Distance sticks: The game changer
Whilst additional features may imply a more advanced, functional product, sometimes simplicity is best, and that’s why the original Distance Stick from Cygnet is still the market leader…
Laying down some dosh for a set of distance sticks (or marker sticks as they’re also known) isn’t actually as easy as you’d first think. Nowadays the choice is huge. Do you opt for ones with bent ends? Grooves in the poles? Caps on the top? To get an answer you need to go right back to 2013, when Cygnet Tackle launched the first ever Distance Stick…
A bit of history
Pre-Cygnet launching their Distance Sticks, the idea of ‘wrapping’ wasn’t a new one; however, a tool dedicated for the job was – until the masters of black aluminium came up with the concept of a perfectly smooth stick that your line could be wrapped round and removed from unhindered. We have all been there: using a bankstick when wrapping and having the line catch on thumbscrews and other sticky-out bits. Not only is this annoying but it also means you slacken off whilst untangling yourself and this can lead to loops of line overlapping and inconsistency of line going back onto the spool – which is what you want to avoid at all costs. Also, when removing line after wrapping, if you have something at the top of your stick it takes forever as you have to physically move the rod tip around each stick, making sure your line has cleared the obstacle.
Cygnet’s Distance Sticks are available in two lengths: Standard and XL
The solution...
The brief for the Distance Stick was simple: a smooth sided, lightweight pair of sticks which would allow easy, tangle-free wrapping of line and then fast removal afterwards. As long as you make sure that your distance sticks are in straight or splayed slightly outwards, there is zero chance of your line coming off them prematurely. And as Cygnet Tackle Brand Manager John Walker says, “You really don’t need any domes, bits of foam or bent ends to hinder your line coming off; that’s exactly what we were trying to avoid in the first place!”
The O-Rings and cord ensure you get the distance set correctly
The product
Cygnet Tackle never fails to deliver a functional product which also looks darn tasty in the brand’s signature matt black paintwork. The Distance Sticks, which are available in Standard and XL, prove that point perfectly. They offer you a smooth, flawless finish, with none of the nasties you’d find on a bankstick (i.e. thumbscrews) and as a result you can make short work of ensuring you’re extremely accurate. They come supplied in a carry case and a 12ft cord to help you set the sticks at the right distance apart.
“GIMME”: £12.99 and £18.99; cygnettackle.co.uk