Credits where they're due!

Hi all.

Thanks Bob!!!!!

I write this with a heavy head full of nasty cold yet again! This is the second horrid bug I've had this year already, or is it the same one just come back? Who knows??? What I do know is that i'm incredibly under the weather and suffering from not only a very tight chesty cough but sore throat and aching from head to toe.

To top things off I've developed a hell of a nasty dose of conjunctivitis as well. This has made the last few days very tiring with a large work load that I have had come in.

Rolling bait is tiring work at the best of times but with a very bruised and battered body and a high temperature it's neigh on impossible! Still managed to crack out 60 kilos in just over 2 days though which albeit well below my normal capabilities, still not bad for an old fart like me with a full on dose of the man-lurgy!

Talking of work, my good old mate Bob gave me some beautiful home made perch bob floats he'd made at home to use. Very pretty little works of art that I certainly will enjoy at some point. He really went to town on making them to perfection! Thanks bro x

Maver S4 Z Frame!!! Very nice spec.

My new seat box turned up last week....wow! What a piece of kit that is! The colour is a little OTT maybe but who cares, I like it! The whole system is very neatly designed and I have to take my hat off to Maver and say that they have truly built a very practical and ingenious piece of reliable kit. The best part of it though was that after looking at the box hinges I spotted that the makers of these were Miki of Italy.

Brilliant fittings!

The same company that had built the box draws etc for my old Colmic box. Surely they couldn't be the same and interchangeable? YEP! They bloody were! What a result! I now have a seat box with 4 front draws, 3 winder trays, a shallow top section and a deep box section and of course underneath the whole thing is a 3 section winder/tackle box!

Fully loaded

Serious space for lots of kit, albeit the weight then becomes a bit of an issue. I guess i'll just have to make sure that I use a trolley or get the wheel and trolley kit that is available for the box for about £60.

I've also found out that the majority of my existing Preston Seat box fittings, ie: rod rests, trays etc with the adapter inserts removed, fit the 30mm Maver arms perfectly too! Another huge result. The only other option I required for the box was a descent feeder arm.

I purchased a double arm system from Prestons which will extend up to about 7 or 8 feet. I deal for those sessions when I fish the rivers for the chub and barbel on the feeder and I want the tip up high off the water. Having the double arm system means the whole thing is extremely stable too!

Preston feeder arm

Well pleased with these

I bought a couple of other bits too this week. A few new Shimano Exage Reels in 2500 and 3000 size front drag. What a cracking reel for the price too! I even got a little bit off at my local tackle dealers who I have to say has been very good to me and deserves credit for his great service. I've been going to him for a fair few years now and I have to say he's always done his best to supply me with the best kit at the best price he can.

With his limited space it's always going to be difficult to stock a town center shop with everything for every aspect of the sport but he does a pretty dam good job of looking after most aspects of the sport. I've had a few items that have failed due to manufacturing issues in the past and he's been straight down the line with me and insured i'm not left needing or out of pocket.

Great service all round. So if your in the local Bridgend area and are after a bit of bait, new rod or just a wander round....pop in and see Keith, Calvin and the rest of the gang at Reel Fishing. You might even get a free cup of tea!!!! I've included a link below to their great website too!

www.reelfishing.co.uk

Ewenny Angling, great shop!

I grabbed a new rod this last week as well....A very sexy looking Drennan 11ft Puddle Chucker Carp Waggler. Stunning cosmetics and cork handle. Very nicely whipped and high quality guides. They even give you a superb graphic enhanced, padded holdall with velvet velcro rod straps too! Very classy. Again, something I look forward to using when I get to go next!

Talking of going fishing next....I'm hoping that providing i'm well enough, this Sunday I am venturing out with the 'Brumder' over to Somerset and the very pretty Viaduct Fishery for the day. Bit of a drive but the pair of us fancy trying our luck out for a few nice carp on some mixed methods like pole, feeder and bomb etc. Mat reckons he's going to whoop my arse but I've got a few little tricks up my sleeve to grab his £1 off him at the end of the day! What's even better is that he's picking me up again and driving! How delightful! I spend so many god awful hours driving during the summer months that it really is lovely to have someone else take over for a bit.

Barbel Fisher Magazine and a bit more of my ink! Happy days

Another mention this week is to the new Editor of the wonderful publication that is Barbel Fisher. Dan Whitelock. It's his first edition of the publication as the new Ed in charge and I have to say what a cracking job he's done at the helm. Very impressive....There were lots of great contributors as usual and I had another piece published on my trials and tribulations of fishing the awe inspiring River Wye. So there we go....another week gone and unfortunately no fish for me to talk about but the build up to going on Sunday is killing me! If that doesn't then this god awful bloody bug may do!

Hope to see you all on the flip side of my ebola flu crisis soon.

Keith