To pole or not to pole

[silvers]

like anything - one can be too obsessive about a method and use it when other options could work better.
Equally - in the end we go fishing to enjoy ourselves, so why not do things that we enjoy?
As a match angler I carry (barrow) a large range of options, but I always have a preference for running line float first, pole second and lead/feeder last. I know that I've cost myself winnings by that preference in the past and will do so again in the future. Having said that - even winning fishomania or riverfest wouldn't change my life - so why compromise? does that make me a hedonist?

Poles are definitely not clumsy, but they do require some practise. Watch videos of good long pole anglers and you'll see smooth, unhurried actions and dexterity.
The number one advantage of poles is to place hookbait in the same place as feed - with much less effect from wind and flow/tow.

 

[rayner]

I enjoy reading your post Kev, my experiences sort of mimic your own.
Like most, the fist pole I had incorporated a crook. A strange looking gadget that held around ten inches elastic, at the time the elastic was I'm sure a no7. A craze that went around angling circles like wild fire was internal elastics,
It involved ptfe tape around the end of the top kit with elastic fastened top and bottom with beads. Crude but did the job. We have to admit from the early days pole fishing has evolved immeasurably.
Pole fishing can never totally be ignored, it has it's place in the anglers bag. The benefits have been mentioned by everyone else.

 

[nottskev]

I enjoy reading your post Kev, my experiences sort of mimic your own.
Like most, the fist pole I had incorporated a crook. A strange looking gadget that held around ten inches elastic, at the time the elastic was I'm sure a no7. A craze that went around angling circles like wild fire was internal elastics,
It involved ptfe tape around the end of the top kit with elastic fastened top and bottom with beads. Crude but did the job. We have to admit from the early days pole fishing has evolved immeasurably.
Pole fishing can never totally be ignored, it has it's place in the anglers bag. The benefits have been mentioned by everyone else.

I remember all that! My first effort, on the Shakey tele, involved whipping quiver tip eyes onto the tip and fitting elastic between tip and bottom eye. It worked, kind of. Because you couldn't break it down, you had to close down the bottom two sections to net your fish/re-bait. Because I could only conceive of holding it like a rod (the standard pole holds were in the future) I made a 4oz weight wrapped in foam to push up the butt so it balanced, again, kind of. But it worked, and I got a taste for experimenting with things longer than the rod......

I'd forgotten about the crook! They were soon left by the wayside. Before the PTFE bush came along, I tried making a bush by gluing the liner of a rod ring into a short sleeve of scrap fibreglass which pushed onto the tip. It was rubbish - the elastic wore out in no time. Then there was the liner made from a piece of biro inner tube, flared out a bit and flashed with your lighter to shape the end.

Necessity is the mother of invention, or at least it was then.

 

[rayner]

It's true, at the time there were lots of variations of doing the internal thing. The elastic between two beads was just the way I did it. The technique sounds a lot more tidy than it actually was, it incorporated a swivel two loop de loops and a shoe knot.:wh
Or at least more complicated. It needed a wire to get it in place and a string to take it out.
It was good fun, not at the time though, it was mega serious.

 

[john step]

I made my first pole aged about 12 or 13 from a length of bamboo and a 2 foot fibre glass tip one could buy from rod building supplies. It was about 14foot when rods were about 11 foot. I made it specifically to reach over reeds in an awkward place to catch chub on the R.Roding in Essex. It worked a treat dropping slugs on their tails and watching them spin round to grab them.
Happy days.

 

[108831]

Poles are definitely not clumsy, but they do require some practise. Watch videos of good long pole anglers and you'll see smooth, unhurried actions and dexterity.
The number one advantage of poles is to place hookbait in the same place as feed - with much less effect from wind and flow/tow.

No,poles are not clumsy and all fishing is best done in a smooth practiced manner,but holding a pole in a stiff breeze when its cold,trying to get bites is bloody awful,and dont tell me you haven't done it,in winter leagues etc. Also i revert to my earlier post that unless your balling bait in,loose feed travels in a tow,at times some distance,several metres,thus making it difficult on the pole,because it is more suited to being held in place,so much so you tend not to realise how much its towing and wonder why bites are so slow to come...




As for not waiting that long Kev,i take it you dont fish the pole in the winter,else you fish some very well stocked waters lol...

 

[Another Dave]

Always struck me as the sort of thing the French go in for.

 

[108831]

Dave it always was a thing done more on the continent,in France most matches were three hours,dont know if that is still the case,but if so they have not got to wrestle in the wind so long,lol.

 

[silvers]

No,poles are not clumsy and all fishing is best done in a smooth practiced manner,but holding a pole in a stiff breeze when its cold,trying to get bites is bloody awful,and dont tell me you haven't done it,in winter leagues etc. Also i revert to my earlier post that unless your balling bait in,loose feed travels in a tow,at times some distance,several metres,thus making it difficult on the pole,because it is more suited to being held in place,so much so you tend not to realise how much its towing and wonder why bites are so slow to come...




As for not waiting that long Kev,i take it you dont fish the pole in the winter,else you fish some very well stocked waters lol...

Hi Alan
I think my answer about clumsy was actually more in response to other comments - as I know you know about pole fishing.

Hemp fishing is an interesting one.
Tony Marshall is one of the acknowledged experts at the method on the match circuit.
he fishes the method on the pole exclusively - even on some pretty fast flowing sections of the trent. In such flows, he uses a long line method (5 sections or more) so that he can search the area of loose feed falling through the water column.
The big reason for using the pole is to ensure that the line follows the float exactly and doesn't pull it off course at all. It also helps with hitting bites when they are cagey.
On top if that he's a brilliant angler (which helps)

 

[bracket]

I too first began using a pole in the 1970s. For me it was another method to be learned and used when conditions dictated. Currently I have three poles and a 7m whip. They sit along side my float rods for the river, float rods for still water and feeder rods. Basically just another club in the bag, offering an option. With regards to skill, every angling technique requires a skill level if you are to fish successfully. I do accept that some people can get obsessed with the pole. The trick is knowing when to use it and when not. A bit like the centre pin really. Pete

 

[nottskev]

As for not waiting that long Kev,i take it you dont fish the pole in the winter,else you fish some very well stocked waters lol...

