Umbrellas

[nottskev]

I got drenched last week, chancing it because I didn't want to lug the brolly along. It's a decent lightweight one, Waterline Fibrelite, but even so. I've just noticed that Octbox are selling a smaller umbrella - covered area 41", weight just over 3lb - on the basis that a smaller umbrella is better than no umbrella, and a smaller one doesn't hamper casting, striking, shipping back, seeing out etc, and can be fixed to your box with much less risk of it taking off in a wind. It's not cheap, at £95 with brackets £65 without, so I wondered if anyone has tried adapting a smaller umbrella, eg a golf umbrella for fishing.
Alternatively, am I being mean to baulk at the price?

 

[rob48]

Sensas do a light(ish) umbrella with fibreglass ribs that weighs about 4.5lb. It's a bit different to most others in that it's almost square sectioned instead of near round, so shouldn't interfere with casting, striking and visibilty so much. They can be purchased for around £60 I think. It's one I'm considering for when my old Lite Seal gives up the ghost.

 

[rayner]

I never set off in really wet weather but on occasion, the change comes with really heavy rain. I don't use an umbrella now but have bought a very good set of waterproofs. Namely IMAX, they are not as expensive as branded fishing companies have on offer. Both jacket and bib and brace were less than 80 quid.
That coupled with a bait brolly that was a gift from binka/aknid/ Steve keeps everything that matters dry

 

[108831]

I'm afraid I rarely fish without a brolly,at the moment i've bought an NGT 50" ,it is considerably lighter than my previous two Korums,I haven't really used it much as yet as my wife bought it as a present at Christmas,so being locked down meant only a few trips in the ensuing period...

 

[nottskev]

Thanks for the replies. I've got what's reckoned to be a good lightweight full size brolly. I'm wondering about the potential to use a smaller one that I'll actually take with me. Here's the one that set me thinking.

 

[john step]

That Octbox does seem a bit steep in price.
I like a brolly that the back can be pinned down and be high enough to give shelter.
That means a 50 inch job to me.
Here in windy Lincolnshire I rarely have a brolly stuck in the upright position.

 

[mikench]

I bet that Octbox brolly is well engineered and thought out but is of little use if the wind is in the wrong direction. Mind you all brollies are useless in those conditions. It's certain better than nothing and looks secure if you have the baitwaiter which I believe you have Kev. If I had an Octbox I'd get one.

I like the idea of this one.

MS Range Easy Cast Brella | Fishdeal

Shop your MS Range Easy Cast Brella on Fishdeal.co.uk. ✓ Find all of your favorite brands ✓ Up to 70% discount ✓ Fast delivery ✓ 50 days return policy.

fishdeal.co.uk

It can be fixed into any position so the tilt is variable and the zip allows you to cast. They are a Dutch company and the brolly is german. It's just a bit different and is good quality and popular in Holland.

I would add that I carry a poncho and a golf umbrella in my bag and if, heaven forbid, I get caught in a downpour, I can don the poncho covering me, my chair and my bait. I can hold the brolly over me until it stops . I too can't stand rain on my specs.

 

[nottskev]

I bet that Octbox brolly is well engineered and thought out but is of little use if the wind is in the wrong direction. Mind you all brollies are useless in those conditions. It's certain better than nothing and looks secure if you have the baitwaiter which I believe you have Kev. If I had an Octbox I'd get one.

I like the idea of this one.

MS Range Easy Cast Brella | Fishdeal

Shop your MS Range Easy Cast Brella on Fishdeal.co.uk. ✓ Find all of your favorite brands ✓ Up to 70% discount ✓ Fast delivery ✓ 50 days return policy.

fishdeal.co.uk

It can be fixed into any position so the tilt is variable and the zip allows you to cast. They are a Dutch company and the brolly is german. It's just a bit different and is good quality and popular in Holland.

I would add that I carry a poncho and a golf umbrella in my bag and if, heaven forbid, I get caught in a downpour, I can don the poncho covering me, my chair and my bait. I can hold the brolly over me until it stops . I too can't stand rain on my specs.

I do have the baitwaiter, Mike, it came with the package but I never use it; it's heavy and so over-engineered you could sit on it!
However, the small brolly can be fixed either side of your box, and tilted against windblown rain from any direction. I seem to be talking myself into one! But as a rheumatic wimp with a bad back, I need some rain protection and experience tells me I won't carry even a relatively light full size one. I'll check the golf ones before splashing out. I'm an old hand at adapting x to attach to y when it comes to seat boxes and add-ons.

