Making Sprat Mounts

As there has been more success to trolling sprats over the last few years, people have asked me again how to make the mounts, as the effort I had gone to regarding cutting spinning vanes and twisting stainless steel into a spike was too much trouble.

So for anyone still interested, here’s how I’m making my mounts now, and all the components can be easily bought from the Glasgow Angling Centre, or I would expect, any other tackle shop.

Allcock’s make a dead bait spinner for pike angling which is ideal.

I would recommend removing the existing hooks though and making your own trace for two reasons. Firstly, three trebles are too many, and I feel that the hooks supplied on the mount are not as strong as I would like. Spring salmon on the Loch are hard to come by, and to lose one due to inferior hooks is inexcusable. I feel that if I can squeeze the points of a treble hook together using only finger pressure, then a salmon would have no trouble at all in straightening them. Cut off the hooks and discard, then using trace wire and hooks you have confidence with, make your own.

In the GAC, there were two types of trace wire for sale, I bought both and have successfully rigged up mounts with them, but on reflection prefer the braided trace wire, as it is slightly easier to work with, though the choice is yours. Cutting a length of wire more than double the length you want the trace to be, attach the first treble hook and begin to twist the wire.

Continue twisting the wire, and at a distance you prefer (I find about 2 inches) join in the second treble and continue twisting the wire until a single strand is made.

The single strand should be longer than the length you want the trace to eventually be. In order to get the correct length, place the trace by the mount, and mark where you want the trace to join the mount, then put a crimping ferrule over the trace, and twist the excess back on itself.

Crimp the loose ends together and the mount is finished. At this point, a barrel lead of appropriate weight can be pushed onto the spike and crimped in place if you want additional weight, alternatively leave the mount as it is and place some weight on the fishing line – the choice is yours.

Making mounts in this manner, you can adjust the length of the trace appropriate to the size of sprats you want to fish.

Best of Luck.

Euan McGrandle