Butt swingers

[Marc]

Tee hee.

This forum and angling is a strange old thing from time to time, when a man you've never met sends you 'butt swingers' through the post and my better half reads the letter accompanying them, I should imagine to the uninitiated it may seem quite odd.

Anyway, the very kind Mr PaulD did this very thing and they have arrived. My question, and to a certain extent Pauls, is how do you fish with them and where on the rod do you attach them?

As you can see from the image the clips seem far too small to go around the butt section of a rod, where I'd naturally think of putting one, so has anyone got the foggiest?

[Marc]

Here's the full 'swingers' for clarification.

[Harry H]

They fit on to the butt rod rest then clip them on the line and fish with them hanging down and they will lift to indicate a bite,I think

[Nigel Rainton]

Harry,

I think not, they are supposed to clip on the rod above the butt ring, I.e. Between the 1St and 2nd rings. They don't work very well and are prone to tangling. A solution looking for a problem :-)

[Olly]

They are "reverse" ones! The line goes through the tip ring which is facing towards you not away from you - like modern carp "Swingers".
Or change the size of the clips! I do note that the end ring on the swinger opens to allow you to remove the indicator without having to re-thread your line thru' the rod rings.

[Marc]

See, my first thought was they attach to a rest, however the line will then be attached to the rest and I get enough tangles with the wonder that is monofilament. As Olly points out they clip onto the line with a jewellery type clasp. They are intended for bite indication and they are old enough to be from the era of cane and fibreglass, so there must be a rod or position on the rod that they attach.

[Reedling]

Mine have 'A Maison Bois bite indicator Pat Pend' impressed into the stem but the clip that fits on the rod looks larger on mine. Here is a link to my one placed on a rod of mine, it is fitted near the butt for show.

viewtopic.php?t=18039

[Olly]

They are dont worry about that! The indicator was designed about the time glass was starting to be used - I think.

The clips - I always forget the actual name - are available in a variety of sizes. Just found it "Terry Clips".

Remember that you can attach it anywhere the clip will fit on the rod - between the butt & first ring as previously stated or higher up. It is not designed to fit between the reel and the butt ring. The way the bail arm rotates makes that impracticable!

I have found The "Instantell" bite indicator, which is identical to a Fox Swinger, in the 1965 Allcocks Catalogue. Item B220. This however was designed to be attached to a rod rest and unclips as you strike.

[Marc]

Mine have 'A Maison Bois bite indicator Pat Pend' impressed into the stem but the clip that fits on the rod looks larger on mine. Here is a link to my one placed on a rod of mine, it is fitted near the butt for show.

viewtopic.php?t=18039

These also have that impressed onto them I have one of these, which I believe is the same principle, but without being able to unclip the line.

[Olly]

This is a "backbiter". Looks home made. There are plenty of clips to put on the end from Kirby Grips to tailor made adjustable ones for carpers. Something that needs to be done before you can use it.

It is used mainly for piking with an open bail arm and is attached to the back rod rest with the clip next to the spool.