pulley rig

[Dick Dastardly]

Biggest issue I can see would be making it safe.

 

 

Got to be carefull here as we dont want the carp anglers veiw of "safe" comming in here.

 

All this buisness of leads not being "fixed" and rigs falling apart if you snap off etc maybe fine in carping etc put it has no place in pike or any predator fishing that uses wire and trebles.

 

There is only one kind of "safe" rig for pike and thats one that allows you to land them and remove the hooks! Modern carpers may think its ok to leave just a hook,hook link and swivel in a fish (and despite me still not being 100% with this in a way they are right) but if you leave wire/trebles in a pike its certain disaster.Heavy tackle thats not going to fail used in a responsible way is the only "safe" set up here.

 

Not having a go at you particularly Steve its just that its an issue thet grips me! Even the esteemed SAA dont seem to understand this! Maybe they dont pike fish either eh Mike?

 

I remember that a very well proven and time tested sunken float paternoster rig I put on here once wasnt "allowed" due to one SAA guy at the time complaining that the components were fixed!

[Dick Dastardly]

If you swapped the standard lead on that rig for one of those 'riser' leads (correct term?) that were popular for a few seconds in the early 90s, maybe that would get over any snags on the retrieve?

 

 

Even though the weak link in the pat set up acts as the "safety" element if the lead snags, it would be well worth trying one of those riser leads as 3ozs+ ball leads being lost regularly could get expensive!

My only worries are if they would (due to their elongated shape) anchor the rig firmly without having to use really heavy weights! thats why the ball leads are so good for this job.

[Steve Walker]

Yes, that's a fair point, I was thinking in more general terms of adapting the pulley rig for freshwater use.

 

Even for pike, though, I'd prefer a rig where pulling for a break against a snagged lead resulted in losing a lead and reeling in a deadbait, to one which resulted in leaving a deadbait full of trebles in the water, either floating free if the line breaks between lead and swivel or anchored to a snag if it goes at the knot to the top swivel.

[Dick Dastardly]

I thought that was more likely what you was getting at.

[Anderoo]

This may sound naive, but how common is it to get a lead snagged? I certainly wouldn't call myself an expert, but I have done a fair bit of piking and I can't recall ever pulling for a break because the lead was snagged, even using paternosters (which I tend to use quite a lot). It's rare I get snagged as I nearly always know what I'm casting into, but if I have I'm pretty sure it was because the hooks have lodged very solidly into some unmovable underwater obstruction.

 

When I make up paternoster links I use 10lb mono threaded through a few feet of carp anglers' anti tangle tubing and use a heavy ball lead on the end. This stops the trace tangling (and doesn't put the pike off) and perhaps helps it slide more easily out of any snags it might drop into?

[Dick Dastardly]

This may sound naive, but how common is it to get a lead snagged? I certainly wouldn't call myself an expert, but I have done a fair bit of piking and I can't recall ever pulling for a break because the lead was snagged, even using paternosters (which I tend to use quite a lot). It's rare I get snagged as I nearly always know what I'm casting into, but if I have I'm pretty sure it was because the hooks have lodged very solidly into some unmovable underwater obstruction.

 

Good point Anderoo.When I think about it Ive only ever lost one lead whilst using a sunken float paternoster rig in over 25 years! And IO wouldnt mind betting that equates to more actual rod hours than most people put in on all there fishing in a lifetime!

 

Admitedly on the Scottish Lochs with their rocks you would lose more but it does go to show! But hey who are we to argue with the "safe rig" brigade/SAA etc they obviously know best.

 

But as the inclusion of a weaker lead link doesnt affect my rigs mechanics or cause me any extra work I will keep it in just in case! Imagine ditching it after all this time only to have a fish of a lifetime snag the lead! and come off!!!!!!

[Steve Walker]

I've lost plenty of leads like that, but mostly sea fishing over rough ground. The (fresh)waters I fish don't tend to have rugged rocky bottoms capable of snagging leads, but as you say, there are waters like that.

[Anderoo]

OK, so I'm not alone!

 

The reason I don't like the idea of the weak link is simply because I find they tangle so badly, because of their low diameter. I got fed up of finding traces wrapped round and round the paternoster link (esp with lives). By using 10lb mono through tubing, not only do the tangles disappear but it also makes the lead less likely to snag in the first place (I reckon). And if it does, with 15lb mainline the pat link will give first anyway.

 

With a trace of 18" - 24" I usually have a pat link of about 3-4ft:

 

 

 

It works for me, anyway!