Lightning

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Ron Clay

Guest
As a person who has come close to being struck by lightning several times in my life I would ask you all to look out and at a few basic precautions when a thunderstorm is about.

We use carbon fibre rods which are excellent lightning conductors. If a storm is about it's better to wind in and wait whilst it passes. Don't point the rods or pole in the air, lay them flat.

The metal shaft of a brolly is also a danger. Don't put up a brolly and sit under it. Rather get wet. You'll be safer.

NEVER stand under a tree!!

The safest place to be in a violent electric storm is in a car. I have been struck twice whilst sitting in my car with no adverse effects.

On two occasions lightning has hit my house. On the one occasion the bolt missed me by about a foot and slammed into the TV set.

As I type this there is a bit of thunder about. August is one of the worst months for lightning strikes in the UK. Take a few precautions and you shouldn'd get struck
 
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Stewart Bloor

Guest
Ok Ron, didn't you get the message about repeat threads.....

You have been unlucky, either that or somebody 'up there' doesn't like you...

But seriously, good advice that we all need to take heed of. As you say, August is one of the worst months for lightning strikes.
 
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Carp Angler

Guest
The safest place to be in a violent electric storm is in a car. I have been struck twice whilst sitting in my car with no adverse effects.

It's called the Faraday cage effect.
Where the body of the vehicle has a constant structure, there is no place for the current to be hampered and discharge, so the current travels through the structure and to ground.

It's only when YOU are earthed that it hurts.
 
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peter webber

Guest
Spending most of his fishing time in the water as Sedge does he stands the worst (best) chance of getting hit , mind you he has got his nibs upstairs looking out for him so maybe he's safe anyway.
 
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Chris Bishop

Guest
Brollies - top advice. Guy here got hit a couple of years ago and it melted his trainers to his brolly pole, which didn't do his feet much good.
 
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Bob Gill

Guest
You could say that with the repeat thread this lightning has struck twice. Seriously though good advice.

Cheers
Bob
 
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Ron Clay

Guest
By the way Sedge, the reason why I have come close to a lightning strike is not because someone up there doesn't like me, but due to the fact that I lived for 27 years in my life in an area of the world that recieves some of the highest direct lightning strikes - The South African Highveld
 
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Stewart Bloor

Guest
Tell me about it Ron. I've witnessed some of those lightning storms over Johannesburg myself. They are awesome. Wouldn't like to be fishing in one of those....
 
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Jon Moores

Guest
"As a person who has come close to being struck by lightning several times in my life...I have been struck twice whilst sitting in my car...On two occasions lightning has hit my house."

and don't stand near Ron in a storm :))

Seriously though it's all good advice especially about the car acting as a Faraday cage - the tyres act as conductors to the ground so that tells you how true old tales about rubber boots protecting people are.
 
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Rob Brownfield

Guest
I would say the safest place to stand is next to Ron!!! Seems he is the perfect lightning conductor..lol

Besides that...I remember a matchman being hit when using a carbon pole. His forearms split like ripe banannas and he ended up in the lake, smoldering! He survived because most of the current travelled down the outside of his waterproofs. Lucky man!

I have also been hit, whilst in a helicopter over the north sea...not very nice!!
 
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Ron Clay

Guest
I was out bass fishing in a boat once. A storm was brewing bit the bass were biting. Suddenly the rod I was using started making sparking noises and the air around us seemed charged. We dropped the rods, started the motor and hightailed it out of that storm as fast as possible.

The worst I ever experienced was a tornado that took two caravans up into the air and passed within about a mile of my flimsy tent. 1973 it was, near Vaal Dam.

Very scary indeed.
 
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Stewart Bloor

Guest
Ron used to be a lightning conductor..in the days before 'pay as you board' buses. In fact he was so quick getting the money off passengers, they used to call him Flash...

But if you voted Conservative he used to let you off with half fare...
 
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Andy Thatcher

Guest
Never been hit but I have had so much static in the air around the rods that the LED's on my Delkims came on ! Wouldn't wan to repeat that again !!!!
 
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Rob Brownfield

Guest
Its been known for fly anglers to cast in a lightening storm and have the leader and flies hover above the water due to static! Sod that!!!
 
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Ron Clay

Guest
That has happened to me on several occasions Rob, No kidding!!!

It's truly terrifying.

By the way have any of you seen ball lightning. I have!

Many years ago I lived with my grandparent on a small farm in North Notts. One August evening we had the mother of all storms. It lasted hours I remember. My mother was terrifyed as she had suffered many night of the Blitz in Sheffield. There must have been a similarity with the crashing of the thunder and German bombs.

It was the thing in those days to leave all the windows open during a storm. towards the end of the mayhem a bright globe of charged light about the size of a large grapefruit entered my bedroom via the open window, bounced around the room making sparking and hissing noises and then shot out where it came.

Was I scared??

Jim Gibbinson may remember a terrific storm we endured on top of a mountain at over 7000 ft in Natal. During that storm we both witnessed an incredible apparition.

But I don't want to talk about it otherwise you'll all think I've lost my marbles.
 
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Paul Williams

Guest
GO on Ron,......most of us have already lost our marbles anyway!!!
 
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Stewart Bloor

Guest
Come on Ron, you'll be telling us next you've seen Greyhound's wallet in action...
 
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Carp Angler

Guest
I thought I had lost my marbles,
but I'd just swapped them for three allys and a packet of Top Trumps.
 
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Ron Clay

Guest
Give me a bit of time to get my thoughts together and I will try to explain what I saw. I don't think Jim saw exactly what I did, although he was very quiet for a period.

That day I had just carved a big trout fly out of his arm.
 
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