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Adam, if you have a split backstay, installing the pole becomes a bit harder. But for a single backstay...you can either have the pole sitting in a "cup" (i.e. a piece of PVC pipe a foot tall) and the top end inserted in another piece of pipe with no top on it. Then all you need to do is lift the pole up out of the cup, and pull it back down (out of the top) letting it fall past the transom.
The idea is that the "cup" on the bottom holds it securely enough to keep it in place even when you are bouncing around or take water over the transom.
The other way to do this is to just use a top cover (which keeps the flag stowed) and let the bottom end of the pole just hang in space, free to fall. And, you add one fastpin somewhere in the middle, to pin the pole to a mount on the backstay or pushpit. Pull the pin, and the pole falls down all by itself. Very very slightly faster deployment.
Some boats (purpose built racers usually) have kept the poles stowed in an "aft torpedo tube", which is nice if you're having the transom refinished. You cut a 4"-6" hole in the transom, install a long PVC pipe inside, secure it all and finish it off. Then the pole is stowed inside the tube and pulled out by a leash, when and if needed. No windage aloft, out of sight out of mind, but a way more expensive project.
If you only will need the pole once in a while, you can always just lash it to the rail with some slip knots or rubber bands, and cut or break them if you need to deploy it. Cutting is easy, you DO always have a small sharp knife on your belt, right?
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