How and when did your particular air gun collecting bug actually bite.

[Blackrider]

Thanks for your post John, in regards to JB he isn't called GKJB for nowt John, JBs post will be more like War and Peace if he goes into detail



Enjoyed that Edster . Noticed the Mitchell 300 bit to mate. I love all the Mitchell range and have 42 in my collection at the moment. And have renovated numerous of these reels in the past. I have literally hundreds of pounds worth of spares. All except 440 spool housing back plates, the holy grail part for all Mitchell fans. I still have my first two, a Mitchell 300C and a Mitchell 440 Match that I bought from my mothers Peter Craig catalogue in the late 70's. I'm after a decent early half bail arm 300 from the late 40's early 50's. Even now they are the only reels I use while out fishing.

Mitchell 300's mmmmm. now me n you really have some catching up to do !

jOHN.

[Grayling]

Mitchell 300's mmmmm. now me n you really have some catching up to do !

jOHN.

If you are a Mitchell fan also then yes mate, kindred spirits or what .

[Blackrider]

If you are a Mitchell fan also then yes mate, kindred spirits or what .

Oh my word but Yes !
How long have yer got, are you a Carper, a Redmire buff perhaps ?

John.

[Grayling]

Oh my word but Yes !
How long have yer got, are you a Carper, a Redmire buff perhaps ?

John.

Well I am a passionate Grayling fisherman really John and long standing member of the Grayling society. I also love catching Tench, Bream, Dace, Barbel and Crucian Carp. Carp are pretty far down on my list to be honest. Although Redmire pool is the Twickenham of the fishing world and I would love to just walk its banks, let alone fish there.

[Blackrider]

Well I am a passionate Grayling fisherman really John and long standing member of the Grayling society. I also love catching Tench, Bream, Dace, Barbel and Crucian Carp. Carp are pretty far down on my list to be honest. Although Redmire pool is the Twickenham of the fishing world and I would love to just walk its banks, let alone fish there.

Say na more on here, I'll catch up on the 15th June !

John.

[Grayling]

Say na more on here, I'll catch up on the 15th June !

John.

Looking forward to it John .

[edbear2]

If you are a Mitchell fan also then yes mate, kindred spirits or what .

I got back into Pike fishing last year after a 40 year break mate...I'll tell you a funny story when we next meet...All my kit was off the bay, a nice 300 with 3 spools in a bag for £15 odd quid, and a cracking (unused looking) Lee of Redditch 9'6" fibreglass spinner with safety twist ferrule, all agate rings and champagne anodizing for not much more...I use old re-hooked snapdragon plugs and vintage spoons and Colorados, and last time out got some sniggers from the multi-rod carbon youngsters...as I did in the shop when I asked what the hell a "jerkbait" was

I caught an 8 pound Pike in front of them, and you should have seen their faces

It's a bit like shooting old guns, or maybe I am just awkward (or believe that fish don't worry if you have spent a grand on tackle as long as you stick something in front of them that looks edible).

Sorry to wander off topic........most unlike me!

ATB, Ed

[Grayling]

I got back into Pike fishing last year after a 40 year break mate...I'll tell you a funny story when we next meet...All my kit was off the bay, a nice 300 with 3 spools in a bag for £15 odd quid, and a cracking (unused looking) Lee of Redditch 9'6" fibreglass spinner with safety twist ferrule, all agate rings and champagne anodizing for not much more...I use old re-hooked snapdragon plugs and vintage spoons and Colorados, and last time out got some sniggers from the multi-rod carbon youngsters...as I did in the shop when I asked what the hell a "jerkbait" was

I caught an 8 pound Pike in front of them, and you should have seen their faces

It's a bit like shooting old guns, or maybe I am just awkward (or believe that fish don't worry if you have spent a grand on tackle as long as you stick something in front of them that looks edible).

Sorry to wander off topic........most unlike me!

ATB, Ed

The amount of older guys who stop for a gab when they see one of my Mitchells is amazing Ed (I rotate these like you do your rifles). But like you I do get sniggers when seen out with my old style tackle. Most are surprised when they find I use them on purpose in favour of the newer Shimano baitrunner types and actually enjoy using them . They are even more surprised when they find out I collect and renovate them too AND HAVE OVER 40 . Mitchells seem to peak and trough price wise and are really cheap at the moment. I love using these old reels, just like I love using vintage BSA's even my centrepin reel for long trotting is an ancient Trudex of 1950s vintage. I love stripping and rebuilding them both too. Although my rods are purpose built, long and very ''tippy'' to middle in action as most of my fishing is fast moving rivers or large glacial mountain lakes. Couldn't give a toss what the younger ones think Ed most I've met are all the gear no idea anyway .

