Hustlerjim remembers...

[Jennie@ifish]

Got this in my e mail this morning, and enjoyed it.

I do remember my first casting reel, but it was fancy! I'm so darn young. :smile: :smile:

From the elders in the community:

60 years ago when I was a boy back in Wisconsin, I remember my first fishing Rod ;it was a square steel 5 ft. instrument I used to fish northern pike and bass, this was equipped with a direct drive reel, I think it was a Shakespeare.

Cane poles were used for pan fish.

This was our standard equipment for fishing.

About this time my little brother Billy and I saw this ad in the paper ,there was a 5 dollar reward for anybody that could backlash this new type real

We couldn’t believe are good fortune.

We hopped on our bikes and rode into town convinced we had 5 dollars and our pocket.--

this was our introduction to the spinning reel; needless to say we went home with our lower lips dragging on the front wheel of our bikes.

Also about this time mono filament line came into being ,this replace the old silk braided line we had to run through a bees wax block periodically to preserve it.

But spinning reels had one drawback ,they could not cast a heavy line . In those days 30 pound test was standard for steel head as the knot strength was so bad.

I saw my first level wind ambassador 5000 on the sixes River in about 1949,

This guy cast the clear across the river of about 100 feet with 20 # tests line . I was amazed.

I saved my money and bought a red Ambassador- $39.I still have the reel, about this time, fiberglass rods came on the market, my first one was a brown Wright McGill 8 foot one piece rod.

this came equipped with a small round stone to smooth out the groves the line wore in the guides, this was before ceramic guides came around.

These rods were quickly followed by graphite, and later boron, which most of us use today.

This started me out with first class primary equipment I needed.

for terminal tackle, the standard was a gob of eggs setting on the bottom, a forked stick, and a bunch of buddies, standing around a smoky fire, usually in the rain. This was called plunking, Loretta called it--stupidity.

Cherry bobbers came along and we’ve found steel head would hit a moving target drifting along the bottom of the river. this started the artificial lure industry.

Reels have come clear around I clearly remember my first left hand Shimono. where the level wind mechanism became disengaged when you cast. this has become standard for the industry, along with the magnetic anti backlash we find things are a lot easier than they were sixty years ago.

May be some of you can add to this with your memories of how it was. before the aluminum drift boat. Buzz and hot shots came along.

[reeldick]

I've still got my 5' steel casting rod with the Shakespear casting reel. The reel even has that old black line on it. The rod was a hand-me-down when I got it. It has the glass inserts in the guides. Love those old rods. Lots of good memories catching northern pike and bass.