What's a storm pole?

[Del_R]

I think I need to increase my bank stick / pod capabilities. Whilst looking through various catalogues I keep seeing storm poles. These appear to be no different to bank sticks but tend to be on the bivvy pages so I assume they're something to do with the camping side of angling, but are they different to banksticks or, if a storm pole came in a length that was more what I wanted, would they do the same job?

 

On a very similar subject, I need a new lower section for my bottom-of-the-range brolly. The lower half (which slides out of the upper half and is locked in place by a simple screw fitting) got bent when I sneezed rather heavily the other day. I quite fancy getting an improved bottom half pole, one with a screw-type point to enable better purchase in hard ground, but nowhere can I find any details on the diameter of poles on sale. Are these things all of a standard size? I'm assuming not, but it's worth asking.

 

Cheers,

Del

[Janet]

got bent when I sneezed rather heavily the other day.

 

How on earth did you manage that?

 

Janet

[DavyR]

On a very similar subject, I need a new lower section for my bottom-of-the-range brolly. The lower half (which slides out of the upper half and is locked in place by a simple screw fitting) got bent when I sneezed rather heavily the other day. I quite fancy getting an improved bottom half pole, one with a screw-type point to enable better purchase in hard ground, but nowhere can I find any details on the diameter of poles on sale. Are these things all of a standard size? I'm assuming not, but it's worth asking.

 

I really don't know why suppliers of brollies even bother with the standard spikes - they're so soft as to be virtually useless (as you've discovered). What you need is a power spike, which costs £6-10 from most decent tackle shops (although I can't seem to spot one on the web). These are a standard size, but as I recently discovered to my cost (see my thread on Brolly power spike problem), it is possible to get them stuck in the softer brolly shaft if you let your wife anywhere near your tackle (as it were)...

[Steve Burke]

Stormpoles are usually just thicker, heavier duty banksticks. They're used to brace certain bivvies and brollies against wind.

 

I use standard banksticks, but they do vary in quality and design. By far the best I've ever used are the ones from King's Angling. See my field test at http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/index.php?category=8&pg=5

 

I've had mine a couple of years ago and, apart from missing a bit of paint, are as good as new. This is despite using them at Wingham where some of the swims are almost like concrete!