 

[no-one in particular]

In the days when I went off for 12 hours on a commercial or similar and we had a car, taking the brollies was not an issue but since then, public transport, buses etc. and short sessions means a big brolly, although not impossible just a bit of a lump to heave around. I have stuffed a golf brolly in the bag on occasions, I found a few ways of strapping/tying to a seat as well or just holding it during a passing shower and folding it down when I got the first sign of a bite, usually a layed on float, its a compromise for a day when you think there might just be a passing shower or two and the session was going to be short like 3 hours or so and the wind is always a problem with any flimsy set-up. At least they are dead cheap and kept me dry enough on occasions. These days I don't bother, just fish on dry days mostly. However, I have a plastic poncho with a hood that folds up into a small pocket for if I get caught out which isn't bad. It can cover me and my gear just about if it rains but I have cut arm holes in it. Its always a compromise between weight and lugging stuff around but having something to keep dry.
I have tried to think up some design myself, like a plastic sheet that could just affix to a pole in some way but never got very far with it.

 

[mikench]

There are a range of adaptors to affix a golf umbrella to a golf trolley which could be adapted to fis a seat box.

Slazenger | Umbrella Holder | Umbrella Holders | SportsDirect.com

www.sportsdirect.com

A length of plastic tubing in which your rod came could be cut down and screwed onto your box allowing the brolly handle to be inserted.

 

[terry m]

I realise that much kit is manufactured in low cost regions to be competitive, but umbrellas are amongst the worst examples.

Ribs that are push fit into the end fittings, along with ribs held in place by Velcro are just cr@p. Modern umbrellas seem to blow inside out at the slightest breeze with a covering that is barely waterproof.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

in many ways I think a good brolly is one of the best bits of kit you can purchase and there is a price to pay in pounds (sterling) as well as pounds (weight) for a really good one.

Personally I settled on a Preston Flat Back as my 'go to' brolly and it is ever present in my rod holdall.

As for a golf brolly I have had so many of them turn inside out over the years until I finally lashed out for a top of the range Calloway 60" dual canopy model . . . best I've ever used.

 

[peterjg]

I use a 50inch Nufish brolly, it's ok, it's reasonably lightweight and dries fast. However, what I would like is a 55inch umbrella for better cover - is there such a thing as a 55?

 

[steve2]

Does seem very expensive when compared to full size ones. You can get a golf umbrella at half that price.

 

[markcw]

I have the 50" Preston Flatback with fibreglass ribs, also have a 50" Daiwa Mission brolly. I have the PI large brolly holder on my seatbox, had no problems with them.

 

[108831]

I have used a PI brolly bracket for years,it fits my Penrose legs so when fishing the modern day platforms and hard standing swims I have an answer,sometimes not perfect,but an answer none the less...

 

[flightliner]

With similar aims as Notts Kev I purchased a very cheap brolly as a "just in case it rains" job.
Iit's been really good, saved me a soaking on a few occasions too.
I have an overly large brolly also that I bought almost 25 yrs ago for the extra room to move around and store kit out of the rain.
Thing is I've never used it ever until I went Bream fishing last week.
The reason being is on occasions fishing the tidal Trent I've found one appear as the tide goes out,, invariably the wire at the upper central boss has snapped giving me to believe that the brolly has been blown into the river in a severe wind.
Its a dead easy job to repair with a bit of stainless wire
and only recantly my last "find" gave up the ghost a few months ago that finally gave me the chance to enjoy my "biggie"

 

[nottskev]

After a bit of dithering, I've ordered the Octbox umbrella and clamps. It may prove useful and save me the odd soaking. At worst, it will just fade into the background as another expensive piece of unused gear to trip over in the spare room or shed. I'll report back either way.

 

[nottskev]

Brolly turned up today; pretty impressive - I only ordered it on Tuesday. First impressions are very positive. It's so light that even I can't complain and I can see myself leaving it permanently in the holdall, which I never did with the previous one even though that was amongst the lightest of full size. It seems very well made; the ribs are held in deep well stitched-in pockets. There are two neat brackets. Given that you can fix it to any leg, rotate the brackets and rotate the brolly inside them, it should be possible to put the canopy where you want it and make the most of the reduced coverage. I like the tilt, too, which is at a shallower than usual angle. There are two built in elasticated cords, meant to be attached to the Octbox baitwater which clamps on the legs of the box, but I don't use one of those (far too heavy for me, ironically). Still they'll attach to a short cord on a tent peg, dog-spike, rod rest or whatever you prefer to anchor it too. Let's hope it's as good as it looks when I get round to using it. Looking at the forecast, that shouldn't take long.

 

[Steve King]

I always take a full size angling brolly with me, but sometimes it is left in the car.

With the small brollies that attach to a seat box, isn’t there a risk of the umbrella plus seat box doing a Mary Poppins when you get up to go for a leak or need to unhook a fish on a mat?