Make Your Own Leashes
Having no particular desire to lose my favourite fishing rod while trolling or during launchings or landings, I made a couple of leashes to tether my rods and other equipment to my kayak.
| Materials | ||
|---|---|---|
| Elastic Shock Cord aka "Bungee" Cord (4 to 6mm) |
1 x 30cm | Available by the metre from most hardware stores. |
| Venetian Blind Cord (3mm) |
2 x 30cm | As above. |
| Heatshrink Tubing (9 to 12.7mm) |
2 x 5cm | Get this from you local electronics hobby shop (eg Jaycar, Dick Smith's, etc.). It is sold in 1.2m lengths, or sometimes in packets of short lengths. Red, green, blue, yellow, or black if colour coordination is your thing! |
Cut the venetian cord in to two equal lengths. Tie each length into a loop with a simple overhand knot.
Double over the end of the bungee cord and attach one of the venetian cord loops by passing it three times through the loop formed at the end of the bungee cord. Attach the remaining loop to the other end of the bungee cord.
For fishing rods, gaffs, nets, etc. springclips are easier to undo quickly.
Cut 5cm of heatshrink tubing and slide it over the knot. Use a match or a lighter to heat the tubing (take care not to melt the cord). Repeat with the other end.
One end attaches to a tie-down point on your kayak. The other end uses a large swivel or a spring-clip (from the hardware store) to attach to the equipment you want to tether.