I made that comment more in hope

I do fish the pole all year round - but I'm fishing for pleasure and I won't bother trying to hang on to it at length in a wind. I'll find another swim or another method.

Well-stocked waters? I spent long enough fishing hard waters and I do like to fish now where you stand a chance of catching a few. But not stocked to commercial densities and not where the whole experience and surroundings feel unreal. There must be a few fish in some of the waters down your way, judging by your HDYGO posts.

 

[steve2]

I made my first pole aged about 12 or 13 from a length of bamboo and a 2 foot fibre glass tip one could buy from rod building supplies. It was about 14foot when rods were about 11 foot. I made it specifically to reach over reeds in an awkward place to catch chub on the R.Roding in Essex. It worked a treat dropping slugs on their tails and watching them spin round to grab them.
Happy days.

I find the pole still works well on the Roding it's just right for those now tight overgrown swims.

 

[nottskev]

Hi Alan
I think my answer about clumsy was actually more in response to other comments - as I know you know about pole fishing.

Hemp fishing is an interesting one.
Tony Marshall is one of the acknowledged experts at the method on the match circuit.
he fishes the method on the pole exclusively - even on some pretty fast flowing sections of the trent. In such flows, he uses a long line method (5 sections or more) so that he can search the area of loose feed falling through the water column.
The big reason for using the pole is to ensure that the line follows the float exactly and doesn't pull it off course at all. It also helps with hitting bites when they are cagey.
On top if that he's a brilliant angler (which helps)

I'm only 5 mins from a stretch of the Trent where anglers of the calibre of Tony Marshall fish the weekend and evening matches in summer. It's an eye-opener to see how some have adapted pole methods on water you'd swear would be best fished with running line. The level of control over exactly how and where the bait is presented is amazing, and reflected in the match results.

 

[nottskev]

Always struck me as the sort of thing the French go in for.

Indeed. It struck members of the England team, too, when they were battered into 8th place from 12 in the 1970 World Championships. And not just the French, but the Dutch and (winners) Belgium, too. Their reaction on their return - ie start learning to fish pole as well as the continentals - sparked the rise of modern pole fishing in this country.

 

[108831]

Oh,without doubt Kev,the lake i fish for the roach on the slider is full of roach,if you fish it this time of year you dont get a bite before 2pm,often 3,the Ouse has lots of fish,i would rather fish a running line,back to poles,ive won matches with thirty pounds of barbel in three hours on the Lea,more than once,you can fish the pole on fast flowing water,yes,in some swims its by far the best method,do i enjoy it,no,would i do it now,no,im hoping to get a reply from a club that has control of a stretch of the Thames i used to fish a long while ago,it used to be club controlled who allowed day tickets,the fishing deteriorated and the club had to give it up because nobody fished it,ive googled it and its up and running apparently,if i get a reply tonight i will go tomorrow,even though its around 55 miles or so,ive got four pints of reds,so a 3aa waggler might get a few casts...fingers crossed...

 

[markcw]

I have a number of poles, My first was a fibreglass Garbolino, in fact I still have it, then it was a 10 metre Daiwa , I bought a couple of Century excalibur poles, and whipped eyes on a couple of number one sections to have an external elastic system as well as internal on other topkits, My main pole today is a daiwa G50, I like others have a number of poles,margin and long, My best match result on the pole was just shy of 60lb of F1's caught at 10 metres using a method feeder against some far bank rushes. Conditions were wind and rain, I will also take feeder rod and float rod with me and use if needed. What has not been mentioned is "Poleitis" that's were anglers are obsessed with just using a pole in whatever conditions.As long as balanced tackle is used, there should be no breakages, I use up to 3 rollers if fishing at 16 metres or 17.5 metres.

 

[peter crabtree]

Alan, the Thames will probably be pushing a bit.
On days when the river is flowing too fast to hold bottom on a feeder rod or to float fish, the pole feeder is the best option. Many matches on the Thames recently have been won with this method.

This video shows how to set it up and how to fish with it..


YouTube

 

[bennygesserit]

good question

I alternate between method feeder , float with a conventional rod , pole and whip.

I like all four methods both for effectiveness and the ability to eat a sandwich while fishing
I can underarm a method feeder quite well and reach further than the pole and I love the clickety clack of a carp taking line
Also method feeder in the margins on a commie can be deadly
but then again I love the presentation you get with a pole and playing carp on a pole can be fun

But most of all I love fishing for roach on a whip (huckleberry Finn fishing ) don't know why it appeals to me so much on light gear you can really make contact with the fish (have to watch out for the carp though)

 

[markcw]

How often do you upgrade a pole compared to rods, ? ,I have just sold a top range middy, preferring my mid range daiwa, The main reasons being, I have 16 topkits for daiwa,plus spare number 4's and extensions, also spares availability. Plus I had more confidence using the daiwa even though the middy was reputed to be stronger. I have had my daiwa 4 years, and it is at the point where the value can really dip, so do I sell and put money towards another or keep for few more years,

 

[John Keane]

Sometimes using a pole can be a faff with all the re-baiting and shipping in and out and the backache of holding a long pole. I’m increasingly looking at going back to fishing like I did as a kid with a waggler.

I do also like legering and fishing a bomb or hybrid Method feeder. It’s a very effective method all year round in waters dominated by the stocking of carp & F1’s