After years of trying to adapt various bike handlebar mounts to hold a torch for fishing after dark I finally discovered the tripod torch kit from NiteTide.
The standard kit directly fits the Ian Golds and Shakespeare Salt tripods with an adapter available for other tripods such as those from Icon and Imax.
The NiteTide tripod torch kit is delivered in a branded, padded carry case containing the adjustable mount, rechargeable torch, battery and USB C charging cable.
The Ball-Head Mount
The compact, well engineered adjustable ball-head mount threads directly onto the existing M5 screw on the head of my Ian Golds tripod, taking only seconds to attach with the notch in the head facing towards the rod tip.
The torch then clips into the attached plastic bracket where it can be easily adjusted to point to the rod tips using the large, knurled knob on the ball-head. The knob is large enough to be adjusted wearing gloves.
The Torch
The aluminium torch appears to be robust and although I have not used it for extended period to date the charge has remained illuminated for a period of five hours in high mode, and it takes a similar time to recharge the 18650A battery. The first click of the button on the head of the torch gives the high power mode, clicking a second time selects a lower power with extended battery life and a double click switches to a strobe mode.
The battery is recharged by directly plugging the USB C cable into the connection on the underside of the torch. There is no need for the removal of the battery or separate charger.
The torch I received would not switch off after use but an email to Jason at NiteTide saw a replacement at my door a couple of days later.
The kit is easy to maintain and requires only the occasional cleaning of the ball-head mount to remove any saltwater and prevent corrosion of the alloy.
The excellent tripod torch kit is an excellent solution to the issue of night time illumination of rod tips and makes spotting the bites simple without having to constantly turn off and on a headlamp, and doesn’t blind other anglers.
The torch kit retails at £38.99 and together with all of the NiteTide accessories is available direct on their website.
Other Accessories
NiteTide have several other rod rest and tackle box accessories and I have been making use of the rig clips which clip onto the Ian Golds legs. These provide secure storage for spare rigs with swivels, clips or loops at their top ends.
I also have a clip on side rest for when I want to have to rod low while twitching a bait back for flatties.
