|
 When
I was given a Korum Ruckbag my first thought was that it wouldn't fit all my gear
in, my second was that there was nowhere to strap my unhooking mat and waterproof
jacket. To my surprise the Ruckbag swallowed all the gear I take for a day session
- including my jacket. There
are two things that set the Ruckbag apart from most rucksacks. The first is the
way you access the inside. I'd been using a much bigger Aqua rucksack for a few
years that lay on its straps and had front opening flaps. The Ruckbag works on
the same principle but the straps remain on top (although they can slip sideways
into the mud) and the back of the bag has a moulded, waterproof, base.  There
are three outside zipped pockets - as with most rucksacks,
but inside there is one large space with small pockets around its edges. At first
I thought these would be redundant, but I have found them handy for keeping things
like binoculars and thermometer readily to hand. They do help keep things organised.
The main zipped flap has two mesh pockets on the inside. I use one for my permits
and notebook, and the other for my first aid kit and compact camera. The phrase
'a place for everything and everything in its place' springs to mind when using
the Ruckbag.
The
second defining feature of this bag is the way it is designed to carry the Korum
Accessory Chairs. Counter intuitively they are placed between the bag and the
angler's back! At first this sounds, and looks, like it will be uncomfortable.
In practice it's not and the weight of the chair does not pull down on the bag
like it does when strapped to the outside of a bag. If you don't have, or don't
want, a Korum chair, fear not. My old Nash Nomad fits in the Ruckbag's chair clips
and the whole lot carries like a dream. So it would be worth trying your existing
chair on the bag before lashing out on a new one. Sometimes I put spare clothing
into the chair before folding it up to strap on the bag - which not only gets
it out of the way but provides a bit of padding. Another
feature of the bag that I like a lot are the dual lifting handles, one at each
end of the Ruckbag, making it easy to move around a swim and lift in and out of
the car. The only downside has been having nowhere to strap my unhooking mat.
I'm sure that a little ingenuity on my part would have solved that, but I found
another place to put it. Rolled up my mat slips neatly into the mesh pocket on
the back of the Korum 5-Rod Quiver, topped off by my sack and sling.  There's
not much to say about the quiver except that it is compact, and in addition to
the zipped mesh pocket has the usual main brolly pocket and two more pockets -
one with a full length zip - on the side the rods strap to. How you use these
pockets is up to you. I put my brolly, bagged up net and long banksticks in the
main pocket, and shorter banksticks in the other two. Five rod butt pockets line
up with five Velcro rod securing straps, and away you go. Unlike a lot of quivers
this one actually balances well when carried by the grab handle. Like the Ruckbag
this makes it easy to put in and out the back of cars and vans. The strap and
handle can be fitted to either side of the quiver.
 The
third item of Korum luggage that I now use is the Large Bait & Bits Bag. This
is a bit like a shopping bag, except it has a zipped flap on each side forming
pockets that can be used to store things like PVA dispensers, catapults and bait
droppers, keeping them easily to hand. The small pocket also has mesh pouches
which, to be honest I haven't found a use for. I keep my hookbaits in this pocket
along with a baiting needle.
The
main bag itself is capacious enough to take two small bait buckets plus more stuff.
I often cram spare clothing in the bag when the day is warm but the night threatens
to turn cool. A flap to keep the contents dry might be a good addition to the
bag. With two handles that Velcro together the bag is easy enough to carry in
the hand, but being so large there is a temptation to fill it to the brim - which
is where the shoulder strap comes in handy! With
these three items of Korum luggage I find I can carry all the stuff I need for
a day or night's barbel fishing as far as I want - with my hands free and without
feeling the strain. It also keeps my gear organised meaning less time tidying
things away between swim moves. I
don't think I've ever had matching fishing luggage before as I use what works
best. In this case what works best has been well thought out by one manufacturer.
