WHEN it comes to choosing pole rollers, one size most definitely doesn’t fit all. A lot of thought needs to go into the design you need to match the banks of the places that you fish.
For general shipping, a flatbed roller is the first choice. They present a nice wide target to push your pole across, and are pretty good in the wind, too. The difficult decision is when it comes to height – 50cm to 70cm is normally about right for a flat bank. You can ship back comfortably without stooping down and hurting your back, while also keeping the pole-tip low to the water to prevent tangles or lost fish. If you’re sat particularly high off the water, there are obstacles behind you or the bank drops away, you might need a much taller roller of 120cm to 150cm. Faced with a steep bank behind you, you will need a much lower roller of 30cm or less.
If fishing both short and long lines, or on a peg where it’s not possible to push a whole pole back, breaking the pole down twice to double ship on to a dual roller is the answer.
On narrow canals you are often high off the water and could have a hedge to ship over. This requires quite a tall pole roller, but with a small footprint so it doesn’t block the towpath. It’s here that V rollers come into their own, but beware – some designs are unsteady in the wind and poles can blow off them and break!
The best pole rollers
www.prestoninnovations.co.uk
Description
Contoured EVA rollers offer double shipping capability without the central uprights, which can get in the way. The telescopic legs can be unclipped, revealing mini 16cm legs inside for when you need to keep the roller low. Fixed uprights and a bucket hook complete this pair of compact, lightweight, yet very stable rollers.
www.fishmatrix.co.uk
Description
A V roller with all the extras, each of the four legs is double telescopic and can be angled and locked independently.
These legs offer greater stability than a standard tripod, and foldable uprights at the top can be angled to prevent your pole blowing out. Leg extensions are available, should you need even more height.
www.rive-fishing.com
Description
A commonly-found roller on prestige matches when wind can be a real problem. The stability and protection they offer expensive poles is unrivalled, but they are both big and heavy. The upright can be rotated out of the way for when double shipping is not required.
www.prestoninnovations.com
Description
A new compact roller, based on the lightweight Competition Pro design but with a few notable improvements. Silent bearings make for a smooth ship, while uprights are fixed and angled to prevent poles being blown out. Each has telescopic legs, spirit levels and hooks for weighting down. All three are exceptionally lightweight.
mapfishing.co.uk
Description
An ingenious roller with a removable and prepositional upright for double shipping and removable legs. Supplied are four stubby 20cm-26cm legs and four standard 44cm-100cm legs.
Available separately as a pair for under £30 are sets of 90cm to 165cm legs, giving the roller a possible total height of a whopping 180cm! The extruded EVA foam rollers run true, meaning zero wobble and little chance of spillage when potting.
www.daiwasports.co.uk
Description
An updated version of a classic – bigger, stronger, with extra padding. The double roller spreads the loading of the section and tilts as you ship, reducing strain on sections and the likelihood of pole breakage.
www.garbolinouk.co.uk
Description
Garbolino produces some great premium rollers, but we are really fond of this superb little EVA foam roller with its ideal span and telescopic legs. A pegging hook is included.
www.prestoninnovations.com
Description
A light, compact roller with huge double telescopic legs. A central flat area has two rollers to allow for double shipping. A carabiner hook at the base allows it to be weighted down in the wind, while Roller Stops are available separately to stop your pole blowing out.