Good morning, Carl~

I have been following this thread with great interest. Many of the posts include unsettling and tragic tales. Nevertheless, it was your post that really sent a chill down my spine.....

"just a 4' piece of 1"x1" with a 1/2" piece of dowel sticking out of each side on the end."

???

No Turks Head? No hand-crafted fitting? Not even a broom handle instead of a "stick" ??? I could not help but wonder if you are just trying to drive me and my OCD right around the bend....




More seriously, such a pickup stick is a very important piece of gear - and certainly adds to overall safety. I made mine at least 30 years ago. It is about 42 inches long. The "fitting" is very simple to prevent tangles - but is still 2-sided. When I am picking up the rig by boat - and sometimes under power - I can have one hand for the pickup stick and one hand for the boat - usually on the coaming. Just like when painting on a ladder - I NEVER reach.

All the best,

SJS




Steven Jay Sanford
Pencil Brook Farm
South Cambridge, NY
http://www.stevenjaysanford.com