Having the right pole roller and placing it on the bank correctly is so important nowadays.
Not only does this make our fishing easier, but it also does away with the risk of broken pole sections – let’s be honest, a section can cost £300 or more, so you don’t want to see one fold in half if it can be avoided!
Yet, until the last decade or so, we all used to unship the pole across a rod bag or carryall or, worse still, the bank itself.
That meant general wear and tear, and often you needed to chase wayward sections down the bank if the wind got up. At worse, it meant a trip to the tackle shop to source a new No6 section.
Thankfully, modern pole rollers are brilliant and make the likelihood of a break slim. They’re adjustable, spacious and rock-solid, allowing any type of bank to be tackled. The pole will be well protected, and shipping in and out becomes a pleasure rather than a chore.
One roller or two?
For distances up to 11m, one roller is enough. Use two when fishing further out unless you have a bush behind you to act as a makeshift roller! They make shipping much smoother, and prevent any stress to the pole due to lack of balance.
The right angle
I try to set my rollers so that the pole slopes slightly down towards the water. This speeds up unshipping, and when playing a fish and pushing the pole back, the fish won’t be brought up to the surface too quickly, risking a hook-pull.
Opt for an upright
A roller with a rotating middle upright means that a length of pole can be shipped back on either side – with only one rolling section the piece of pole you’ve just unshipped can zoom back with the second and may fall off the roller!
Put a sock in it
I don’t like to pop the end of the pole in the sock piece if I can help it, as it can still move about or fall out. Instead, I wedge the pole between the two sock sections on a Guru Reaper Pole Section Retainer, which gives a snug, secure fit.
