The AM Forum
March 29, 2024, 02:20:19 AM *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
 
   Home   Help Calendar Links Staff List Gallery Login Register  
Pages: [1] 2 ... 4   Go Down
  Print  
Author Topic: Vintage Fishing  (Read 23565 times)
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Steve - K4HX
Administrator
Member

Offline Offline

Posts: 2722



« on: March 29, 2020, 12:42:21 PM »

Knowing that many here are into old stuff (and some into fishing), I thought I'd share some recent acquisitions. My wife got me a beautiful Abu Ambassadeur 5000 reel for my birthday. It was made in January of 1973. Still works perfectly. Made in Sweden. The Abu company has a history in fishing dating to at least the 1940s and these 5000 reels were first made starting in the early 50s.

I had to find a proper vintage rod for the Abu and was lucky to find an old Browning Silaflex. Silaflex (a California company) was an early leader in hollow fiberglass rods in the early 50s. Browning bought them in 1963. So the rod is no older than that and probably not newer than mid-70s, when graphite rods began to become more common.

Anyway, a lot of fun fishing with this thing. I even have some vintage lures. It gives me the same sort of pleasure as using the old radio gear. And since there is no one else at the fishing hole, I'm practicing proper social distancing (really physical distancing but that's another story).


* IMG_8186.jpg (687.17 KB, 1950x1299 - viewed 327 times.)

* IMG_8239a.jpg (1974.71 KB, 2614x3818 - viewed 318 times.)

* IMG_8243.jpg (3348.74 KB, 3024x3024 - viewed 298 times.)
Logged
AG5UM
Member

Offline Offline

Posts: 114


« Reply #1 on: March 29, 2020, 12:52:53 PM »

Now, all you need is the old Heathkit Fishfinder..
I bought two of them at a swap meet and they actually work!! they are good for depth finders also.
Mostly a very fun collecting item, but they do work.
Its a fun unit to study, like sonar with Radio-waves, an oscillator,etc.
Mine were in good condition, and I did'nt have to pay much for them,
AG5UM
Logged
Steve - K4HX
Administrator
Member

Offline Offline

Posts: 2722



« Reply #2 on: March 29, 2020, 01:00:20 PM »

Never knew Heathkit made fish finders! I will have to check that out.
Logged
Tom WA3KLR
Contributing
Member
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 2120



« Reply #3 on: March 29, 2020, 01:02:39 PM »

Spinning neon bulbs?
Logged

73 de Tom WA3KLR  AMI # 77   Amplitude Modulation - a force Now and for the Future!
K1JJ
Contributing
Member
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 8893


"Let's go kayaking, Tommy!" - Yaz


« Reply #4 on: March 29, 2020, 01:11:13 PM »

Very cool on the old reels and rods, Steve.

I've been a fishing fool ever since living by the CT River in the 60's. I would use a net and bread crumbs to catch  shinner bait.  Then one fishing pole had a bloody shiner sitting on the bottom, looking for giant catfish and els.  The other pole had a live shinner swimming around (with no sinker) waiting for bass, strippers or pike. There was always some action, sometimes two at a time. We used to eat everything we caught back then.

BTW, if you are using treble hooks for your lures, I've found less damage is done when catch and releasing by filing off the barbs on the treble hooks. Once in a while you will lose one, but a pair of needle nose pliers instantly frees a hooked fish.   Another alternative is to replace the trebles with single hooks with no barbs. Very sporting. Just need to keep tension on the line at all times.

T
Logged

Use an "AM Courtesy Filter" to limit transmit audio bandwidth  +-4.5 KHz, +-6.0 KHz or +-8.0 KHz when needed.  Easily done in DSP.

Wise Words : "I'm as old as I've ever been... and I'm as young as I'll ever be."

