This week, whilst on the beach I have had a couple of anglers ask me about the rod rest I am using. To my knowledge there is nothing like it available on the market therefore it requires a little DIY but the basic component can be picked up surprisingly cheaply.

I have fixed a small clip to the centre pole, on here I hang a bucket half filled with water, this to make the entire item very stable even with two rods when fully extended. The supporting arms are handy for hanging a gaff, as I have here, or ready baited traces. The water is very useful for washing sand from the groves of break out sinkers ready to reset them. Of course this is also where to store the catch.



The best part about using the tripod rod rest is there is no need to crane your neck for the entire session looking at the rod tip, usually some five metres up. The body of this rod rest is a video photography camera tripod. These frequently pop up (no pun intended) on Trademe, as the seller wishes to keep the very expensive part the camera fixes to and pans on, the tripod legs do not fetch a lot of money.

It's easy to make and fix the part the rods lean on as the tripod will have a 10mm or 3/8th bolt thread protruding at the top, I used a piece of aluminium angle. Depending on the shape of the legs (they may not be round) it's also easy to make and fix the part for the cups and by using a wing nut to secure the cross piece, it can easily be removable.



Why use a video tripod? Well first it is heavier duty than those for a standard camera. However, here is the really clever part: as it's for taking videos, by cranking the small handle, the centre pole can be extended to give the rod tip a little more lift for a bigger surf. See below.



Finally, and this really is a huge bonus, if you have a small car like mine (a Suzuki Swift) this rod rest folds up really small, is very light and it's so easy to carry. Don't take my word for it ... look at this picture.