 Dave
Lumb
Posted
October 2008 |
JRC DAVE LANE GUEST CHAIR
 I
originally bought this chair to sit on outside my bivvy when tench fishing. It
soon became apparent that the seat part of the chair slips backwards when you
sit on it. As you might be able to see in the photo I have tried to stop this
by tying some paracord between the front leg frame and the eyelets that the bungee
cord providing the springing to the seat is passed through. This is just a minor
niggle though. As
the legs are not adjustable, and the back leg does not fold, it is best suited
to use on a level surface, or one with a very slight slope towards the water's
edge. However,
these minor complaints are more than compensated for by the extremely light weight
of the chair. It weighs just over 5lb on my scales. The
non-folding angled back leg does mean that the chair is easy to strap to the back
of a rucksack, as shown below. 
Priced
at £24.99 at the time of this review, but on offer at some places as it
seems to have been discontinued. Get one while you can! Dave
Lumb Posted
August 2007 |
 At
first glance the Korum PVA system dispenser looks a like a gimmick, but in practice
it does everything it says on the tin, and is really useful if you are a confirmed
mesh bag user. The
first thing to notice is that the case, being oval in cross-section doesn't roll
down the bank when you drop it! I must admit that I'm not overly struck by the
retained cap as it makes removing the funnel/filler a bit fiddly, but brute force
or a sharp knife solves that niggle! The whole thing takes up much less space
than the usual PVA tubes do. Neat.  The
funnel on the end of the filler tube genuinely does help, ending the little pile
of pellets that always seems to occur when filling by hand. It can also be used
to measure out the bag's contents fairly accurately each time. The ridge at the
other end of the filler tube is a surprisingly simple solution to the problem
of the load of bait pulling the stocking off the end of the tube. Brilliant.
Along
with the loaded filler and case Korum also supply a plunger and a stick needle
that can both be stored inside the filler tube. I had no need for these but found
that a pair of scissors sits neatly in the funnel. Tidy. Refills
are available, supplied in a plastic tub with a sealing lid. So no more sticky
PVA when you come to top up the filler. Clean. All
in all a lateral thinking, but simple, rethink of the PVA theme from Korum. Available
in standard and narrow diameters, the mesh refills are also available in standard
and ultra fine weaves. The System retails for £8.99 with 5m refills costing £5.99.
Dave
Lumb Posted
June 2007 |
AQUA BAIT CARRYALL
 A
carrying bag to put a bucket in? Sounds like a daft idea on the face of it. But
the Aqua Bait Carryall is a bit more than that. Made from Cordura with a waterproof
Nyplex base it has pouches on the outside to hold catapult, PVA tube, spod, or
such like, and an inner soft 'tray' to take tubs of hookbaits. Not only that but
it is supplied with a bucket with a lift out bowl.
Designed
with the carp angler in mind barbel anglers will find this carryall as useful.
I have disposed with the soft tray and bucket and replaced them with a smaller
bucket of feed pellets and occasionally a second bucket of hemp. The plastic tray
drops in on top of this holding tubs of hookbait. When
fishing the tray is lifted out and keeps all the tubs together and is a handy
place to put baiting needles and scissors so they don't get lost in the grass.
When open-end feeder fishing a bag of groundbait goes in carryall and a Preston
Innovation groundbait bowl makes a lid for the whole thing! 
My
only minor complaint is that the handles are a bit too long for my liking, so
I folded them up and bound them with tape to shorten them. Despite seeming unnecessary
at first glance the Bait Carryall is actually a versatile, and useful bit of kit. Price
£29.99 More details from Aqua products on 0845 1259399 or visit www.aquaproducts.co.uk. Posted
March 2007, revised August 2007 |
CANON SURESHOT S3 IS
This
is the third digital camera I have owned in the last six years and it is by far
the most suited to angling. The biggest boon is the flip round screen which makes
framing self-takes a real doddle. Some may bemoan the lack of a remote release,
but with an adapter bracket it works superbly with a bulb release. 
