The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

This fearful contraption was donated to me by a kind benefactor who knows my fascination with piscatorial oddities - and an oddity it most certainly is!!

I'm led to believe it emanates from at least the early 1970s, although I suspect it may be older.

Vaunted as a combined bite indicator and self-striking device, it is perhaps the most lethal gadget I have ever seen.

I have not dared to mount it on a rod or attempt to set it up. Even in it's badly perished state, the rubber tensioner still packs an alarmingly powerful punch!

I seriously doubt whether anyone foolish enough to have purchased 'Frank's Sure-Striker' could possibly have used it and ended the day with a full compliment of front teeth!!

You can still buy similar weapons made by various far eastern manufacturers.

I kinda feel that, suitably reinforced, one might catapult a 'self hooked' carp horizontally towards the rod and at the last minute simply hold up the landing net. In fact, one might build a landing net arm to the rear rod-rest, then with a small micro-controller and a few simple actuators, the casting distance can be measured. The resulting flight time of the airborne whacker could be utilized to time the net deployment.

Now, the thinking angler has plenty of free leisure time between trophy shots and none of the annoying 'playing and netting' to interrupt it.

And folks moan about the modern self-hooking rigs. At least they don't come with a catching glove

It's funny but, throughout history, anglers have been designing methods to allow them less time fishing and more time allowing the tackle to do the fun things for them. I guess it's all part of the human makeup and we must all find our own level.

Angling is littered down the years with gadgets and devices more akin to trapping than fishing. Fortunately mostly consigned to history as conversational curios.

Auto-striking floats seem to be a recurring theme: