My uncle swore by using a coat hanger for fishing lines, I learned the hard way
My uncle, a guy who did cable back in the 90s, always told me to keep a straightened metal coat hanger in my truck. He said it was the best tool for fishing lines through tight spaces in old walls. Last month, I was on a job in a 1920s house in Springfield, trying to get a line from the attic down to a first floor outlet. The path was a mess of old plaster and blocking. I used the hanger trick, and it got stuck, good. Spent over an hour trying to wiggle it free before it snapped off inside the wall. Had to cut a small access hole to get it out, which the homeowner was not happy about. I should have just used my fiberglass rods from the start. Anyone have a better method for those really tricky, old plaster lathe walls that doesn't risk leaving tools in the cavity?