If I Had a Hammer....

[Derek Gibson]

Sorry, but it goes against everything I was taught, that was many years ago. Don't let them see you, don't let them feel you, cardinal rules I've followed, and believe it's put many fish on the bank. And I'll continue to follow that principal.

 

[maverick 7]

I DO hear what you guys are saying and I appreciate that "banging" on the bank can give other anglers the hump.....however, it never has with me so I suppose I selfishly expected it to be the same with other anglers....it clearly isn't.

Even so.......I still think it's rich coming from a bloke who has just brought 2 biggish cars straight to the waters edge with doors banging etc and then complains about a rubber mallet....

I haven't told you guys this before but I work for Climax....one of the top 3 Tackle shops in the country. I retired from work some 5 months ago and have known the owner of Climax ever since I was in the Tackle Trade myself. I was getting bored with retirement and wanted something to do....so I contacted my old mate and he gave me a part time job almost instantly.....it's very busy and it's hard work too but I absolutely love it. Only work a couple of days but it's enough to keep me interested and up to date with all the new gear too.

The point I am trying to get to is that I was looking in there for a reasonably priced River Pod.....not necessarily to avoid the banging but to avoid the pain in the ar$e of trying to get banksticks in the ground even with a mallet....'cos sometimes they still won't go in even using the mallet and I finish up piling rocks around the base of the bankstick in a pretty crappy attempt to prop the bloody thing up.

Anyway.....I was considering this River Pod thing when I looked through all my gear and I found an adaptor (probably like the ones someone has mentioned on EBay).....fixed it all up yesterday on the garden with my tall banksticks and BINGO...it is brilliant...so I have got my tripod sorted with no cost at all. Also getting a new chair too...looking at the Korum Accessory Chair £90 as I also use the mallet sometimes to knock in a bankstick for my baitwaiter...but I can buy an adaptor for this chair to replace that bankstick too....AND one for my butt rest as well (rod butt that is) ....fantastic.

In conclusion then......I concede that I have been a complete ignoramus tw*t on the banks all these years and I promise to change my selfish ways....BUT if my catch rate doesn't improve after all these technical changes I am about to make....

.....I'll be back.......

Maverick

 

[no-one in particular]

A case of climaxing to early--
sorry mav, I know, it gets worse, I will shut it.

 

[maverick 7]

A case of climaxing to early--
sorry mav, I know, it gets worse, I will shut it.

.....story of my life Mark.....mg:

Maverick

 

[no-one in particular]

.....story of my life Mark.....mg:

Maverick

At your age !! dearie me-

No consideration, that's your problem---sorry mate, I am going out now.

 

[steve2]

Does banging in rod rest with a mallet really make more noise and disturb the fish more than say a dozen spod loads of bait hit the water or a bait boat chugging round a lake. Fishing on some lake as become a very noisy pastime.

 

[maverick 7]

At your age !! dearie me-

No consideration, that's your problem---sorry mate, I am going out now.

Ah yes...no consideration....

....are we talking about climaxing too early now or banging in banksticks with a mallet .........

Maverick

 

[Ray Roberts]

I have a set up like Binka's, but there is a lighter weight alternative that is used in Australia. A screw in adapter that attaches to the rear end of your rod is all that is needed, just Google ."Butt plugs" and a whole range will come up at very reasonable prices.

 

[no-one in particular]

Ah yes...no consideration....

....are we talking about climaxing too early now or banging in banksticks with a mallet .........

Maverick

Oh definitely bank sticks, better stick to that-wouldn't want to get a ban for being naughty..
My advice is when you find yourself on the rare occasion of getting your big mallet out and using it, just be considerate, don't bang away like a demon, use gentle strokes. I am sure it would be appreciated by all concerned with your inconsiderate ways.........

 

[binka]

just google ."butt plugs"

U'err missus!

 

[itsfishingnotcatching]

Please, don't let Binka get hold of a hammermg:

 

[Tee-Cee]

I just wanted to add that for float fishing ( and someone on FM recommended these to me - maybe lord Paul ?? ) you can find a very simple aluminium pods on ebay etc that weighs next to nothing and do a job. They have buzz bars and are adjustable after a fashion so may manage ledger rods at a pinch...I've used one and not too bad providing you use a bit of the grey matter !
As I've said, I have given two of these to friends who had ' hammeritis ' and they don't know what they did without them. The minimal weight means they are not overly stable but then we are not going to be kicking them around the bank...........are we ??

On the subject of noise/vibration ; My father was heavily involved with acoustics way back when and some bright spark with lots of letters suggested handfulls of hemp going into a swim was tantamount to a bomb going off to a fish.....
As a consequence of this, long bamboo poles with little brass cups on the end were knocked up and hemp delivered via this innovation, much like that used by pole anglers when feeding swims.
...and no it didn't work as the handles were too heavy and non adjustable which meant the cup spent more time in the water causing just as much disturbance and was never long enough anyway..............

The best laid plans eh..........................................

 

[fruitowl]

Hmmmmmmmmm Ray how many web sites did you look at to find those because the Butt plugs search throws some very interesting pages up

 

[arthur2sheds]

Buy these.... presto... no more mallets or irate anglers

 

[Ray Roberts]

Hmmmmmmmmm Ray how many web sites did you look at to find those because the Butt plugs search throws some very interesting pages up

Really, I am shocked.

