Buy a new pole nowadays and it’ll come with all sorts of extras – and I’m not just talking about top kits! Also included in the package will be shorter sections designed to fit into the back of various parts of the pole, which are commonly known as dolly butts and short sections.
A lot of anglers never use them, though, either through not needing to with the type of fishing they do or, in some cases, not necessarily knowing when to use them. However, these mini sections aren’t gimmicks and they have an important part to play when it comes to catching you more fish in certain situations.
Take my pole, the Guru Aventus Zero 900. There are several dolly butts, sometimes known as mini extensions, short No3 sections, and dedicated ‘striking’ sections, which will give me extra reach and accuracy, greater stiffness and better protection for more delicate sections. It’s knowing when to use them that’s key!
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Dolly butts
The thick mini extensions that go into the back of 13m and 14.5m butt sections are known as dolly butts. They are useful when striking, or when you are fishing shallow as you will rotate the pole to slap or lift and drop the rig, as they’re tough compared to the pole’s main butt section. They’ll also give extra reach.
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Short No3 sections
Commonly called ‘short threes’, these are a much shorter section that typically replaces the No3 section of a pole below the top kit. They increase the stiffness of the pole at 14.5m and 16m, giving more striking speed.
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Striking sections
Not every pole has them, but these come into their own at short range for big fish. The Aventus has one that fits into the No6 and No7 sections, and these are tough mini extensions to protect expensive sections!
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Protective caps
On the end of some mini extensions are foam caps, which I’ve seen some people remove – don’t! These caps will protect the ends of each section from wear and tear, having pole rollers is important but these end caps are critical to preserve the life of the section, especially when shipping back over rough ground.
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