There's nothing like an old dog.
AG5UM
Member

Offline Offline

Posts: 114


« Reply #5 on: March 29, 2020, 01:23:06 PM »

Looking at my Heathkits they are model # M1-29,and M1-2900, the m1-2900 has cool fish picture on the dial,
They look cool, I think the design-circuits,etc. are interesting.
They are fun.
AG5UM
(forgot to mention ,Its called "Heathkit Fish Spotter")
Logged
Steve - K4HX
Administrator
Member

Offline Offline

Posts: 2722



« Reply #6 on: March 29, 2020, 01:33:47 PM »

FB on the fishing there OM Tom. Lots of fun and relaxing too. I don't use the crank baits that often. Many of the places I fish have too many possible snags. Nothing like losing a $10 lure on the first cast. More often I'm using a Texas rigged worm or lizard, a Ned rig, or a standard jig head with a soft plastic imitation minnow (these are good for bass and crappie). These are all single hook setups.

When I do use the crank baits, I'm fishing specifically for bass. Those big hooks don't do much damage to them. They come out pretty easily. Sometimes the fish shake them out and get away. You have to remember that these boys eat bluegills and you know that bluegills have a large spiny, sharp dorsal fin. These hooks are nothing in comparison to that. Trout and some of the river fish are a different story. Much smaller mouths and much more sensitive.
Logged
K1JJ
Contributing
Member
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 8893


"Let's go kayaking, Tommy!" - Yaz


« Reply #7 on: March 29, 2020, 01:50:25 PM »

More often I'm using a Texas rigged worm or lizard, a Ned rig, or a standard jig head with a soft plastic imitation minnow (these are good for bass and crappie). These are all single hook setups.


Man, you must have a subscription to Whirl-wide Disco Duck Fishing magazine!    Grin

My father is from Arkansas and grew up fishing down there. After living in CT for 30 years he went back down to visit. He discovered they were using these weird colored rubber worms and froggie things for panfish and crappie, etc.  He brought a big bag of them back to CT. For months he was just killing it. He was out-fishing his buddies 4:1 until they demanded some from him. Funny how the fish get used to certain baits and lures and avoid them - and then we introduce something new and whamo!

Same for the "trot-lines" in Arkansas. My grandfather had a restaurant down there with the main dish being breaded catfish. He put this stinky meatball stuff on the hooks that stretched across the Green Lakes. Each day he emptied the lines full of cats. I took some cat-bait home for CT River use and found a big edge over shiner bait.

T
  
Logged

Use an "AM Courtesy Filter" to limit transmit audio bandwidth  +-4.5 KHz, +-6.0 KHz or +-8.0 KHz when needed.  Easily done in DSP.

Wise Words : "I'm as old as I've ever been... and I'm as young as I'll ever be."

There's nothing like an old dog.
W1RKW
Contributing
Member
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 4410



« Reply #8 on: March 30, 2020, 06:01:21 PM »

I have a Wright&McGill fly rod that was my Dad's going back to late 50's early 60's.  It has some small history to it.  He and his buddies made a few fishing trips to Hudson Bay in Canada. It's almost new like.  When I and my siblings came along fishing was a thing of the past for him.  Rod is practically new.  Got the original instruction set, case and cloth sleeve.  No reel though.  Never knew what happened to the reel.  Also have some vintage fresh water wooden lures that were his.  

JJ,  I do the same with treble hooks when out in the sound. Plugs, swimmers and poppers have filed off barbs and I usually remove the front treble hook too.  Makes for easier lure removal much and lessens injury to the fish, even for pigeon fish like bluefish.

FYI, bluefish are on the restricted list in CT this year for the first time in my lifetime which I find hard to believe considering abundant bait fish they thrive on.  Something weird going on in LI Sound.
Logged

Bob
W1RKW
Home of GORT. A buddy of mine named the 813 rig GORT.
His fear was when I turned it on for the first time life on earth would come to a stand still.
Opcom
Patrick J. / KD5OEI
Contributing
Member
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 8308



WWW
« Reply #9 on: March 30, 2020, 08:41:53 PM »

spinning neon bulb on a wheel! That is the good old kind! Spurred my interest in radar.
Logged

Radio Candelstein - Flagship Station of the NRK Radio Network.
W3RSW
Contributing
Member
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 3308


Rick & "Roosevelt"


« Reply #10 on: March 30, 2020, 11:23:42 PM »

- sync'd for reflection depth. sometimes you'd get two alternating flashes, one hopefully a big fish, the other the bottom.  Sometimes both would flash at once, one weaker than the other, or alternately.   My biggest disappointment was finding how shallow the lake was that I thought was
bottomless.  Less than 30'; after I'd told people it must be 100. 

