Pole's forename, familiarly? (3)
I believe the answer is:
rod
'pole's' is the definition.
(synonyms)
I don't understand the remainder of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for rod that I've seen before include "Fishing implement" , "Stick, symbol of punishment" , "The fly fisherman's stick" , "Spare it and spoil the child, they used to say" , "Measurement" .)