OVER THE years I’ve learnt there is a lot of satisfaction to be had from making something that does its job really well.

I used to have a problem with beach rod holders made from straight pieces of pipe. If the sand was a bit solid the pipes were hard to push in, and when the sand was packed hard inside the pipe it wasn’t easy to get it out.

Most tools that we need to push into the ground have a place to put your foot, such as a garden fork or shovel. I figured a rod holder based on the same principle could work the same way.

From this theory I have come up with a simple and cheap design for a beach rod holder that is easy to make and easy to use. All that’s required is a few basic tools, a length of 10mm threaded booker rod, a scrap length of 40mm or 50mm rigid conduit (the 40mm conduit fits the small rod butts and the 50mm fits the larger ones).

Dump bins around building sites are usually a good place to find a few pieces of rigid conduit, and the threaded booker rod and nuts to suit are available at hardware stores. The reason I have cut out a section of the pipe that goes in the sand is to make it easy to push in. It also makes it a lot easier to remove the sand from inside the pipe when the fishing is done for the day.

From here on I will let the pictures tell the story. I truly feel that any invention which makes life easier for us hard-working anglers has got to be a bonus.

[CAPTIONS]

1. Cut a hole in the conduit about 35-40cm from the end that goes in the sand, using a hole cutter or a drill and round file.

2. The section to be removed should be no more than a quarter of the diameter of the pipe. Mark out the section from the lower section of the pipe, using a straight edge and a marker pen.

3. Cut the end off the pipe at about a 45-degree angle.

4. Using a jigsaw or a small circular saw cut out the section you’ve marked out. If you’re using a jigsaw, shorten the blade by simply holding with two pairs of pliers and snapping it off to the right length for the job.

5. Sharpen the bottom bevel cut using a round file. Don’t overdo it – just a good bevel edge will do.

6. Measure from the top of the pipe to where you want the foot rests and then drill from either side to ensure the footrest comes out square.

7. If you like you can opt to fit a piece of alloy tube to the foot rest. This makes it a bit nicer on your bare feet than the threaded rod.

8. The finished product.

9. The rod holders in action. The 40mm on the left for the smaller rod butts, and the 50mm on the right for the larger beach rods.

10. The tools required are fairly basic and can be found in your average workshop.