Nothing lasts forever! A saying that applies to many areas in life, and which also has a certain value in fishing. Some products are often exposed to particularly heavy wear, which in turn accelerates the ageing process. Elastics and lines definitely fall into this category as they suufer from UV radiation, heat, and mechanical stress.
What happens to the waste products? Do they go straight to the bin or can I still use them in some way? Recycling old materials is actually nothing new. However, in the wake of the wave of sustainability, it has gained more importance these days. The magic word is: upcycling. Here used objects and waste materials are transformed into new products and reused. I would like to present one way of upcycling your old gear to you here.
A common problem that pole anglers are exposed to can be effectively remedied with old lines and pole elastics. If I want to hang the hook into the end of the kit, but the assembly length is shorter than the length of the kit used, a problem arises, especially when using thicker hollow elastics. Because the tension from the elastic would be too great.
This can be remedied by self-made double rings, whereby one ring is knotted from an old elastic and the other from an old piece of line, which enables the hook to be attached further up the top kit. The way it works is relatively simple. The elastic ring is pushed onto the kit to the desired position, then the hook is attached to the ring of line.
And another plus: These “rig hook-ups” can remain permanently mounted on the kit. They do not interfere with fishing or transport. They are simply moved to the appropriate positions from session to session. When using one-piece top kits, this tool can even be used to keep the assembly attached to the kit, which in turn saves an enormous amount of time during assembly.
All of my kits now have these self-made rig hook-ups. They are a great advantage and very simple to make. Here are the assembly instructions:
1. Tie a loop about two centimeters in diameter from a piece of old line. The easiest way to do this is with a Browning Loop Tier.
2. Melt the protruding ends of the knot with a lighter.
3. Thread the old elastic through the line ring.
4. Now tie a loop with the elastic, pull it tight and cut the ends short.
Now you old gear can find a new use. I wish you a lot of fun and success in building it!
Tight lines!
Christian Dörr, Browning Deutschland
The old items that you will need. pole elastic and some heavy line.
Ideally, these are the tools you need.
Step 1 – form a loop in a length of old line.
Step 2 – Melt the ends of the line with a lighter.
Step 3. Thread the pole elastic through the loop.
Step 4 – Tie a loop in the elastic small enough to fit tightly on your top kit.
"The magic word is: upcycling."
