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  #1  
Old 01-09-2015, 06:30 AM
Seal1 Seal1 is offline
Poddy Bream
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 89
Another Melbournite

Having been a long time lurker, I recently posted my first entries, so this is somewhat of a belated introduction.

I’ve been fishing for four decades, mainly in the salt but with a little fresh thrown in for good measure and over the years chased everything from tiddlers to big tuna and marlin across a few states. Fresh bait was the mainstay of my fishing for so many years but a little over a decade ago soft plastics and braid caught my attention and in the space of a few years changed my fishing outlook forever. With possibly one or two exceptions, all my fishing these days is lure based, using finesse tackle to suit the occasion. Today, I’ll happily take a session in an estuary or a calm bay rather than be knocked about chasing gamefish in typical southern seas. On my home turf of Melbourne and Port Phillip Bay, a favourite of mine is chasing both bream and snapper, amongst others, on artificials, preferrably hards. Out of all my gear and setups, it’s the light stuff, the spin rods, that see duty 90% of the time.

Along the way I took an interest in rod building and have built over a hundred rods over the years for myself, family and close friends. Game rods were the big flavour early on but in more recent years high modulus finesse rods have been the greatest area of interest. Mind you, with a young family, finding the time these days to roll my own is becoming more and more difficult. It can be hard enough finding the time to go fishing!

Anyway, this is a great site, offering a wealth of information and I hope to contribute along the way.

Cheers
Seal1
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  #2  
Old 01-09-2015, 08:21 AM
Pistol Pistol is offline
Mature Bream
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Warragul
Posts: 255
Welcome Seal! We share some common interests, particularly the rod building which was my first job as a teen and have just resumed. What blanks do you use for your light stuff? I'm a bit east of you at Warragul but I've spent sometime training in my kayak and surf ski around Patto and Mornington. I gather that you frequent the other side of the bay. Just wish East Gippy was a bit closer! I'm not interested in snapper but give the whiting a crack in Westernport when I need a fix, but breaming (and perching) is where my heart is. There's some great info and some knowledgable fishos on the site! Hope you enjoy the journey.

Last edited by Pistol; 01-09-2015 at 08:25 AM.
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  #3  
Old 01-09-2015, 09:31 AM
Seal1 Seal1 is offline
Poddy Bream
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 89
Cheers Pistol.

Yep, fishing for KG whiting is one of the few exceptions where I'm quite happily tempted to the dark side with bait. Most of my PPB haunts are around the top and west side. I've begun to fish WP over the past couple of years and it's certainly a different ball game compared to its neighbour.

As to blanks, built a few loomis when they were available. Ironically, those rods were built for others and I kinda regret wising up too late re the shimano takeover, otherwise I would have bought and stashed away a few blanks for myself. Built a few on hastings blanks, one a 6 foot job that has proven to be a real workhorse and I've dragged that little rod all over the country. Have 2 more hastings laying about awaiting a build. Tough blanks the hastings, but I find them a little on the heavy side. Built a couple on MHX and they seem good value for the price. Perhaps my current favourites are the St Croix. Excellent quality control, laser straight, super finish and the SC5 in particular are superb. Have built some barra rods on SC2 and SC3, but I'm itching to complete a couple on SC5 blanks I have here, an S70LF and an S76MF.

The St Croix SC5 are my current pick, though I'd love to try some North Fork blanks. Must resist temptation! My trouble, is dreaming up new combinations before I have a chance to build what's already on hand. So, I'm determined not to consider any other new blanks, not until the remaining hastings and SC5s are done. Just need to find the time to turn up the cork handles.

What blanks are you playing with / considering?

Seal1
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  #4  
Old 01-09-2015, 06:49 PM
Broomstick's Avatar
Broomstick Broomstick is offline
Big Bream
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 517
Welcome mate . Sounds like you have a wealth of knowledge to contribute to the forum, I look forward to hearing it!
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  #5  
Old 01-09-2015, 11:16 PM
Pistol Pistol is offline
Mature Bream
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Warragul
Posts: 255
Quote:
Originally Posted by Seal1 View Post
Cheers Pistol.

Yep, fishing for KG whiting is one of the few exceptions where I'm quite happily tempted to the dark side with bait. Most of my PPB haunts are around the top and west side. I've begun to fish WP over the past couple of years and it's certainly a different ball game compared to its neighbour.

As to blanks, built a few loomis when they were available. Ironically, those rods were built for others and I kinda regret wising up too late re the shimano takeover, otherwise I would have bought and stashed away a few blanks for myself. Built a few on hastings blanks, one a 6 foot job that has proven to be a real workhorse and I've dragged that little rod all over the country. Have 2 more hastings laying about awaiting a build. Tough blanks the hastings, but I find them a little on the heavy side. Built a couple on MHX and they seem good value for the price. Perhaps my current favourites are the St Croix. Excellent quality control, laser straight, super finish and the SC5 in particular are superb. Have built some barra rods on SC2 and SC3, but I'm itching to complete a couple on SC5 blanks I have here, an S70LF and an S76MF.

The St Croix SC5 are my current pick, though I'd love to try some North Fork blanks. Must resist temptation! My trouble, is dreaming up new combinations before I have a chance to build what's already on hand. So, I'm determined not to consider any other new blanks, not until the remaining hastings and SC5s are done. Just need to find the time to turn up the cork handles.

What blanks are you playing with / considering?

Seal1
You'll hate the SC Vs, better off to get rid of them and try the North Forks. Tell ya what, as a welcome to a newbie I'll take 'em off your hands for $50 each.

As I said, my first job was repairing rods for the local sports store and building them for sale in my Dad's service station. Mainly surf rods but a couple of light game rods. I went to school near the Jarvis Walker factory in Springvale Road and got my components there. State of the Art Fenwick glass blanks! I could build them for under $50 and sold for $100 which was a King's ransom in those days! That was the pre binding epoxy era.


In more recent times when my interests moved to bream I decided to get a Howler Custom Rod built by Damien How. He used an SCV and it's magnificent! That got me interested in doing one for myself and I ended up getting components from Mark Newcombe using one of the blanks that he now uses for his own line of rods. It came up pretty well and it's quite adequate(seems very similar to the Shitmano Loomis I have and more than capable of whipping Broomstick's ass)but it's nothing like the Howler!
My next rod build will be on an SCV but I struggle to justify getting any more rods and the market around here for me to sell them is limited (non existent).
Anyway, welcome again. Oh, and the offer re the SCVs stands!
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  #6  
Old 02-09-2015, 04:21 AM
Seal1 Seal1 is offline
Poddy Bream
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 89
Quote:
Originally Posted by Broomstick View Post
Welcome mate . Sounds like you have a wealth of knowledge to contribute to the forum, I look forward to hearing it!
Thanks broomstick. Don't know about a wealth of knowledge, though. Without a doubt still so much to learn and in truth that's part of the challenge.
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  #7  
Old 02-09-2015, 04:55 AM
Seal1 Seal1 is offline
Poddy Bream
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 89
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pistol View Post
You'll hate the SC Vs, better off to get rid of them and try the North Forks. Tell ya what, as a welcome to a newbie I'll take 'em off your hands for $50 each.
Haha.

The St Croix have not been marketed anywhere near as heavily as the likes of Loomis in this country, but IMO are every bit as good.

Ah, the old aussie made glass blanks. Now that brings back a few memories.
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