GB2283648A

GB2283648A - Angling casting aid

Info

Publication number: GB2283648A
Application number: GB9422662A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Terence Forster
Original assignee: EDWARDS DEREK ANTHONY; JEFFREY STEWART JOHN
Current assignee: EDWARDS DEREK ANTHONY; JEFFREY STEWART JOHN
Priority date: 1993-11-11
Filing date: 1994-11-10
Publication date: 1995-05-17
Also published as: GB9422662D0; GB9323338D0

Abstract

A device which assists anglers in controlling movement of a fishing line from a rod comprises manually operable means (11) to engage the fishing line (17) to impede linear movement of the line, and means (13) for mounting the device upon the rod (16). In an illustrated embodiment of the device, a bar (11) is operable to engage the line (17) by manual pressure upon an end (19) of a lever (12), against the pressure of a spring (15). <IMAGE>

Description

Angling aid This invention relates to a device which is useful to anglers as an angling aid.

When an angler casts a line, it may be desirable for him to be able to limit the extent of his cast. This is particularly so when fishing on a river or small area of water when it is necessary to avoid casting as far as the further bank or edge of the water to avoid fouling the line on that bank or on plants growing there. Also, when fly-fishing, it may be desirable to avoid disturbing certain areas of water and so it is advantageous to be able to control the movement of the line away from the rod.

A fishing reel which incorporates a brake for the line is already available. However such reels are designed to be used for deep sea fishing and are consequently too large and bulky for the typical angler to use. Those reels are for maintaining tension in the line when it is cast so that when the tackle hits the surface of the sea the uncontrolled loss of line from the reel, which results from a sudden loss of tension in the line, may be avoided. They therefore utilise a clutch system and are not suitable for stopping a line as it is cast.

Against this background, it is an object of the invention to provide an angling aid which allows the movement of fishing line from a rod to be controlled conveniently and with a minimum of extra weight being added to the rod.

The angling aid according to the invention comprises manually operable means to engage a fishing line, thereby to impede its movement in the direction of its length, and means for mounting said aid upon a fishing rod.

The means to engage a fishing line may comprise a member in the form of a bar or pad which, when operated, acts to press the line against the side of the fishing rod. As an alternative, the means may comprise a member having an aperture such as a ring, which surrounds the line and which, when operated, closes upon the line to engage it, as in an iris diaphragm, for example.

The means is manually operable and preferably may be operated by a single finger or thumb. Most preferably the means are arranged so as to be conveniently operable by a single digit of the hand which normally holds the fishing rod, thus leaving the other hand free to operate the reel. The means may be operated by depressing a button or by moving a lever or switch. Preferably the means are sprung so that the line is engaged only when the means are being operated and so that release or partial release of the button or lever, for example, serves to wholly or partially disengage the means from the line. In this way the tension on the line may be adjusted by operating the means to engage the line.

In a preferred embodiment, the means to engage a fishing line comprises a bar bent at 1800 to partially encircle the fishing rod and attached at one end to a lever. The lever is mounted upon the rod and arranged to pivot around a point located near the mounting. At the further end of the lever from the bar and further from the bar than from the pivot, a compression spring is mounted upon the lever in such a way as to bear upon the fishing rod.

Depression of one end of the lever against the spring and the rod moves the other end of the lever away from the rod and brings the bar into contact with the rod. Release of the lever pushes the bar out of engagement with the rod by virtue of the spring restoring the lever to a neutral position. When the fishing line is arranged to pass between the bar and the rod, movement of the bar towards the rod thus brings the bar into contact with the line and ultimately presses the line against the rod.

As a simpler but less preferred alternative, the means to engage a line may comprise a surface of a sprung lever or button which may be pressed towards and into contact with a surface of a fishing rod or a surface mounted thereon. The more preferred embodiment above may give better control of the line tension, however.

In a further alternative embodiment the means to engage a fishing line comprises an iris diaphragm. The diaphragm may be closed by moving a lever to draw the blades towards the centre of the aperture. When a fishing line is passed through the ring, closure of the aperture engages the line against the blades of the diaphragm. As yet a further alternative, the line may be engaged within a ring simply by sliding a closing member against the line so as to engage the line between the member and a side of the ring.

As an option, a friction pad such as a small area of rubber, for example, may be incorporated in the means to engage a fishing line or may be placed upon the rod itself if the line is to be engaged against the rod.

