Weed Rake

Fred Boniface · Jan 1, 2017

Has anyone had first hand experience of the Aspen Weed Rake?

I fish an old "estate lake" that is heavily weeded and although there are a couple of rakes on site I cannot help wondering if results would be better with a quality rake that can be manipulated and extended to make the best of the swims.

The weed is soft and there are also lily beds that will be left well alone so I was not anticipating anything too heavy. However any experiences of this product (or similar) would be of interest.

Many thanks

sam vimes · Jan 1, 2017

I can't comment on the Aspen rake, I've not even heard of them. One I have used is a Jake's Rakes model. I can heartily recommend them.

Jakes Rakes

john step · Jan 1, 2017

Why not use the ones on site and save some cash.
Most folk use a couple of garden rakes tied back to back on a rope.
Generations of anglers have used it.
You will probably know this already.

I bet the rakes on a rope work just as well as an expensive "product".

keora · Jan 2, 2017

Fred Boniface said:
Has anyone had first hand experience of the Aspen Weed Rake?

I fish an old "estate lake" that is heavily weeded and although there are a couple of rakes on site I cannot help wondering if results would be better with a quality rake that can be manipulated and extended to make the best of the swims.

The weed is soft and there are also lily beds that will be left well alone so I was not anticipating anything too heavy. However any experiences of this product (or similar) would be of interest.

Many thanks

I'd never heard of the Aspen Rake, so I looked it up on the internet. It's an interesting design, although expensive at £120 plus postage. It's heavy as well, the head plus 30 ft of tube weighs 4kgs.

http://www.aspenlakerake.co.uk/

I used to make rakes from the heads of two garden rakes fixed together with wire. The problem was that there's a limited choice of rake sizes. Even the smaller sizes are heavy when two are fixed back. I then bought a small rake designed for fishing, it wasn't wide enough to pick up much weed. I lost it when one morning the rope snapped!

In the end I made a collapsible rake from wood. The tines were roofing bolts which provided enough weight to sink the wood. It's easy to throw as it's light. It has a width of about 2ft so it drags back more weed. It looks primitive but it works.

no-one in particular · Jan 2, 2017

I had a bit of half inch aluminum tubing about 3ft long, drilled several holes in it at different angles and screwed 3/4/6 inch screws through the holes that I had lying around.. You could probably get away with a bit of old broom stick the screws should sink it but aluminum tubing is very light.; .This was fairly light, for rope you can buy nylon washing line from the pound shop which is water proof, dries out quicker and about 30 foot long and light, you need to attach it Y shaped at both ends of the rake. Not pretty but for a couple of quid of materials-worked well enough and not difficult to put in your bag when wrapped up. £120 would freak me out a bit.

paulas · Jan 2, 2017

I have an Aspen weed rake. They are excellent for removing weed but obviously only as far out as the length of the poles! You soon get the knack of pushing the rake out so that it planes along the surface, after that you let the rake sink and pull it back. Bit awkward if there is an obstruction behind you but you can remove a lot of weed pretty quickly in my experience, even lilies as long as you get the roots. Not cheap but a good bit of kit in my opinion.

Philip · Jan 2, 2017

keora said:
I'd never heard of the Aspen Rake, so I looked it up on the internet. It's an interesting design, although expensive at £120 plus postage. It's heavy as well, the head plus 30 ft of tube weighs 4kgs.

Aspen Lake Rake - The ideal lake rake. An alternative fishing rake to the rake on the rope

I used to make rakes from the heads of two garden rakes fixed together with wire. The problem was that there's a limited choice of rake sizes. Even the smaller sizes are heavy when two are fixed back. I then bought a small rake designed for fishing, it wasn't wide enough to pick up much weed. I lost it when one morning the rope snapped!

In the end I made a collapsible rake from wood. The tines were roofing bolts which provided enough weight to sink the wood. It's easy to throw as it's light. It has a width of about 2ft so it drags back more weed. It looks primitive but it works.

