Idlebacks.

[Wanderer]

Whilst sorting through some old tackle (old bank sticks and rod rests) I remembered that in Yorkshire, when I was a boy, in the 60s and early70s, rodrests, were commonly referred to as Idlebacks.

I have not heard anyone call them Idlebacks for years and I wonder if this term is still in use.

Or in other words - Do any other Traditional Anglers call rodrests, Idlebacks ? Or was it, (just like Billy Casper) a " Yorkshire thing" ?

[Duebel]

I'm not from Yorkshire, obviously, but we use a similar word for rod rests in northern Bavaria. "Faulenzer" is a person, who's very idle and also the Frankonian word for rod rest.

[Santiago]

I'm from Yorkshire and have never heard them called that before. Must be a regional term. Not used in York anyways.

[Wanderer]

I'm from Yorkshire and have never heard them called that before. Must be a regional term. Not used in York anyways.

" Not used in York anyways."

It was when me and my mates were fishing there.....

[Andyman]

Definitely a term used in Sheffield 50's and 60's.
Not heard it for some time though.

[Santiago]

I'm from Yorkshire and have never heard them called that before. Must be a regional term. Not used in York anyways.

" Not used in York anyways."

It was when me and my mates were fishing there.....

Whereabouts in York did you fish?

[Wanderer]

We fished in a number of places.
In the middle of the city on the ouse.Also, I liked fishing on the grass field swims, just above Scarborough bridge.
In winter I had some nice Roach, fishing in the slack water, below the overhanging willows, when the river was in flood.

Also happy memories of fishing the Foss just above Foss bridge, in swims accessed via a path at the side of what was either a sorting office or Post office Telephones.

Happy days.

[Santiago]

I use to fish the Ouse further up at the bottom of Clifton bridge, and sometimes up at the Poppleton stretch. Only fished the Foss a few times near Rowntrees. My neighbour was a well respected match angler that caught the record brown trout for the Ouse, I suspect that was in the late sixties.