Bolo rods

[lutra]

LOL

 

Try landing a 300 lb plus bronze whaler on a 14 ft beach-caster . That will tell you something about leverage !

 

Still, I was mere stripling of 74 when I did that, so you strong young men ought to be able to handle a barbel !

 

Seriously, though, I have a 20 foot Bolo, and use it for trotting the Upper Medway - it enables you to trot under the bushes on the far bank (wading a Wealden river is out of the question - clay banks and silty bottom) On the Bolo, a three pound chub feels like a monster ! It is also a bit difficult if it rains - the line will tend stick to the rod if you are using light gear - happens with any float rod, of course, but you get the problem in spades with the longer rod. I still prefer it to the pole though.

I'd forgotten about the moon walk landing procedure for long rods.

[garylee]

lutra is your bolo rod the one with two telescopic sections.

If so it was not really designed as a rod for trotting rivers but more for using as a margin carp rod.

The idea was to fish it at the length required then when a fish is hooked and while the fish is running on one of its initial poweful runs the rod was telescoped back in. By telescoping the rod back in you could then play a large fish on the rod at a much easier to manage length.

Edited March 28, 2014 by garylee

[lutra]

lutra is your bolo rod the one with two telescopic sections.

If so it was not really desighned as a rod for trotting rivers but more for using as a margin carp rod.

The idea was to fish it at the length required then when a fish is hooked and while the fish is running on one of its initial poweful runs the rod was telescoped back in. By telescoping the rod back in you could then play a large fish on the rod at a much easier to manage length.

Yes thats the one, M1200, Map, Dave Harrell, Carptek, power bolo. The bottom two sections are lockable and sliding to give it its multi length. I did wonder about trying to shorten it while playing a fish, but didn't think it would be possible as its a good reach up the rod to the first section and might not want to move with a bend in the rod from a fish.

 

Can't see why you couldn't trot with it. It has good stand off eyes. The old ebay link below is of one that has been used for trotting.

 

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CEkQFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fitm%2FMAP-CARPTEK-M1200-Dave-Harrell-5-7-5mtr-Bolo-rod-%2F280668420556&ei=zj81U8GJIMGS7Ab_nYD4BA&usg=AFQjCNFMXkG9a4ocKiJycYIwNzUWSL7ORQ&sig2=26GA1e6q7Xsp216MtXNPMA&bvm=bv.63808443,d.ZGU

[garylee]

Yes of cause you can trot with it I have. It's a bit heavier than some bolo's but it's desighned for large fish so should cope with barbel OK.

If you do want to try shortening the rod when playing a fish do it with the fish running using the drag on your reel: this is so you maintain a tight line and don't allow any slack and loose fish.

I use mine mainly at a local water with some large roach but it has a good head of carp. I can fish fine enough pole rigs for the roach and because I still have a running line still stand a good chance of landing the carp: had them to 20lb +.

Another plus is you can let carp run so they are played well away from the swim, there's less chance of wrecking it and keeping the roach going.

[gozzer]

If the bottom sections are telescopic then that's a couple of problems solved Brian.

 

I was thinking back after my last post, and remembered the first time I saw the guy using the rod. It was on the R Ure, and I was pegged next to him. He produced this thing out of his holdall, and I stood amazed as it got longer and longer. Now he was well known for trying new ideas, some worked, but he was often guilty of not thinking through the whole problem, and it's effect on other things. I kept an eye on him as he laid-on next to a a weed bed, and started catching small perch, gudgeon and tommies, straight away. I must admit that I struggled to concentrate on my own fishing, while I waited for, (to me) the inevitable to happen. About 45mins into the match, I heard him strike and it sounded different. I looked up to see a decent bend in his rod as it kept the fish from diving into the weed. I watched him play it, a chub of about 2lb, and then he reached for his landing net, all 5ft of it! I saw him mouth, "Oh sh*t", followed by a cry of "John, can you give me a hand"? I had a little chuckle, but landed it for him. Then, (in a line later paraphrased by Spielberg), he said with a part surprised, part disappointed look on his face, "I'm going to need a longer handle"!