[wotswot]

well chaps from what I can see we all suffer from the same disease! we all seen to have this within us, with me it all started with cap guns cowboy stuff,air rifles as I grew. then model aeroplanes and engines I have 200+ engines some new some very old most still in original boxes,take them out fondle and lube um then put away again.. silly but I love um..then girls followed by motor bikes then lots of beer! and on to cars most of which I still wish I had like the enclosed pic of my pride and joy my rs2000 my lovely wife said it needs to go as it's not used... big mistake!!! sold it 5 years ago for 7k it's now worth 20k.. It now seems to go full circle back to guns.the thing that worries me my young son seems to be going the same way!! one thing I like a lot is that most people that have this disease seem to get on so well. after only a few days on this forum I meeting with the famous edbear, it was like i'd known him years.. funny old world?? keep up the good work chap's.. alan

[wotswot]

sorry chaps got carried away there and forgot the photo ... so here she is or was!

[wotswot]

http://s1291.beta.photobucket.com/us...tml?sort=3&o=2

sorry.. here it is....

[Grayling]

http://s1291.beta.photobucket.com/us...tml?sort=3&o=2

sorry.. here it is....

Oh that is nice, VERY VERY NICE, always wanted one back in the day, just couldn't afford an RS2000 bloody expensive then, even more so now. I had an all black 1976 (P registered) 1600 Ghia MK2 with twin choke webbers and Janspeed exhaust. I did manage the RS alloys on mine though, eventually.

[wotswot]

Oh that is nice, VERY VERY NICE, always wanted one back in the day, just couldn't afford an RS2000 bloody expensive then, even more so now. I had an all black 1976 (P registered) 1600 Ghia MK2 with twin choke webbers and Janspeed exhaust. I did manage the RS alloys on mine though, eventually.

Gary, I had a 1976 1600 ghia in metallic blue with a black vinyl roof and a set of minilite alloys!! which set me back 3 weeks wages! those were the days my friend.. regards alan... then there was a sp250 (dont start!)

[dingle]

The wife wants to know why I want two guns when I can only shoot one at a time, I don't know what to say.

See you all at Melbourne, me and the lad are booked in at the Premier.

Mel[/QUOTE]

i was at the three counties show a couple of years ago looking on an air rifle stand as you do. i was talking to another man who was like me getting grief off his wife "why do you need another gun havent you got enough you can only shoot one at a time " all the usual, so we were both getting it in the neck. i turned around to my wife and said you know ive got a fly rod she replied yes would i use it for beachcasting she replied no you would use your beachcaster so there genlemen was her answer and the other man smiled with agreement and both our wives were speechless

[Grayling]

Gary, I had a 1976 1600 ghia in metallic blue with a black vinyl roof and a set of minilite alloys!! which set me back 3 weeks wages! those were the days my friend.. regards alan... then there was a sp250 (dont start!)

Those were the days hey Alan . I've always loved my Fords. My first was a Ford Anglia 105E deluxe painted bright red with the white flash like the Starky and Hutch Gran Torino talk about bright, it was nie on impossible to do any errrr courting in that thing, but we managed . Then had a metallic green H reg Cortina MK2 1600E with Rostyle wheels, absolutely loved it, gorgeous motor. Then switched to MK3s with a roman bronze K reg Cortina 2000 GT, later got a M reg white, black vinyl roof on an 2000GXL both with the four headlights they were lovingly called the poor mans Porsche in Liverpuddle in those days . Final MK3 was a P reg 2000E estate (oblong head lamps) in dominion blue it was like a double bed on wheels and used like one . Switched to a MK4 Cortina 2000 Ghia, that was nice, tinted windows (new then) and dark brown crushed velour seats, terrible for errrrr hard to explain stains on the errrrr passenger seat . Used to spend most Saturdays in the local scrappy those days seeing what improvements we could errrrrrrr find for these cars. A mate would be waiting on the other side of the fence and all the little treasures would then be tossed over to him . We ran those things on an absolute shoe string. My best find was a Chrome rocker cover and chromed webber carbs which went straight onto the 1600E. I had this silly habit, god only knows why of driving down my mothers street in reverse doing around 40 with the gearboxes screaming. Subsequently I was not well thought of by the neighbours . Happy days though, a fast Ford with a lovely young girl in the passenger seat, nowt else mattered back then .

Did go to Triumph for a while after the MK4 Ghia, got a bright yellow/black roof 1850 Dolomite Sprint WITH OVERDRIVE . Liked that A LOT. Got married then and swapped it for a Fridge Freezer, Colour TV and VHS recorder . Was I gutted. Christ what would that Dolly Mint be worth now . My sons often ask me what these cars did to the gallon and do you know, I don't have a clue. Petrol price was not an issue back then.