Tackle Adaptations Made at Home

[Steve Jones]

Holly barbel fans where do I start on this thread.

Like all good stories I'll start from the beginning.

Once upon a time a long long time ago (1966) an engineer and his mate did some successful spawning on a gravel run and a fat lickle hobbit emerged kicking and screaming into this world.

Said engineer was always making and adapting things, one because he could, two he loved it and three not much was available then in the mists of ancient times. The fat lickle hobbit when not building dens in the woods, fishing or playing rugby would watch said engineer in wonder. When the mists cleared and the hobbit had a mate of his own a shed was purchased together with tools and a hoarding nature of things that may become useful under the heading of my precious. Every now and again the hobbit needed to escape the dragon inside his lair (now an ex dragon) and do stuff to keep his sanity and this has continued to this day.


THE END

Well like all good stories not quite.

Here's a couple of chairs Ive modified

The camo one mud feet on the seat end for sloping river banks, carrying and leg hold straps

The other one - adjustable legs added to the front, the rear end had an old mower handle cut down and added to make a bed chair seat/low chair

 

[Dave Taylor]

Back in the early 80’s I popped into a Dorking tackle shop and noticed some enormous bank sticks being sold as ‘Thames’ style. They were made from thick walled alloy tube around 1” dia and extended to 7‘6”.
I thought they would make a bombproof landing net handle given a lot of my fishing back then was on gravel pits as well as rivers so the reach at 7’6” would be ok.
I hacksawed the point off and fitted Fuji but cap and shrink wrap ( I was into rod building back then)….. then dispensed with the alloy 3/8” BSP insert and turned a better one from stainless steel,… also replaced the thumb screw with S/S as well.
It’s still going strong after all these years,… I have to admit that I brought a 3mtr carbon pole 3 or 4 years ago because I needed more reach as my rods got longer and my stillwater angling became a thing of the past.View attachment 27492View attachment 27493

“BSP” should read BSF of course

 

[Damian Kimmins]

Thanks.
They were immensely strong as the outer casing was made from hollowed out aluminum billet and the door was cut off the same piece.
Zippo lighter hinge and the weight and rod were welded together. These were stainless 316 grade (marine)

Droppers have consistently needed modifying from the shop haven't they? The Thamesleys I used to get, that I still have, were upgraded with aluminium door latch bars to which I attached a much heavier weight, resulting in no matter how tightly packed they were, a positive open every time!

 

[Damian Kimmins]

Back in the 90’s I made myself a rod pod to my own specs with various attachments for indicators etc.
It all folded down nicely but was a feat of over-engineered stupidity really. Alloy bar and tube with stainless fittings,…. worked well and spent many happy hours sat behind it admiring my handy work
It now gathers dust and spider webs .View attachment 27496View attachment 27497View attachment 27498View attachment 27499

It's a bit like making your own bait I find, adapting tackle to your own requirements - a heightened sense of enjoyment comes with it's use.

 

[Damian Kimmins]

I made these just recently.

I found quite inadequate the protection afforded by off the shelf tip and butt protectors that were held together with elastic. I made my own, to size, connected with 25mm webbing and clip, and then included the ability to hold two adjustable banksticks.
I was still rolling up my triangular net into the plastic bag in which it came, so put together a purpose built waterproof bag that is not too long or not too short.

 

[Daniel Jeffery]

An amazing array of droppers in this thread. Reminds me of the barbel book (can’t remember which one) with a guide to make a big dropper from an old tin of tuna

 

[Ian Sewter]

Here we are.
So the angler sees a nice bright float and the pike sees what I guess would look like a floating turd
Either way it stopped the buggers showing interest to the float.

Piss poor catch rate didn’t go up much mind
I signed that one before giving it to a mate. Didn’t want him claiming my millions if it was a winner

You might have improved your catch rate by putting trebles on the float and twitching it! Many years ago AT had a report about a pike angler who put trebles on his float when a pike attacked the float but ignored the livebait 3 feet below. He eventually caught the pike - on the float!

 

[Richard Isaacs]

Droppers have consistently needed modifying from the shop haven't they? The Thamesleys I used to get, that I still have, were upgraded with aluminium door latch bars to which I attached a much heavier weight, resulting in no matter how tightly packed they were, a positive open every time!

Some of them were so terrible they were almost considered consumable.
What used to drive me insane especially with the bigger ones was the weight on the bottom of the latch was too light.
You’d fill it right up and the bait chamber was heavier than the pin weight.
It was pot luck whether it was going in vertically or not.

I must admit I don’t use them anymore . I much prefer the 2oz sinking spomb spopper now.

