nest of monofilament jammed around the spool was terminal and he let it go for a tenner. Actually it's in wonderful condition, and now after I serviced it and fitted a new bale spring, it's snappy and purring with pleasure. I've just tracked down an unused spool to replace the dented one it came with, and when this arrives it really will be as good as the day it was made - almost seventy years ago. How many modern reels will still even be in one piece in 2090?

Oh what a joy it will be to match this up with a little glass spinning rod and a Mepps spinner to catch some canal perch!        





         

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