Pole v rod and reel

[markp]

Agreed Anderloo and its the cheapest means for children to start fishing a 3m or 4 m whip, rig, disgorger and bait costs about a tenner like to see some 1 set a child up with a rod and reel kit that costs that much, and whats more is its so simple.

[kleinboet]

All this talk of anti pole, pro pole! A pole is a tool, nothing more nothing less. There are times when you will put the trusty old feeder away and use a float rod, because that's what the conditions call for. So why not a pole for when you see the lilies or reeds moving and you need to get close without making a disturbance? A float rod will make too much noise, so conditions call for a pole. No fuss, no bother, just another tool for catching fish!

[Dick Dastardly]

Totally in the "pole is just another tool" camp.And like the rest of the tools one that should be mastered but used in the correct situation.

 

One thing that I have found myself doing in recent years though is using a whipp for most still water "pleasure" maggot bashing trips.Why? because Ive grown lazy and putting up 5 or 6m of pole and unwinding a rig is so quick and easy!

[kempo]

Never used a pole and to be honest, i've never felt the desire to preferring to cast my float from rod and reel.

 

This has suited me fine for 34 years but i keep seeing these nutters ( ) with 30' long poles down my local duck pond.

 

So what am i missing.......please put your point for the prosecution and the defence

 

Discuss

 

Andy

 

main reason the Europeans used the pole is they allow you to present a bait on much finer tackle and lighter floats than any wagler rod.

 

it is all to do with bite detection and fine floats,

 

and the minimal amount of line between rod tip and float.

you are in direct contact with your float and the bite hit ratio is greatly improved.

 

the pole was introduced over here as the Europeans would beat england every time using poles, these were introduced as a competing tool, to allow better presentation to catch more fish enabling england to compete and win the world championships untold times,

this opened the flood gates to the well off fisherman to start top flight leagues using top class poles, you wouldn't enter formula 1 race with a ford anglia would you.

Edited July 19, 2006 by kempo

[Steve Burke]

the pole was introduced over here as the Europeans would beat england every time using poles, these were introduced as a competing tool, to allow better presentation to catch more fish enabling england to compete and win the world championships untold times,

this

 

I seem to remember the row in the angling press many years ago about banning legering in the World Championships. The theory was it was done to stop England winning as we were way ahead of the continentals with this method, that of course on its day will beat float fishing. This is particularly so when there's a need to fish at long range, that might be even more likely given the disturbance of such a big event.

 

On the other hand the continentals were way ahead of us at pole fishing. So we learned how to use the pole - and the rest is history! Now we're number 1 in the world!

 

I think I'm right in saying that legering (along with lure fishing) is still banned in the World Championships? Perhaps then the event ought to be called the World Floatfishing Championship?

 

Or is it now?

[gozzer]

main reason the Europeans used the pole is they allow you to present a bait on much finer tackle and lighter floats than any wagler rod.

 

it is all to do with bite detection and fine floats,

 

and the minimal amount of line between rod tip and float.

you are in direct contact with your float and the bite hit ratio is greatly improved.

 

the pole was introduced over here as the Europeans would beat england every time using poles, these were introduced as a competing tool, to allow better presentation to catch more fish enabling england to compete and win the world championships untold times,

this opened the flood gates to the well off fisherman to start top flight leagues using top class poles, you wouldn't enter formula 1 race with a ford anglia would you.

 

Unless my memory is playing up, I seem to remember that in the early days, it was mainly small fish on the pole. They had a scoring system that favoured this, in that it was points per fish and points for weight. The matches were very short by our standards, so a groundbaiting method that got as many small fish in the swim as quickly as possible was used. Then there was the restriction on the amount of line you could use, and no legering allowed. This put the British at a big disadvantage, in World Championships. Then the continentals began to realise that sometimes a rod and line, could out fish a pole in certain conditions, and things started to change, with each side adopting and adapting each others methods. I seem to remember one year, the Belgians?? trying out a long pole with a small reel fixed about 4 metres from the end to give them a better chance on a big fish venue. The advent of internal elastics and stronger pole materials gave rise to the modern methods, which used at the right time will complement other methods. Which makes it (as often said in this thread), just another tool, method, piece of equipment (call it what you will), that the angler has at his disposal.

[A Worm OOE]

I think I'm right in saying that legering (along with lure fishing) is still banned in the World Championships? Perhaps then the event ought to be called the World Floatfishing Championship?

 

Its not ledgering that is banned under international match rules it is having lead on the bottotm. There have been a number of instances of people being disqualified for having a weight on the bottom whilst pole fishing. A couple of years ago when the World Championships were in Paris the some continentals could not believe that the English were fishing without weight on the bottom and tried to get us disqualified. As I remember there were rig inspections during the match that proved the England Team OK.

Edited July 19, 2006 by A Worm OOE

[Steve Burke]

Its not ledgering that is banned under international match rules it is having lead on the bottotm.

 

 

Anyone know why?

[Dick Dastardly]

I seem to recall there is/was a limit on the length of line you could use as well?

 

Steve, I think it was simply because ledgering was seen as unsporting/un skillfull. Easy to see why many have thought the rules are there to stop our national team!

[poledark]

Poles, that is Bamboo poles, up to 18ft long, were in use on the Thames by Roach fishermen in the late 18oo's.

 

Having used a pole for catching fish under all sorts of conditions, varying from standard open water for tiddlers, to match style carping, to winkling barbel out of the Kennet (3 x9lbers in one session), having physical battles with big Double figure carp (on a syndicate water ). Using top three in tight overgrown streams where the use of a rod and reel was impossible (4 x 1lb 15oz Roach ) and a few other situations, I feel justified in being able to make a fair judgement of the ethics involved.

 

I would not now use a pole to fish for barbel where it means placing the bait in little gaps in the streamer weed where I was unable to cast and hold a bait by conventionalmeans. Why? Too easy, and really feels unfair, fish didn't know what hit them!! Did it a few times, but no more!

 

The small overgrown stream was another situation where the fish lived in complete safety from rod and line, but a short top three and No6 elastic poked thro' the branches fooled them....just waited for the elastic to do the work and gently net them. Would I do it again? not sure about that one

 

What I do like about the pole, is the "fear factor" hooking a large strong fish and praying the elastic and hooklink hold, something I find lacking in all other types of angling.

 

In the right hands, the right place, it is a devastating way of fishing, and that is my only real reservation about it's use....i

 

Den