 I built that finder for a friend on company time, right on my desk and everyone thought it was a for corrosion control or some electrical thingy.  "Ricky must be working on something important."  Nothing like bosses at the gas company.   One time I told one I needed a requisition for 6 ft. of 4 1/2" brass tubing. "What for?"...  "Well, you know, it's for encasing a cathodic protection anode with logarithmic spacing."  "Oh, ok... well tell me when you guys install it, so I can watch."  - There went the classic telescope tube design for an objective lens I had.  The tube came in with a shipping dent and ruined the whole idea anyway.
It's probably still sitting in the warehouse.   Err, Sorry, but that's chain of though reasoning escaping an older brain.  Wink
Logged

RICK  *W3RSW*
Steve - K4HX
Administrator
Member

Offline Offline

Posts: 2722



« Reply #11 on: March 30, 2020, 11:33:03 PM »

I was looking at some Wright & McGill rods to match up with my Abu. Some of those old rods are like works of art. Much prettier than most of the newer stuff.

Those flasher units are quite interesting. Now days the fish finders are full up side-imaging sonar. You can actually see the fish, different sizes, depths, even near brush piles.
Logged
W1RKW
Contributing
Member
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 4410



« Reply #12 on: March 31, 2020, 05:42:09 PM »

Steve,
This particular Wright/McGill is a glass rod.  All cork handle.  Unlike modern day fly rods that have the weight number on them, I don't know what weight it is.  There's nothing indicating it's weight/size.  I'm guessing based on some of my more modern fly rods, that this is in the 2 or 3 weight category. It's a little longer than 6ft.  Built beautifully. It's light and balances nicely with one of my Orvis reels.  I haven't used it so have no idea what it's action is like. Don't know if it's hand built but my guess it probably was. As you said, it's a work of art and nicely done.  Got to find a vintage reel to go with it.
Logged

Bob
W1RKW
Home of GORT. A buddy of mine named the 813 rig GORT.
His fear was when I turned it on for the first time life on earth would come to a stand still.
AJ1G
Contributing
Member
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 1283


« Reply #13 on: April 01, 2020, 06:46:02 AM »

I've been enjoying reading this over the last few days.  After retiring back in August, I took up surfcasting again, something I did quite a bit of with my wife Diane's dad years ago, but have not really had the time for as a working guy in a long time.  We have some of his big old custom made Lamiglas sticks.  They were made at Murat's Tackle Shop in North Smithfield, RI most likely in the early 1960s.  Murat's was a nexus for many southern New England surf fishermen in the 50s through at least the late 80s, it's been been closed for many years now.  Charlie Murat, the owner was a big promoter of surfcasting in the postwar years, and the shop, even in the winter off-season, was a popular hang-out for surf fisherman, the air thick with cigar smoke and fish stories especially on Saturday mornings.  The rods were made by Charlie and in later years, by Charlie's son-in-law, Dave Hammock.  Most of those i have seen have dark amber yellow glass, and line guides secured with red thread windings.  The long butt end handles are wrapped with spiral wound sheet cork, and sport a rubber bumper on the bottom that are the same as those used on walking canes and crutches.  The handles do not have any reel seats, back in the day, you picked the spot that suited you best on the handle, and secured the reel there with black fabric adhesive tape.  When putting a couple of the big old Murats back in commission last summer, I followed that tradition, securing the Penn 704 "Greenie" spinning reels using carefully applied wraps of Gorilla tape.  Loaded with the latest ultra fine thread-like low stretch braided line, they cast old school Gibbs wooden Pencil Poppers, Bottle Poppers, and Danny swimmer plugs like a dream.  The Gibbs plugs are still being made, in Cumberland, RI, but have gotten quite pricey.  I'm looking forward to getting back on the beaches and breachways soon, when the stripers will be following the shad and herring up into the rivers and salt ponds on their spring spawning runs.  

