I seem to have a lot of stuff that needs transporting from the van to the bank. This is fine if I can get the van close to the swim. At most of the places I fish this is possible, but it can restrict my choice of peg. At the fishery, where I am competing in match this weekend, there is a rule that states that no vehicles can be driven to the swims. This will mean I will have to tote all my gear from the van to the peg. Time to get some wheels!
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| Our lightly used sack barrow |
I had often thought about using our sack barrow but was put off the idea as I had not seen others using them (in my limited experience) to tote fishing gear. I have now worked out why - eventually. The sack barrow is much too big to fit inside a car as well as the amount of tackle that would necessitate its use. This is not a problem for me as now I take the van fishing, space is the last of my concerns. I did think about building some kind or frame onto the barrow but in the end, after discussing it at great length with myself, that was deemed unnecessary...
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The cardboard tubes are glued
to a piece of MDF |
A trip to the pound shop rendered some 'bungi' straps and a couple of those soft covered wires that the pier and urban fishing guys use as rod rests buy attaching them to the safety rail often found at the water's edge in those sorts of environments. All I need now is a few bits of cardboard tube. These are glued to a small piece of MDF profiled to fit around the central tube of the frame. The whole thing sits nicely on the axle and is secured with the bungi straps that hold the rest of the gear on the front. This will do for this weekend but I will give the tubes a coat of varnish to render some protection against the wet. My, this is sounding more like
Blue Peter with every post!
Our sack truck has been around for a long time but has only had light service with us. I have just done an internet search for a similar barrow and found pages of them for sale for around £30-35 including VAT. That makes it a lot cheaper than the purpose made fishing trolley, and if you want a lighter one you can halve that price... I will use this for now but I am sure there will come a day when something more suited to carrying a match seat box, roost, umbrella, bivvy, bed-chair cooking equipment and poles will be required... Did I say that?
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| Bait box at the bottom |
The idea is that my dark green, heavy duty army surplus, plastic box will sit on the bottom. In this I will put all my bait that is required for the session. Next will be my cheap and useless tackle bag that came with my starter set. I say useless, and it was, until I found another plastic storage box that fits inside and keeps it somewhere near firm. Unhooking mats, towels and cloths are slid between the box and the bag to firm things up and now it is usable, Inside the plastic storage box I keep my main cantilever tackle box containing floats, tools feeders and so on. Rig bag and box will also live in there along with any ancillary clothing and my can't-do-without magnifying sun glasses.
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| The red storage box squares up the useless bag |
Next up the pile comes the stink bag containing keep and landing nets. This is topped off with the groundbait bowls and riddle - you must have a riddle so you can riddle, riddle and riddle. I joke, but since I was given that useful tip my catch rate has improved greatly and the groundbait stays on the method feeder all the way to the target, well most of the time!
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| All trussed up and ready to go |
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| The rods stand in the short tube |
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| seems to work okay - it is easier to pull than it looks! |
Net poles and bank sticks are housed in the cardboard tubes 'bungied' to the
frame. The rods are accommodated by standing them in a short section of
tube that also hold any short bank sticks and held in place, further up the barrows frame handle, with the
soft-foam covered wire things.
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| Banksticks and handles sit in the long tube... |
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| ... while the short tube supports the bottom of the rods and other short items |
Finally my chair and the bait waiter are tucked down behind the bucket, bowls and nets, secured in place with another bungi strap. That looks like it will work just fine... now what have I forgotten?
Ralph.
