Home Made Wading Staff

[rippinlips]

Any recipes for something really light, thin diameter, and durable?

[foster173]

an old aluminum ski pole makes an exellent staff!

[ninja115]

Piece of bamboo. They float too. Put some kind of end cap on it otherwise it will split and fray with use. Spiral wrap some 1/4" rope and cover with electric or duct tape for a textured handle. I had mine laying in the garage for years, It was about 3/4-1" in diameter and 5' long and dont know where it came from originally. You could drill a hole in one side near the top(not all the way through both sides) then push a piece of rope through and tie a knot and you have a leash that doesn't have any loops in it.

[georgeb]

I read in one of the flyfishing mags that an old hockey stick with the end cut off works well. The end was cut off and shaped to a point and hardened with a flame. There seems to be old sticks in a lot of garages!
good fishing friends, george b

[REG]

Another vote for an old ski pole. If some of your wading includes traversing soft mud/clay, the basket on the ski pole can help from it sinking in too much and/or too quickly.

I must say the other suggestions are very good also.

[staffman]

I ,in the past, made wading staffs with rod holders in them so that I never had to put my rod on the ground where it could be stepped on and it kept my reel clean as well. I used oak for the centre piece and drilled a 1.5 inch hole through it. I used a 4 inch brass drain connection and secured it with caulking in the hole. I used a 7/8 inch dowel for the shaft and handle. I used a 5/16 piece of metal bar stock in the bottom so that I could push it in the ground when setting up my rod or unhooking a fish.

[rippinlips]

Thanks to all. Took the best of both worlds. Had old aluminum poles from downhill skiis and a pair of bamboo from x-country skiis used in the 70's. Bamboo ones are really light and should work great!

[Equinox]

I made one out of a downrigger rod that had a broken tip section, it has an EVA foam grip with a large diameter that's comfortable to hold on to.

Plus I made a bracket that fits in the reel seat and has 2 pieces of pvc for a rod holder when I am on the beach casting in the salt water.

The rod had an aluminum ferrel which will make it last longer right along with the fact that I took size D Thread and wrapped the bottom 12" of the rod and put a few coats of high build epoxy to
strengthen and protect the blank.