Fishing and ham radio have a lot in common.   Both involve pursuit of often elusive rewards, involving acquired skills, persistence, and acquiring and maintaining specialized equipment. Getting up at o'dark thirty to catch the start of the tide drop, or the gray line to Australia on 40, having a big linesider slam your plug, or having a rare DX station come back to your CQ, being in the midst of wheeling and screaming gulls and schoolies chasing baitfish during a blitz, or nailing that rare one in a big pileup on your first call, its all about the thrill of the chase. And if you have a mobile rig in your fishing vehicle, you can often play at both hobbies on the same trip.  Many of the local fishing hotspots, such as Watch Hill Point, RI are also excellent locations to work DX from when the fishing is slow.

While reading up on the Murat rods and shop last summer, I came across an article about how Charlie Murat left this world doing what he loved, with a fish on the line, after just bringing in two other big ones out at Wellfleet on Cape Cod, it's a good read:

https://finandflame.com/charles-murat-mureel-lure/

Be sure to click on the Striper Surf article link embedded at the end of the above article.  

Tight Lines!
Logged

Chris, AJ1G
Stonington, CT
Steve - K4HX
Administrator
Member

Offline Offline

Posts: 2722



« Reply #14 on: April 01, 2020, 12:27:05 PM »

Bob,

Most of the fiberglass rods are pretty soft and bend easily. I'm seeing lots of nice Mitchell 308s (and other 300s) on eBay. One of those might mate up nicely with your rod.

Orvis? You got some high-end stuff there!

Chris,

Nice observations on fishing and amateur radio.

Tom,

There are tons of different ways to rig plastics lures - Texas, Carolina, Whacky, Shakey Head, drop shot, Ned rig, Niko rig, Tokyo rig... Then there are all the swimbait variations. The fishing lure/equipment industry is massive. Most of the lures are designed to catch fishermen more than fish!
Logged
W1RKW
Contributing
Member
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 4410



« Reply #15 on: April 02, 2020, 03:43:57 PM »

Steve,
Thanks for the tip on the Mitchell's.  I'll have to shop Ebay some.

No, nothing fancy here.  Don't let the Orvis fool you.  The Orvis was a deal I couldn't pass up at the time. It's one of their low-end reels and it came with some spare spools which is what made it an attractive buy. Otherwise, it's average run of the mill stuff here from local shops or Dick's, etc. 
Logged

Bob
W1RKW
Home of GORT. A buddy of mine named the 813 rig GORT.
His fear was when I turned it on for the first time life on earth would come to a stand still.
AG5UM
Member

Offline Offline

Posts: 114


« Reply #16 on: April 02, 2020, 04:34:32 PM »

Steve, and all,
You guys mentioned shad and strippers,etc....
When I was a kid, my  grandfather used to take me out on the big rivers in California,
to teach me how to "power-net" for shad, which was used for bait for strippers coming up the
river from the ocean.
He smoked the fish in an old icebox.
Do you remember Power-netting?
He also went out in a 14 ft. alumn. boat for ling cod, fun days...
I also like fly fishing gear, especially the the old handmade stuff, beautiful,
sounds like you appreciate the classic stuff also, nice gear.
Donnie/ AG5UM
Logged
KD1SH
Member

Offline Offline

Posts: 738



« Reply #17 on: April 02, 2020, 08:45:27 PM »

   As a kid back in the 70's, growing up on a lake and being passionate about fishing, I would pore over my well worn Garcia Mitchel catalog, fantasizing about rods and reels I couldn't afford on my paper-route budget.  A few years later, getting out of basic training with some decent cash in my wallet for the first time in my young life, the very first thing I went out and bought was a Mitchel 408 ultralight reel and matching Garcia "Conlon" ultralight rod.  They are still to this day among my most prized possessions. 
   Many years later, in the late 80's, I picked up another Mitchel 408, but this one wasn't made in France like the old classics, but in Taiwan.  It was such a piece of junk - the bail had an annoying habit of snapping shut in the middle of a cast and breaking the line - that I literally removed it from the rod one day while out fishing in my little lake, and tossed it over the side of the boat.
Logged

"Gosh, Batman, I never knew there were no punctuation marks in alphabet soup!"
—Robin, in the 1960's Batman TV series.
Steve - K4HX
Administrator
Member

Offline Offline

Posts: 2722



« Reply #18 on: April 02, 2020, 10:16:34 PM »

Never used a net other to land a hooked fish at the shore or boat.

