Adapting items for fishing- Heath Robinson

On my last outing I used a peg made of concrete/ compacted gravel boarded by a wooden surround. Lots of space but impossible to insert a bank stick even with a rubber mallet! I managed with a bank stick wedged into the area next to the boarding for the buzzer and a butt rest on my chair. Yesterday I thought I needed a pod but did not want some large complicated mechano set I would hardly use. I decided to go the tripod route and decided to try and adapt a mini camera tripod I already had and did not use!



I removed the adaptor which would connect a camera and inserted an unused Korum landing net adaptor by drilling a larger hole and using the thread on the Korum to in effect self tap through the hole. The tripod, a velbon is very sturdy and has extending legs. It will now hold a buzzer or a rod rest very securely as in the above pic. It has cost me nothing as I already had the bits and I will put it to the test later this week. I reckon I can use it on any surface if needed but it will be fine on rock hard pegs!

What other adaptions of items used for other purposes have members tried for fishing? The buzzer shown is a cheap Chubb in its hard case!



Another pic showing the Korum adaptor !

I've used twigs for disgorgers, and small branches for rod rests.....does that count .
I've used an alloy bank stick as a landing net staff and then used it as a rod rest by bending the rim of the landing net in a bit forming a heart shape, done that loads of times!

Of course it does! After all if you were on a desert island you would have no Tackle and would have to improvise!

I would have expected no less from you Ian

Long before Preston and whoever else started marketing bait brollies I saw a fellow competitor on a Thames open keeping his bait dry with one of those clamp on pushchair umbrellas from Mothercare. The idea probably didn't catch on immediately as it was pink with little bunny rabbits on it...

Here you go Mike, my version of the adapted Camera tripod (V3) ..done away with the twisty/tilty handle in V2 as it adds weight and kept catching the line. If you want to tilt it you just extend one of the tripod legs. This version has a bankstick through the middle so if I do happen across a bit of grass I have the option to just pull the bankstick out and use that directly

Nice one Philip! I will remove the tilt handle because i can see it is a line tangle waiting to happen!

I will have to finetune my patent application!

I am sure mine will work for the odd occasion when a pod is preferable and the main thing is i have utilised items languishing in the garage!

I can see the point of adapting. I always carry an old Fox single leg Pod in the car which is yonks old (and quite useless for anything else) and this is perfectly fine for fishing off boards and the like. A bit of chord means I an sling it over my shoulder if board fishing on the cards.

Neat application of your camera tripod, though!

A four-pint milk carton with the top removed and a rod-retaining notch cut in opposite sides weighs b.-all, but can be made into a stable rest by filling it with water. Put your name on it very clearly with permanent marker, so the bailiff knows you won't leave it behind.

A plastic jug on a string is very useful for collecting water without reaching down and drowning your phone; not only for filling cut-down milk cartons, but mixing groundbait, washing hands, checking if baits float, sink or waft, wetting hands and mats before handling fish and so on.

A lump of cork or bouyant foam on the end of the string helps not to lose said jug...

Small two-ringed sliding floats speed up and silence the strike; no one sells them, AFAIK.

Drinking straws for floats. Warm a pair of pliers and squeeze the ends of the straw so they seal, difficult to get the heat right of the pliers but with a bit of practice, too hot and the plastic melts, too cold and the plastic does not seal. Pierce a hole in one end of the sealed straw with a hot needle. Use the straws fixed bottom end only. Also if you seal one end, fill it with small split shot till straw cocks and then seal again just above the split shot line and then seal the top of the straw as well, you have a self cocking float (second left). many sizes and colours to choose from; very visable . A word of warning-make sure the edges are rounded and not sharp using the hot needle.
I used them a lot successfully on commercial lakes once. I liked the pink ones, used to let them lay flat and they popped up like a flag when a big carp came along. Plenty of old straws floating about so I guess they didn't alarm the fish on tackle shy commies..
Pretty arn't they, very artistic.

I use an old piece of Octoplus main frame to help me feed one handed with a catapult, it screws to the leg of my box with my pult fastened to the top.