Winkle Pickers

[Alan Stubbs]

Greetings all....

 

A while ago I was given a whole load of tackle, all in pristine nick and included in which was a Winkle Picker rod - 10' long carbon with 3 quiver tips.

 

The whole thing feels way too flimsy to be used as a feeder rod, so I can't imagine using it for much else apart from light legering. The point is, I simply can't find any definition or use-related info about them as a genre of rods.

 

All info gratefully received. thanks in advance.

 

Alan

[hermes]

Winkle pickers can be used on canals. There something that I would use in a canal match for legering using delicate tackle. They are made for using light gear, very soft and delicate, soft tips to detect the smallest bite using light line and hooklengths. To hold in one hand and almost rest on your lap.

 

Hope that makes sense!

[Brian Carragher]

I have a Silstar winkle picker and only use it on stillwaters in winter when its really hard going and bites are hard to come by. The tip will show the slightest of touchs as its so soft and sensetive. You can use a feeder with it but as you dont want to introduce too much feed you tend to use the mini feeders with as little weight as you can get away with

 

They do work best with a straight lead and "touch legering" style and as already posted rod on the rest and the butt in your hands, every twich and pull will show but its a scratching tool and not a bagging up rod

[Steve Walker]

I bought a Silstar winklepicker in the late 80's, when these things were popular. It came with two butt sections so it could be fished at about 10' and about 6', and some very sensitive quivertips. I used it at 10' for general stillwater legering, fishing small open end and block end feeders or straight leads for bream and silvers, and at 6' for canals and scratching about for bites in the winter. I've had plenty of decent fish out on it over the years - even on the 6' section. A 4lb tench is fun on a 6' wand! Before I had a more suitable rod, I've used it at 10' at a pinch for chub fishing in small rivers, because although it will bend alarmingly it has plenty of power in the middle through to the butt.

 

I think it might be primarily a matchfishing tool for a style of fishing that has gone out of fashion with the trend for bagging up on small carp, but when winning weights were made up of skimmers and roach it was very useful.

[Alan Stubbs]

Thanks so much for your help, guys!

 

It's nice to know that people are so responsive and that my own ideas weren't so far off the mark either!

 

I was aware of the characteristics of the rod, and had the idea of using it to link-leger on the Bridgewater Canal around Preston Brook. It seems that this is what it was intended for. Do I feel smug, or what!!!!!!!!

 

The first time I used it was with a 3SSG link and a 4lb hooklength to 6lb main with popped up fake sweetcorn over a mixture of maize, hemp and tares. I accounted for a lot of roach and skimmers, but I couldn't rest easy until I knew what I was doing made sense!!!!!!!!

 

Thanks again.

 

Alan

[Steve Walker]

I used to mostly fish a 3lb mainline and a 1lb-1.5lb bottom on mine, size 18 and 20 hooks and one or two maggots - lighter in the winter, 12oz, #22 and a couple of pinkies!

[Alan Stubbs]

I used to mostly fish a 3lb mainline and a 1lb-1.5lb bottom on mine, size 18 and 20 hooks and one or two maggots - lighter in the winter, 12oz, #22 and a couple of pinkies!

 

 

Thanks Steve, I really wanna have a go... it's much more entertaining than the match rod I've been using.

[John Weddup]

I am sure you will have great fun with that rod.

 

I have a mark pollard canal 9ft 6 very light bomb rod that I adore using. In winter on small or slow moving rivers and stillwaters when its tuff they are great fun. Its nice to see others posting the same.

 

I think the pole was the demise of these in matches but I have many times outfished pole anglers using this rod.

 

Tip and feeder fishing is a very complex side of the sport with many anglers having one or two rods only. To cover it properly you need everything from these small and light rods through to heavy feeders of 13 or 14ft long. You need several in between to cover all eventualities.

 

Have fun

 

regards

 

john

[Alan Stubbs]

I am sure you will have great fun with that rod.

 

I have a mark pollard canal 9ft 6 very light bomb rod that I adore using. In winter on small or slow moving rivers and stillwaters when its tuff they are great fun. Its nice to see others posting the same.

 

I think the pole was the demise of these in matches but I have many times outfished pole anglers using this rod.

 

Tip and feeder fishing is a very complex side of the sport with many anglers having one or two rods only. To cover it properly you need everything from these small and light rods through to heavy feeders of 13 or 14ft long. You need several in between to cover all eventualities.

 

Have fun

 

regards

 

john

 

Thanks John.... I'm out next Sunday adn will give it a try out as it was properly intended to be used and let you know what happened.

 

The place I've got in mind has a really good head of resonably sized bream and roach - 3-7lbs and up to 1lb 12ozs respectively. I'm going to spool up my Shimano Aero Match with 3lb main and will have to invest in some very lightweight hooklengths pre-tied as my regular helper in rig tying is abroad for 6 months.

[Dick Dastardly]

The term "winklepicker" is often misused these days and many quiver tip rods are wrongly given this name.

 

A true winkle picker rod was really a very light cannal quivertip rod designed as allready mentioned for "scratching" with very light tackle.The one defining feature that seems to have been over looked/forgotton is that they were normally very short.the reason they were so short was that this made it a lot easier to "steady" the quiver tip in windy conditions. In bad conditions matchmen used to set up with their back to the wind and a brolly directly behind them.They would sit with their legs outstretched but crossed.The short winckle picker rod would be held at all timeswhilst resting it along the legs with the quiver in the "v" of the crossed feet. No rod rests and a very stable rod.