Been looking at some Conolon casting rods to match with my Abu 5000.

You can find some pre-Garcia Mitchells, if you really want to go old school.
Logged
W1RKW
Contributing
Member
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 4410



« Reply #19 on: April 03, 2020, 04:06:08 PM »

I have my first fresh water rod which is a Garcia B-601-D my father gave me as a kid back in 68 or 69.  Reel is a South Bend 725.  Still have it and use it from time to time.  Pretty basic as reels go but it still works good. Caught many a bass and pickerel on it.


* SBReel.jpg (10.64 KB, 258x196 - viewed 253 times.)
Logged

Bob
W1RKW
Home of GORT. A buddy of mine named the 813 rig GORT.
His fear was when I turned it on for the first time life on earth would come to a stand still.
Steve - K4HX
Administrator
Member

Offline Offline

Posts: 2722



« Reply #20 on: April 03, 2020, 10:17:39 PM »

Sweet reel there Bob. So great to see those Made in America rigs.

Caught my first fish on the vintage set up today.


* IMG_8319a.jpg (3843.5 KB, 3024x4032 - viewed 294 times.)
Logged
KD1SH
Member

Offline Offline

Posts: 738



« Reply #21 on: April 04, 2020, 11:13:16 AM »

  Oh, that beautiful red anodized finish on those early Ambassadeurs!  There were a few other models in anodized green, orange, and gold, too.  The modern baitcasting reels are all sculpted in black plastic and look more like some sort of Star Trek phaser weapons than fishing reels.  Maybe you can set them to just "stun" a fish?
   I don't know all the history, but I think the Ambassadeurs were some of the first casting reels to include centrifugal brakes to manage the dreaded backlash.
   Putting this in a more radio oriented vein, the use of baitcasting reels, and fly fishing, too, can be roughly equated to AM or maybe CW operation, in the sense that both require a bit more technical and operational skill, whereas using a spinning reel is more akin to being a sideband appliance operator.
Logged

"Gosh, Batman, I never knew there were no punctuation marks in alphabet soup!"
—Robin, in the 1960's Batman TV series.
W1RKW
Contributing
Member
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 4410



« Reply #22 on: April 04, 2020, 05:09:30 PM »

Excellent, Steve!  Nice catch. Nice to know that the old stuff works just as good if not better than the new stuff.   Did you pre-breadcrumb that baby?
Logged

Bob
W1RKW
Home of GORT. A buddy of mine named the 813 rig GORT.
His fear was when I turned it on for the first time life on earth would come to a stand still.
Steve - K4HX
Administrator
Member

Offline Offline

Posts: 2722



« Reply #23 on: April 04, 2020, 07:15:21 PM »

No chumming. I did "cheat" in using a modern lure, the Dark Sleeper.

https://megabassusa.com/product/dark-sleeper/

Logged
W1RKW
Contributing
Member
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 4410



« Reply #24 on: April 05, 2020, 01:07:16 PM »

The Dark Sleeper looks  like a pretty good lure.  Gonna have to try one of those.

Look what I found.  I forgot I had this. The rod is a Betts Smooth Caster from Detroit, MI..  The reel is an Ocean City 1600 and has some old school braided line on it.  I've never used it because the reel needs work.  Looks like I have a small restoration project to do.

Know of a source for old school braided line?


* DSCN0349.JPG (186.52 KB, 1600x570 - viewed 260 times.)

* DSCN0348.JPG (324.78 KB, 1600x1200 - viewed 322 times.)
Logged

Bob
W1RKW
Home of GORT. A buddy of mine named the 813 rig GORT.
His fear was when I turned it on for the first time life on earth would come to a stand still.
Pages: [1] 2 ... 4   Go Up
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

AMfone - Dedicated to Amplitude Modulation on the Amateur Radio Bands
 AMfone © 2001-2015
Powered by SMF 1.1.21 | SMF © 2015, Simple Machines
Page created in 0.083 seconds with 19 queries.