[solo rigging] Is there any reason you can't/shouldn't be setting a Fishing Pole setup, that feeds the rope back to the canopy/climber?

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arborjunky
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Has been on my mind a bit lately, to be clear of the configuration I'm referring to:
Fishing Pole technique where rope is routed down the trunk, putting forces more in-line with the trunk, but adapted in a way where the rope runs back up to the climber through another set of anchors on the other side of the trunk after it's gone through the basal anchor (instead of going to a person on the ground, as per usual)

Can't think of any way to 'fault' the idea, but have been hesitant to try it so figured to bring it up. If I"m solo rigging pieces from the canopy, I'm using really short sections of my bullrope when this would add a lot of rope-in-system (and that rope would go through ringed anchors which should make things even smoother for me, in the canopy)

Thanks for any thoughts on this! I figure that I just need 4 or 5x the length of my drops to do this, and for context my usual use-case isn't trying to quickly catch something, more often it's just to ensure that I can bomb/directional-fell something and that it stays where it should instead of rolling/flipping/etc. Have been 'getting into' cut-types (and wedges oh man don't know how I went so long under-utilizing them!!) more lately and it's allowed me to take bigger pieces and just having the rope 'as backup' so I can slow something as it's hitting the ground (and pull force from it if it tries rolling/flipping) but it's usually me grabbing at the tail of rope that goes-into the sole anchor(safebloc, sometimes safebloc + ringed anchor) and sometimes around a branch but that's usually in a fashion of keeping the rope's angle good/accessible/safe for myself (ie I wouldn't say I'm natural-crotch-rigging when I do it, it's typically just for rope-placement as I've gotten enough ropeburn to be wary lol)

Would love if I had all that extra rope in the system (and of course made use of the fishing pole physics), cannot fault this idea of running my line down from the safebloc to the basal position and then back up to myself where I'd have some "personal final anchor" that I could place in a spot that's good for me to grab from, obviously being wary of the rope angles always -- am not ignorant of staying outside my rigging but always trying to learn more hence this thread :p ) Have bullropes long enough to do it, and the anchorage, just hesitant to try something I've never seen someone do..
 
Actually this would/should apply to 'regular rigging' as well, I was thinking Fishing Pole because of a project I've got 'paused' right now where I'd be utilizing it for this purpose, but even on a nearly vertical setup if you were solo rigging something the logic would still apply IE you're adding a trunk's height (2x, actually) of rope to the system and putting the trunk into compression in the system, seems win/win when compared to any 1-person rope control where you're just grabbing the leg of rope right near where it's exiting the system!
 
Would love if I had all that extra rope in the system (and of course made use of the fishing pole physics), cannot fault this idea of running my line down from the safebloc to the basal position and then back up to myself where I'd have some "personal final anchor" that I could place in a spot that's good for me to grab from

If I have understood you correctly, I see one main problem: how do you plan to unhook the wood when it is on the ground?

Just to qualify, I don't have much exposure to rigging alone. The only solo rigging I've ever (briefly) done was like Reg shows:

my usual use-case isn't trying to quickly catch something, more often it's just to ensure that I can bomb/directional-fell something and that it stays where it should instead of rolling/flipping/etc.

For this purpose, have you considered something along the lines of a vertical speedline?
 
If I have understood you correctly, I see one main problem: how do you plan to unhook the wood when it is on the ground?

Just to qualify, I don't have much exposure to rigging alone. The only solo rigging I've ever (briefly) done was like Reg shows:



For this purpose, have you considered something along the lines of a vertical speedline?
LOVE Reg he was the 1st youtuber I ever watched every.last.video from!

Once on-ground......how does anything get un-hooked, if you don't have someone on the ground? I have to come down (if the neighbor isn't home, although he almost always is and would likely be here, but for the rigging involved I'll need to come down to setup for the next piece anyways)

A modified VSL was the first choice, using a slackened VSL (with that neighbor throwing tension into it) but when I took the top I weakened the trunk pretty bad so now I'm afraid to rig from it (by 'modified' I mean the VSL would've gone from the base of my tree, to the top/terminal rig anchor, and then over to another Oak's base like 8' away, couldn't do a true VSL because this log has to clear a fence, or I have to rebuild that fence :p )

I'm going to attach a "rig line" to it but it'll just be to influence spin, the actual rigging is now gonna be "deadman tethers" with 5/8 bullrope to two adjacent trees (my concern isn't really the fence, only real concern is not having the piece bounce out of control when it hits, will be taking a rather large section for the area it's being dropped and bounce could be disastrous actually here's a pic if you look like 1/3rd down the tree you can see an oversized branch-collar I left as a 'step', will basically be positioned at that height when I take what's above it:
newes.jpgnewess.jpg
[that 'step' is around 50% picture-height in the 1st thumbnail, and is about 75% pic-height (and clearly jutting-out to the left of the trunk) in the 2nd thumbnail. Will be stationing there[spurs, flipline and TreeSqueeze with my climbline, probably also a foot-stirrup sling because I avoid spur cutting whenever I can get away w/ it :p ] and trying to drop that top over the fence (about a 4' horizontal distance to travel, while it's falling nearer 15'.....I'll have a "deadman's tether"[don't know name...fixed-length rope!] going to the right and left of the piece so when it falls it's 'pinned', the dropzone for where I'm notching is OK I just can't allow roll....the top hitting ground and 'pushing' its butt back through the fence is most likely way things can 'go wrong' but since I can't comfortably do hard rigging off the tree (a VSL that goes at an angle would need a really reliable top point anchor!) it's really only way I can think of to get them down w/o risking them running away, actually will probably do a 3rd "deadman's line" tethered to a mid/lower section of the trunk itself) ]

If I'm lucky the neighbor will be home, as I'd love to have a tagline on that top-left limb above the union, so that - mid-flight - someone could tug it into a lateral spin (to make it so the butt isn't facing back into that fence anymore!)
 
[should note that, yes, I'm very aware of the lean and angles on this guy and, no, I'm not fighting them it is to be dropped dead in-line with its lean until we're below 15', then we're pulling it into the yard it grows from]

[[added: wanna be clear that the rigging here is in no way slowing descent of the logs, hell I kinda need them flying unencumbered if I'm to have any chance of them clearing the fencing, honestly I'd be setting my notches really high angles and as deep-as-safe[considering the lean] to promote 'hop' of the log off the trunk but, as mentioned, after taking the top I now feel enough wobble when I'm in that fork that I don't trust the trunk anymore so cannot rig-from the trunk as anything 'primary', may put control line from the trunk so I can induce "lateral spin" to prevent it kicking-back into the fence when it lands but the real security of the system is set from 2 ropes, each from adjacent trees, that only really take effect once the piece hits the ground, ropes are 3.5% elasticity and, combined, have 16k MBS, so if the piece hits the ground and hops it'll buck those two adjacent trees, maybe shock-load the hell out of the ropes on it, but not fail the trunk it was on/that I'm on!]]
 
Wow, that'll be impressive!
It sounds like you've thought it through pretty well to me, but it also sounds like you're above my skill level.. :laugh:
It would've been.....*would've* :p Wasn't able to aim the piece at all really because real early into the face-cut my bar got pinched and I had to descend / get my 10" saw / get back up and cut-out my 355t! Thankfully the saw didn't take much abuse during this!! Was surprising, I mean I know that pinching is expected when cutting-into the compressed side of a leaning piece but I was expecting it, had wedges with me, it just happened so early-on in the cut I couldn't do anything :/
20201105_170157.jpg
 
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