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Rod pods
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 The
way it used to be
A pod is an almost essential
piece of kit these days for the serious carp
angler. At one time a couple of rod rests
on each rod were fine, after all, they only
had to support the rod and reel with a bit
of foil or bread hanging on the line as a
bite indicator. Then as the use of technical
gadgetry increased, we all began to use electronic
bit alarms. Some of us even did away with
the bobbins and used the new hi-tech washing
up bottle tops! And then came the swingers
and springers that fixed to the bottom of
the alarms, monkey climbers to replace bobbins
and buzz bars to support two rods on each
rest and the whole thing became a little bit
unstable.
Why use a pod
Of course, you can still
use all of this equipment on ordinary rod
rests, or with just one rod rest front and
back and a buzz bar on each, and there are
certain instances where this is still the
best method, especially if you want to place
your rods a few feet out in the water to get
round a snag. Most of the time however, a
rod pod is the perfect solution. Not only
do they make the whole set up a lot more stable,
but they can save a lot of blood sweat and
tears if you are fishing on a hard clay bank
in summer or a gravel pit, where you couldn't
get a bank stick into the ground without the
use of a pile driver. Remember many day ticket
fisheries these days have slabs set into the
swims, and so rod rests would be an impossibility.
And if everything is more stable, it is also
safer; you don't want your expensive new alarms
toppling over into the water when you get
your first run.
What makes a good pod
So what should you be looking
for when you go to buy a pod? Well we have
already mentioned stability, and I have seen
some pods which are about as stable as a bunch
of twigs. Look for a good rigid set up which
wont move about when in use. Remember that
you have to carry it around though, so it
doesn't want to be too heavy. Ask to see it
set up on the counter if you're buying from
a shop, and then see how easily it rocks backwards
and forwards and from side to side. Preferably
get them to set it up with buzz bars and alarms
before this test. It also needs to be easy
to set up, so look out for this at the same
time. I prefer a pod that comes as one unit
including the legs and which simply expands
telescopically, the legs then folding out.
This way you are less likely to arrive at
your swim minus a leg section.
 Adjustable
Whilst on the subject of
legs, they do need to be adjustable, and again
a telescopic system is the easiest and sturdiest.
Make sure that they lock tightly into position
once adjusted though. They should be adjustable
enough so that the pod can be set up on a
sloping and uneven bank.
Locking
Whether the pod comes with
buzz bars or you are buying them separately,
make sure that they have a locking system
so that when screwed into the bank sticks,
they can be locked tightly at right angles
to the pod. You don't want them spinning round
when a run occurs, I have seen this happen
many a time and witnessed the chaos it can
cause as both rods crash from the pod. A rubber
'O' ring over the thread of the bar will help
to eliminate this problem. Also if the buzz
bars are telescopic, a locking system is essential
again, otherwise the inner section complete
with top heavy alarms will try to rotate inside
the outer section causing disaster again.
Some bars are elliptical in section, eliminating
this problem. Also make sure that the alarms
you wish to use fit properly onto the bars
along with swingers if you intend using them.
Another area requiring a good
locking system is the bank sticks, otherwise
they may collapse with the weight of the
bars and buzzers.
Investment
If your chosen pod passes
all of these tests it should be fairly reliable
and functional. If it doesn't but is a few
quid cheaper, think how you might regret
it in the middle of the night when that
monster carp moves off with your bait and
the whole thing collapses on the floor in
front of you. A good pod is a worthwhile
investment and should last you many years.
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