• You need to be a registered member of Barbel Fishing World to post on these forums. Some of the forums are hidden from non-members. Please refer to the instructions on the ‘Register’ page for details of how to join the new incarnation of BFW...

If you....

All of my tackle is from the turn of the century (Love that phrase) So it would be hard to choose any one of the single items I've had for a long while. But if I had to choose one, it would be my Daiwa Tournament 710 pole. Worthless nowadays, but cost over £5K when I bought it.
 
As a heathen that (generally) uses the same rod for both waggler or stick float fishing (Drennan Tench & Specimen Float/13ft), just a question on your terminology : When you say "trotting" you appear to be referring to exclusively using a stick float, as opposed to a stick or waggler. True? The only difference I know in what are said to be waggler rods as opposed to stick rod rods is/was (historically) "stick float rods" had spliced tips.
When I use the term trotting, I mean using a top and bottom float. Whilst stick floats qualify, I rarely use them. I tend to fish fast, shallow Dales rivers where sensitive, light floats and fancy shotting patterns associated with them, are largely pointless. You may be able to allow a waggler to travel downstream with the flow, but it's not trotting as I use the term.

The main difference in the way I fish wagglers and top and bottom floats, and hence the rods I use, is in the strike. I will use a much more full blooded sweep when fishing a waggler. However, with a top and bottom float, where a much more direct contact with the float is maintained, my strike is closer to a roll and flick of the wrist. For that I prefer a faster actioned rod and still view spliced tips as the best way of achieving that whilst maintaining some level of finesse. My preference in a waggler rod is for a more progressive action.
 
the 13 foot hollow tip match rod of today tends to be quite generic and offers a compromise to both still and running water fishing.
I won’t say stick and waggler as both floats are good in the right scenario on rivers especially.
and a fast tip is definitely an advantage to both float types on running water with a long trot.

I think it’s only when you get something of a useful length they cater for running water better and that goes for hollow tips too
Not just in length but action also.
Fast action tips can be achieved with a hollow tip and can make a rod particularly nicer for hitting fast bites a long way down when line isn’t at a perfect tension between rod and float which is more important on rivers than stills

Spliced went away for a while while everyone was making hollow tip long river rods and they were good tbf but imo it didn’t matter how good they were, they weren’t quite as good as a spliced solid carbon tip for both speed and recovery.

I have 15ft fast hollow tip rods that imo are dedicated river rods. No question about that they are fast tips with a through action that only comes into play with something decent on.
They are not going to be as fast as a spliced tip but they are river rods imo due to the length and action.

In the past spliced tips were always associated with “bits” type rods. Very fine tackle and very underpowered fishing rods mostly. I have a few and a 4lb chub is all I’d ever want to go to on them maximum. It was probably believed that there was no advantage to using them for big fish. Well I disagree but even so. The rod should be capable because…. Just incase.
 
Another give away to whether a rod has been thought about regarding running water is the guides
The stand off from the blank.
 
What blank was the BFW i-Power built on?
 
Love my barbel seeker as well. Currently paired with a ss2600 and a pin. Still searching for ss1000 in good condition.
There's 2 ss750s on facebook
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot_20220724-221022.png
    Screenshot_20220724-221022.png
    686.4 KB · Views: 111
I was very lucky with my 850’s. Found an immaculate pair for a great price then a week later found a mint pair of extra spools with the original reducers.
 
I think if push came to shove, then the one rod I would grab would be an 11ft Chimera Avon 1.5lb TC rod. I've had carp to 19lb floater fishing with it so it will handle most barbel likely to come my way, and it is soft enough in the tip to make fishing for chub, perch and crucians fun. Superb small water tench rod. Very similar to 1.25 TC Chimera avon but a touch more power in the middle and butt section. And a nice short handle which doesn't have 6" of wasted rod length sticking out behind my elbow. Bought second hand for £60 - it's a cracker. And the abbreviated duplon handle is even growing on me...
 
Back
Top