Optionally, an area of low friction material or supply of lubricant may be used in conjunction with a friction pad in order to facilitate the paying out or reeling in of line when such operations are not intended to be impeded by the angling aid.

It is advantageous for the line to be able to be removed from the engaging means quickly and easily so that more control may be exercised when bringing in heavy fish. It is therefore preferred that the line engaging means has such a facility. For example, when the means comprises a bent bar which may engage the line against the fishing rod, the bar preferably does not completely encircle the line and rod but is rather hook-shaped so that the line can be inserted into and removed from the means easily.

The means for mounting the angling aid upon a fishing rod preferably allow the aid to be mounted and demounted relatively easily so that it may be moved between rods or removed from a rod for storage etc. It is therefore preferred to use means such as clips or to provide a bracket which may be secured to the rod by means of movable rings of the type commonly used to secure a reel to a fishing rod.

A spring clip is an especially preferred means for mounting the aid upon a rod.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are: Fig.l - a perspective view of the angling aid, and Fig.2 - a perspective view of the angling aid mounted upon a fishing rod.

Fig.l shows an angling aid 10. A bar 11 is attached at one end to a lever 12 and is bent through about 1800 with the radius of curvature of the bend being larger than the radius of a fishing rod at the end nearest to the handle of the rod. The lever 12 is pivotally attached to a spring clip 13 the pivot point being indicated by numeral 14. A compression spring 15 is fixed to the lever towards the end of the lever furthest from the bar 11.

Fig.2 shows the aid 10 mounted upon a fishing rod 16 by means of the spring clip 13.

The fishing line 17 passes from the reel 18 and through the bend in bar 11, between the bar and the rod, before passing along the length of the rod in the normal way.

In use, the angler depresses the lever 12 in the region of its end 19 against the compression spring 15. The lever pivots around the pivot 14 and the bend of bar 11 is thus brought towards and eventually into contact with the rod. As the bar moves towards the rod, the passage of the line between the bar and the rod is impeded and may if desired be stopped as the bar contacts the line and rod if the tension on the line is not too great. Thus if the angler presses the lever and thereby holds the line between the bar 11 and the fishing rod during casting he can arrest his cast at a point before the fishing tackle makes contact with a water surface or river-bank, for example. The angler is therefore able to cast and control his line using only one hand.

When the angler releases the end 19 of the lever 12, the spring 15 presses it away from the rod, thus moving the bend of bar 11 away from the rod to release the line 17. If it is desired to remove the line from the bar 11, for example to enable the angler to control the line by holding it, he may do so quickly by drawing the line around the side of the rod towards end 20 of the bar, whereupon it may be released from its restraint by the bar.

The angling aid is also useful for controlling the line when 'playing' a fish or when landing a catch. Use of the angling aid allows rapid, fingertip control of the line tension using only the hand which is holding the fishing rod. There are also other situations in which the angling aid would be useful to an angler, for example to control the movement of bait when trotting, or allowing the bait to move with a current.

Claims

1. An angling aid comprising manually operable means to engage a fishing line, thereby to impede its movement in the direction of its length, and means for mounting said aid upon a fishing rod.

2. An angling aid as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said line-engaging means comprises a member in the form of a bar or pad which is operable to press the line against the side of a fishing rod.

3. An angling aid as claimed in Claim 2, wherein said line-engaging means comprises a 0 bar, bent at 180 to partially encircle a fishing rod, and attached at one end to a lever.

4. An angling aid as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the lever is mounted to pivot around a point near to the position of mounting of said angling aid upon a fishing rod.

5. An angling aid as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said line-engaging means comprises a member having an aperture, which is adapted to surround the line and is operable to close upon and engage the line.

6. An angling aid as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the member is an iris diaphragm.

7. An angling aid as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the member is a ring and which further comprises a closing member operable to engage the line between said closing member and said ring.

8. An angling aid as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said line-engaging means is sprung in the direction of disengagement with the line.

9. An angling aid as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said line-engaging means is operable by a single digit of a hand holding the rod.

10. An angling aid as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said means for mounting said aid upon a fishing rod allows ready mounting and demounting of said aid.

11. An angling aid as claimed in Claim 10, wherein said mounting means comprises one or more spring clips.

12. An angling aid as claimed in Claim 10, wherein said mounting means comprises a bracket which is securable to a fishing rod by means of movable rings.

13. An angling aid substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.