 

[Richard Isaacs]

You might have improved your catch rate by putting trebles on the float and twitching it! Many years ago AT had a report about a pike angler who put trebles on his float when a pike attacked the float but ignored the livebait 3 feet below. He eventually caught the pike - on the float!

You’d need a bloody long up trace to do that.

 

[Richard Isaacs]

I made these just recently.
View attachment 27507View attachment 27508View attachment 27509View attachment 27510
I found quite inadequate the protection afforded by off the shelf tip and butt protectors that were held together with elastic. I made my own, to size, connected with 25mm webbing and clip, and then included the ability to hold two adjustable banksticks.
I was still rolling up my triangular net into the plastic bag in which it came, so put together a purpose built waterproof bag that is not too long or not too short.

That is absolutely fantastic.
I love the way you transport the bank sticks with the snug fitting straps.

 

[Ian Woods]

Back in the early 80’s I popped into a Dorking tackle shop and noticed some enormous bank sticks being sold as ‘Thames’ style. They were made from thick walled alloy tube around 1” dia and extended to 7‘6”.
I thought they would make a bombproof landing net handle given a lot of my fishing back then was on gravel pits as well as rivers so the reach at 7’6” would be ok.
I hacksawed the point off and fitted Fuji but cap and shrink wrap ( I was into rod building back then)….. then dispensed with the alloy 3/8” BSP insert and turned a better one from stainless steel,… also replaced the thumb screw with S/S as well.
It’s still going strong after all these years,… I have to admit that I brought a 3mtr carbon pole 3 or 4 years ago because I needed more reach as my rods got longer and my stillwater angling became a thing of the past.View attachment 27492View attachment 27493

I still have one of those same style banksticks. I had two and like you used them as landing net staffs. I kept the point though as it meant I could stick it into the ground and rest my rod on the net head. It was a good cattle, or human prod also .
My local tackle shop still sells them.

 

[Dave Collins]

A friend made these for me

 

[Dave Taylor]

Some of them were so terrible they were almost considered consumable.
What used to drive me insane especially with the bigger ones was the weight on the bottom of the latch was too light.
You’d fill it right up and the bait chamber was heavier than the pin weight.
It was pot luck whether it was going in vertically or not.

I must admit I don’t use them anymore . I much prefer the 2oz sinking spomb spopper now.

I liked the Thamesly type droppers but many didn’t I know. They were perfect for topping up a swim with casters using a dedicated rod upstream of my bait with minimal disturbance. I found them well balanced and usually emptied just where I wanted unlike the bigger jobby’s.
The only problem I had with them was losing the flap when a pike attacked which was a pain. I used a wire hinge on the batch I made which overcame that snag.
Totally agree with the pathetic weights on the larger BD’s that allowed them to kite all over the river,… I take them off and replace with an inline 2oz lead.

 

[Steven Hodges]

Pebble, cheap swivel and a dab of araldite, cheap as chips and environmentally friendly if lost.

 

[Joe Winstanley]

I liked the Thamesly type droppers but many didn’t I know. They were perfect for topping up a swim with casters using a dedicated rod upstream of my bait with minimal disturbance. I found them well balanced and usually emptied just where I wanted unlike the bigger jobby’s.
The only problem I had with them was losing the flap when a pike attacked which was a pain. I used a wire hinge on the batch I made which overcame that snag.
Totally agree with the pathetic weights on the larger BD’s that allowed them to kite all over the river,… I take them off and replace with an inline 2oz lead.

Yes, I was a big fan of the Thamesley droppers. My choice of dropper, up until Richard made me a couple of the 56g modified spombs/spobbers. More finesse than the Thamesley's, less water displacement and more accurate.

 

[Dave Taylor]

Yes, I was a big fan of the Thamesley droppers. My choice of dropper, up until Richard made me a couple of the 56g modified spombs/spobbers. More finesse than the Thamesley's, less water displacement and more accurate.

Whatever Joe,… bait dropping 4 or 5 pints of casters plus hemp into a near bank swim has become a thing of the past since retiring,… have to economise with the humble fast sinking pellets I’m sad to say.

 

[Damian Kimmins]

I was always a fan of the Thamesley, just not off the shelf. It was the perfect size for a dropper I think in that you didn't need any other tackle than that you were using, and it just plopped in the water, unlike those larger ones that slapped the water.

 

[Joe Winstanley]

I was always a fan of the Thamesley, just not off the shelf. It was the perfect size for a dropper I think in that you didn't need any other tackle than that you were using, and it just plopped in the water, unlike those larger ones that slapped the water.

Those metal fox ones made a ridiculous racket...you could hear if someone was using one about 5 swims down!