He went on to win the match, luckily with all small fish, and on a later match produced a 12ft landing net handle he'd made from another glassfibre pole.

A great character, always thinking and trying new things. Not all were as good as his 'mega rod', one was to try and dye maggots different colours. By that I mean one end red, and the other end yellow!

 

John.

Edited March 28, 2014 by gozzer

[garylee]

Landing a large fish on a 7.7m rod has it's challenges and being able to reduce it to 5m does make it easier.

I must admit I've used my bolo more as a margin pole supported on a pole rest.

[BoldBear]

I bought myself a 6mtr (19.8ft) Shakespeare Annex Excell Match rod match around 15 years ago for a couple of team matches I was fishing on a lake that had deep 12ft plus swims .

 

I bought it because of my hate of using sliding floats and I got 1st and 3rd individual placings in the two matches that I originally bought it for; with most of the other anglers either on the leger or feeder or having to use sliding floats.

 

It has also come in very handy for trotting a stick float tight up against rushes and other features close to the far bank on my local streams when I am after large Roach and Chub.

 

The only drawback is that the rod weighs over 270gms.

 

It is not a Bolo rod, it's a long match rod for using Stick floats and Wagglers and designed for lines of up to around 4lb, but I havent used it for quite a few years now.

 

Keith (BoldBear)

Edited March 28, 2014 by BoldBear

[lutra]

I bought myself a 6mtr (19.8ft) Shakespeare Annex Excell Match rod match around 15 years ago for a couple of team matches I was fishing on a lake that had deep 12ft plus swims .

 

I bought it because of my hate of using sliding floats and I got 1st and 3rd individual placings in the two matches that I originally bought it for; with most of the other anglers either on the leger or feeder or having to use sliding floats.

 

I has also come in very handy for trotting a stick float tight up against rushes and other features close to the far bank on my local streams when I am after large Roach and Chub.

 

The only drawback is that the rod weighs over 270gms.

 

It is not a Bolo rod, it's a long match rod for using Stick floats and Wagglers and designed for lines of up to around 4lb, but I havent used it for quite a few years now.

 

Keith (BoldBear)

If we were playing top trumps Keith, my only hope would be that over all length got picked. This thing weighs about 500gms and has a naff action. Like a stiff tip stuck on a telegraph pole and most of the bending seems to happen about a quarter the way down from the tip. I wouldn't like to give it to much stick, but should be fun to have a bit of a play with.

[garylee]

If we were playing top trumps Keith, my only hope would be that over all length got picked. This thing weighs about 500gms and has a naff action. Like a stiff tip stuck on a telegraph pole and most of the bending seems to happen about a quarter the way down from the tip. I wouldn't like to give it to much stick, but should be fun to have a bit of a play with.

yup it's a magin pole with a bendy bit stuck on top a reel seat and eyes.

[BoldBear]

The 1998 Shakespeare catalogue (which I have in front of me now) states that the 5.4mtr Annex Excell match rod weighs 270grm (plus the short extension that takes the length up to 6mtrs), I haven't weighed the short extension but I don't think the short extension weighs anywhere near 230grm LOL.

 

It also casts a waggler quite well and handled all the decent sized Bream, Roach and Chub that I caught with it with no problems at all in the matches I fished it in, using 3lb line and 2lb or 2.5lb hooklengths and size 18 fine wire hooks; (the catalogue says it recommends hooklengths between 1lb to 3lb) it also has a fairly fine tip.

 

It might not have been the best 20ft rod at the time; but it certainly was nowhere near the worst and got its fair share of good write-ups when it came out, although by today's standards it might be fairly naff compared to some of today's rods; however I don't know of a similar length waggler/stick rod in today's market to compare it against; and I no longer fish swims that need me to use such a long float rod; but if I did I would still be tempted to get this rod out again.

 

NB: The Annex Excell cost £195 back in 1998.

 

I have never handled a Bolo rod but from the descriptions I have heard from others they are just as you have described; like a telescopic margin pole with a reel seat and a few rings on it. But at least you can have some good fun targeting Carp on your Bolo.

 

Keith (BoldBear)

Edited March 28, 2014 by BoldBear