Now thats a man who sounds like he knows what he is talking about

Totally agree on the weight..no good getting a mega rake if its so heavy you cant chuck it more than 10 feet out.

tom_moran · Jan 3, 2017

My mates dad makes the aspen rake. Never used one myself though

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nogoodboyo · Jan 3, 2017

I like weeds.
They're a source of food for the fish I'd like to catch in the future.
A hiding place for predators.
I'm no expert but I imagine they play a role in spawning.
Ripping them out may provide a quick catch but what of the long term?

greenie62 · Jan 3, 2017

nogoodboyo said:
.....Ripping them out may provide a quick catch but what of the long term?

A very good point - consequential environmental impacts - I'm not suggesting that we do EIA Statments before every swim rake and get them OKed by Natural England / EA / NRW - but sometimes a little forethought and moderation might help.

Philip · Jan 3, 2017

nogoodboyo said:
Ripping them out may provide a quick catch but what of the long term?

...More weed growing back from what I have seen. I dont think a bit of swim raking really poses that much of a enviromental threat does it ?

103841 · Jan 3, 2017

I often fish a local lake that is tree lined all around its perimeter, needless to say a lot of debris finds its way to the lake bed, when I rake a swim I bring out all sorts of cr@p that's got snagged on twigs and small branches etc, line, hooks, feeders to name a few items. In my mind I'm improving the environment.

nogoodboyo · Jan 3, 2017

Philip said:
...More weed growing back from what I have seen. I dont think a bit of swim raking really poses that much of a enviromental threat does it ?

You're right Philip.
A "bit" of raking wouldn't do much harm. But a lot of raking would.

sam vimes · Jan 3, 2017

nogoodboyo said:
A "bit" of raking wouldn't do much harm. But a lot of raking would.

There aren't many anglers that can do much more than a bit of raking. To make even a small impact takes a long time and is damned tiring. It's not something you do for the sake of it, for a bit of a giggle or on an industrial scale. Anglers doing a bit of weed raking is never going to make a significant impact on anything other than their own bodies.

keora · Jan 4, 2017

You're right.

It's hard work clearing out just a small area to fish. As soon as I remove enough weed to be able to cast into the swim, I stop and get on with fishing. It's unlikely that small scale swim clearing will damage a fishery.

On some lakes I've fished the weeds, such as hornwort or water milfoil can grow back to their original size within a few weeks of being cut.

hawb811 · Jan 8, 2017

I bought 2 for our club to use as we have a terrible problem with starwort, the surface of the water needs to be clear to push the rake out, the rake needs to be made up to the length you want it before you push it out, when you push the rake it glides across the water, when it stops it sinks, they are very good at fetching soft weed out and you get a good rakefull on a pull, it can become a little heavy when lifting out the water because of the amount of weed it collects, well worth buying

Fred Boniface · Jan 19, 2017

Thanks for all of the responses - I know I can make a rake much more cheaply than the Aspen but I do not want to drag out more than I need to make a fishable swim and lobbing out a rake on a rope is never going to be as accurate as the Aspen.
I will have to give this some more thought as I am not made of money and it will have to be funded by some overtime hours, thus reducing fishing time.

Ray Daywalker Clarke · Jan 19, 2017

I have fished a pit for a number of years, you have to rake many swims as there is so much weed. Now i have spent a few hours raking a swim on this pit, and a few weeks later when i have gone back to fish it again, it needs raking again.

One thing many anglers forget to do is look at what is in the weed when raked out. On this pit it is full of shrimp, bugs and worms, so you know what the fish are feeding on.

I have often kept some shrimp in water in an old bait box and fished them, had some fish also. Blood worm you can buy from tackle shops, many will order them in for you, great in a ground bait mix.

barbelboi · Jan 19, 2017

Ray Daywalker Clarke said:
One thing many anglers forget to do is look at what is in the weed when raked out.

Can't do that with the weed on the pits I fish Clarkey - it walks back in by itself as soon as you put it down..............

Weed Rake

Fred Boniface

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sam vimes

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john step

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keora

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no-one in particular

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paulas

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Philip

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tom_moran

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nogoodboyo

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greenie62

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Philip

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103841

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nogoodboyo

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sam vimes

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keora

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hawb811

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Fred Boniface

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Ray Daywalker Clarke

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barbelboi

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