Rod Leash. Or Stop the Ooop’s
One of the first things I was told and soon understood was to make everything on your Yak “Ooops” proof (floatable or connected to the Yak). For smaller items like my braid scissors and small pliers I simply add a float, but make sure you test your choice of float to see that it does actually float with the weight of the accessory.
But when it comes to those bigger and more expensive items a Leash is the best option and these can range from a simple piece of cord tied to your rod and the other end to the Yak.
A lot of people like the coiled style Rod leashes you can buy and at around $30 -$40 and they are a good investment, but for me and the light rods I use these are just too heavy as I do have them connected to my rods the whole time I'm on the water.
So with no light weight rod/gear leashes available commercially necessity came into play and with some old phones laying around with there curly handset cables it didn't take too much thinking to see these were now going into my fishing gear. These were soon turned into leashes even before I had my Yak.
So with these still in service and the need of other bits and pieces to be connected to the yak and on a trip to the local Hardware store I spotted some 5m phone handset cables for the grand price of $2.95 each.
So now with a couple more leash bits and a few moments to spare a couple more leashes came into existence.
Parts list per leash:
- 1 x Phone handset cable
- 1 x Trigger snap clip or karabiner
- 1 x small clip (coastlock snap or similar)
- 1 x swivel
- 1 x small D shackle (optional)
- 250mm light cord
- Galvanised tie wire
- Heat shrink 6mm and 8mm
http://users.esc.net.au/~buff/image/Kayak_Stuff/Leash/Rod_Leash-Cable-001.jpg
http://users.esc.net.au/~buff/image/Kayak_Stuff/Leash/Rod_Leash-parts-002.jpg
http://users.esc.net.au/~buff/image/Kayak_Stuff/Leash/Rod_Leash-parts-005.jpg
First remove the plug connection from the handset cable.
http://users.esc.net.au/~buff/image/Kayak_Stuff/Leash/Rod_Leash-make-006.jpg
Place a piece of 8mm heat shrink down the cable.
http://users.esc.net.au/~buff/image/Kayak_Stuff/Leash/Rod_Leash-make-007.jpg
Thread the cable through the swivel folding the cable back. Take a length of tie wire about 150mm long and lay it along the loop, the end at the loop end now is wound back along the doubled cable and itself. While wrapping the wire have the cable pulled tight hence the screw driver in the swivel.
http://users.esc.net.au/~buff/image/Kayak_Stuff/Leash/Rod_Leash-make-008.jpg
Once a good amount of wraps of wire have been formed twist the ends to lock the wire in place.
http://users.esc.net.au/~buff/image/Kayak_Stuff/Leash/Rod_Leash-make-009.jpg
Fold the twisted ends down between the two parts of the cable and slide the heat shrink up over the lot and heat.
http://users.esc.net.au/~buff/image/Kayak_Stuff/Leash/Rod_Leash-make-010.jpg
http://users.esc.net.au/~buff/image/Kayak_Stuff/Leash/Rod_Leash-make-011.jpg
Do the same to the other end but this time do it around the Trigger snap clip or karabiner. I just formed a loop as I used a small D shackle to connect to the clip
http://users.esc.net.au/~buff/image/Kayak_Stuff/Leash/Rod_Leash-make-012.jpg
http://users.esc.net.au/~buff/image/Kayak_Stuff/Leash/Rod_Leash-make-013.jpg
At the swivel end I loop in the Cord (the cord I used is a braided type). Thread it through itself a few times as this will lock it so it want slip apart.
http://users.esc.net.au/~buff/image/Kayak_Stuff/Leash/Rod_Leash-make-014.jpg
Then thread the remaining tag end down the length of the main end and pull the whole lot tight.
http://users.esc.net.au/~buff/image/Kayak_Stuff/Leash/Rod_Leash-make-015.jpg
Slide on two lengths of 6mm heat shrink from the other end and do the same with the cord around the small clip then pull up the heat shrink to the ends and heat.
http://users.esc.net.au/~buff/image/Kayak_Stuff/Leash/Rod_Leash-make-016.jpg
Can’t remember the name of the small clip I used but I pinched it off an Easy Rig.
http://users.esc.net.au/~buff/image/Kayak_Stuff/Leash/Rod_Leash-parts-003.jpg
Finished leash
http://users.esc.net.au/~buff/image/Kayak_Stuff/Leash/Finished.jpg
Now for the connection to the rod. For this I used some double sided Velcro (Electrical cable tidy’s available from hardware store) and a size 9 solid ring
http://users.esc.net.au/~buff/image/Kayak_Stuff/Leash/Rod_Leash-Rod_end-001.jpg
Simply wrap the tie around the section of the rod you want the leash to connect too while feeding the Velcro strap through the ring.
Around the rear reel seat or if it’s a split rear grip around the blank section between the two.
http://users.esc.net.au/~buff/image/Kayak_Stuff/Leash/Rod_Leash-Rod_end-002.jpg
http://users.esc.net.au/~buff/image/Kayak_Stuff/Leash/Rod_Leash-Rod_end-003.jpg
Another option this time using 6mm wide Velcro (used by Data/Network cablers)
http://users.esc.net.au/~buff/image/Kayak_Stuff/Leash/Rod_Leash-Rod_end-004.jpg
Have passed the Velcro through some heat shrink to keep the ends down
http://users.esc.net.au/~buff/image/Kayak_Stuff/Leash/Rod_Leash-Rod_end-005.jpg
Then it’s simple to snap the leash to the rod and the other end to somewhere secure to the Yak.
http://users.esc.net.au/~buff/image/Kayak_Stuff/Leash/Connected.jpg
It always pays to keep an eye out for other things that might be altered for Yak use. While looking through a Sports Store that always seems to be having a 20% off sale I spotted a knee board leg rope for $12 that with a little work altering and sewing on some more Velcro was also turned into a Rod Leash.
http://users.esc.net.au/~buff/image/Kayak_Stuff/Leash/Rod_Leash-heavy.jpg
Hope this gives you a few ideas to stop the Ooop’s :)