Having
6.0 mega pixels the quality of the jpeg files produced on the highest resolution
setting are more than acceptable for producing A4 prints and for publication in
magazines like Coarse Angling Today. The 12x optical zoom range is good and fast
operating, and the close up capabilities are excellent too. I
have found the pop-up flash more than adequate for night time fish shots, and
great for fill-in flash too. As well
as the 2 inch flip round screen there is a digital eyepiece screen that makes
it possible to see what you are photographing even in bright sunshine, and gives
the camera the feel in use of an SLR. The
camera is easy to operate in 'idiot' mode (auto or programme) yet has plenty of
variables for the more advance anorak wearing photographer to fiddle with! It
will also accept telephoto and wide angle adaptors. Build
quality is what you would expect from Canon, and while not the lightest camera
for its size it does feel solid and made to last. Unfortunately
cameras are discontinued so rapidly these days this review may soon be of an obsolete
model. Dave
Lumb Read
an in-depth technical review and full specifications at www.dpreview.com Posted
February 2007 |
Sample
pics
Uncropped
self take using flip round screen.
Crop
of full frame. Click image to see unreduced crop. |
JESSOP'S CABLE RELEASE ADAPTER BRACKET
 A
nifty little adaptor that is flexible enough to fit a wide range of digital cameras.
The
only problem I have encountered is that the piece that the bulb release actually
screws into can work loose and drop off. This is particularly troublesome in the
dark. A small piece of tight fitting aquarium tubing pushed on the end of the
vertical arm solves the problem. Dave
Lumb PS
If you cannot find the Jessop's bracket there is something similar available here
which appears to be better made. Posted
February 2007 (Updated November 2007, May 2008 and June 2009) For
tips on self-take photography have a look at Lumbland |
WYCHWOOD LARGE TACKLE BOX It's
probably a bit sad to get excited by a tackle box, but this new one from Wychwood
seems to be just what I have been searching for. I find it better to keep my small
items of tackle (swivels, stops, beads etc.) in small boxes rather than small
compartments out of which they always seem to migrate when the box is tipped on
its side.
Most
tackle boxes either have fixed size compartments, or adjustable ones, that are
never quite the right. The large Wychwood box has four compartments running from
front to back (two narrow ones, one wide and one intermediate) each with dividers.
The narrowest and widest have two removable dividers and the other one has one.
This allows you to make compartments that are large enough for spools of hooklink
material, boxes of hooks, rig boards, weights or feeders, as well as ones for
little boxes filled with small items. The
plastic as robust and not brittle, and the hinges and catches have proved reliable
too. Definitely a versatile box. The
large box is approximately 35cm x 24cm x 6cm. Best of all it costs less than a
tenner. A smaller model is also available.  Dave
Lumb
Posted
September 2006 |
KORUM ACCESSORY BOXES  8
Compartment Magnetic Hook Box
Although
originally designed for match size hooks this neat little box with flip-up lids
to each compartment is great for holding barbel hooks up to size 2. If you are
a roving angler it is slim enough to slip into a pocket, while it fits neatly
into a tackle box too. Because of the magnetic insert in the base of the box hooks
don't rattle about inside blunting their points, and they don't fly out when you
open the lids or accidentally tip the box up with a lid open. If
you are that way inclined you can cut one of these boxes in two (the lids are
in two parts that easily pull out) to take up even less room!
Four Compartment Accessory Box
This is similar in design to the
hook box, but half the size and deeper - to take swivels, beads and suchlike small
items of end tackle. Dave
Lumb Posted
September 2006 |
PETZL TIKKA HEADLAMP
 I
can't remember when I bought this headlamp but it was shortly after they were
released. Compared to the other Petzls I had used, even the smallest one, this
was a revelation. Great battery life (expect to change the three AAA cells about
three times a year if you fish three or four nights a week), tiny size, light
weight, and the light from the three LEDs is bright without being blinding and
natural - without that dark spot you get from normal bulbs.
You
can tell how light this headlamp is by the length of time into daylight you leave
it on your head after setting up in the dark! For night fishing you can either
wear it all the time, or pull it down around your neck. Since
the Tikka was introduced there many copies have appeared on the market, and variations
on the theme from Petzl. I have used one of the cheap copies of this headlamp
and quite honestly, although I am not sure what the current price is, the Petzl
is worth the extra. Dave
Lumb Posted
September 2006 |
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