I just wanted to add that for float fishing ( and someone on FM recommended these to me - maybe lord Paul ?? ) you can find a very simple aluminium pods on ebay etc that weighs next to nothing and do a job. They have buzz bars and are adjustable after a fashion so may manage ledger rods at a pinch...I've used one and not too bad providing you use a bit of the grey matter !
As I've said, I have given two of these to friends who had ' hammeritis ' and they don't know what they did without them. The minimal weight means they are not overly stable but then we are not going to be kicking them around the bank...........are we ??

On the subject of noise/vibration ; My father was heavily involved with acoustics way back when and some bright spark with lots of letters suggested handfulls of hemp going into a swim was tantamount to a bomb going off to a fish.....
As a consequence of this, long bamboo poles with little brass cups on the end were knocked up and hemp delivered via this innovation, much like that used by pole anglers when feeding swims.
...and no it didn't work as the handles were too heavy and non adjustable which meant the cup spent more time in the water causing just as much disturbance and was never long enough anyway..............

The best laid plans eh..........................................

 

[maverick 7]

Buy these.... presto... no more mallets or irate anglers

Arthur.....I have lots of these type of banksticks and to be honest when you have a gravel bank....they are next to useless.

In all fairness to myself....it is only on odd occasions when I have to use the mallet...usually the bank is soft enough to push the sticks in with a bit of effort...but anyway, got myself a pod now so better get used to neckache from now on with looking up all the time eh?

Maverick

---------- Post added at 10:40 ---------- Previous post was at 10:20 ----------

I just wanted to add that for float fishing ( and someone on FM recommended these to me - maybe lord Paul ?? ) you can find a very simple aluminium pods on ebay etc that weighs next to nothing and do a job. They have buzz bars and are adjustable after a fashion so may manage ledger rods at a pinch...I've used one and not too bad providing you use a bit of the grey matter !
As I've said, I have given two of these to friends who had ' hammeritis ' and they don't know what they did without them. The minimal weight means they are not overly stable but then we are not going to be kicking them around the bank...........are we ??

On the subject of noise/vibration ; My father was heavily involved with acoustics way back when and some bright spark with lots of letters suggested handfulls of hemp going into a swim was tantamount to a bomb going off to a fish.....
As a consequence of this, long bamboo poles with little brass cups on the end were knocked up and hemp delivered via this innovation, much like that used by pole anglers when feeding swims.
...and no it didn't work as the handles were too heavy and non adjustable which meant the cup spent more time in the water causing just as much disturbance and was never long enough anyway..............

The best laid plans eh..........................................

Hi Tee Cee........personally, I believe that when any noise is heard on the bank the fish may well be startled but as one member has already stated....I believe it is only for a short while and they soon come back to their daily routine (whatever that is...if only I knew).

Back in the day ...all we ever used for barbel fishing was hemp and casters and yes, we did fire it into our swims and it did make noise when hitting the surface....and we banged our banksticks in the ground too. It may have ruined the swim for a very short time (I don't really know)...but the barbel was still there and still feeding shortly after...on most days we fished.

I honestly don't believe any kind of disturbance within reason of course, REALLY puts the fish off for long periods of time. I am pretty sure I have never experienced it with using a mallet anyway...any rubbish days was/is never put down to using a mallet....it was/is usually some other factor that causes a bad day on the bank.

I suppose it is possible that back in those days...the fish may well have gotten used to "surface noise" and "banging in banksticks"...who knows?

....just my very humble opinion though....

Maverick

 

[Titus]

you can find a very simple aluminium pods on ebay etc that weighs next to nothing and do a job. .

So long as it weighs less than the hammer you can't go wrong.

 

[maverick 7]

I have a set up like Binka's, but there is a lighter weight alternative that is used in Australia. A screw in adapter that attaches to the rear end of your rod is all that is needed, just Google ."Butt plugs" and a whole range will come up at very reasonable prices.

Hi Ray.....I am interested in these "butt plugs" things but I cannot find them on Google ...all I can find is sex toys under butt plugs and I am pretty sure you don't mean them...do you?

Can you get me more info on what you mean please?

Maverick

 

[bracket]

Very strange the effect of sound and vibration. I regularly fish a lake one mile away for the MOD firing ranges at Lulworth Cove in Dorset. When they are firing the Challenger tank, which they do irregularly, the Earth shakes. Don't make one whit of difference to the fishing. Pete.

 

[barbelboi]

Very strange the effect of sound and vibration. I regularly fish a lake one mile away for the MOD firing ranges at Lulworth Cove in Dorset. When they are firing the Challenger tank, which they do irregularly, the Earth shakes. Don't make one whit of difference to the fishing. Pete.

Possibly they're are used to a particular sound from birth together with the fact that this sound is not 'life threatening'? You try making the slightest noise that causes vibration to the ground on the rivers that I fish and your fishing is fecked for a few hours - they may return after a period of 10/20 minutes, or so, but they won't feed for quite a long time after (especially chub)....