New Normark Rods

[Ian Woods]

It's a no-brainer to me, first of all, both 13ft avenger and acolyte specimens weigh 170g, so the biggest advantage of acolytes over other float rods is gone. Second, the avenger has a faster tip, which I like a lot. Third, the avenger has a better action and fish playing feel. As I said, the new Avenger has similar action to the 2000, but slightly more powerful. It keeps bending, but you never feel like you're out of control. The acolyte feels wobbly when under pressure; it's common on high modulus carbon blanks, crisp but lacks flexibility. But that's what puts rods like Avenger, sphere, and Daiwa Tournament apart from acolyte, and why they cost more.

I was a big fan of normark rods both the 2000s and the 3000s and had the majority of the models shortly after their release way back when.
For me the 3000s were better than the 2000s and unlike the 2000s the 3000s felt good with the 2ft extension in place and fished at 15ft.
When I got my hands on the first range of mkIIs which were all 13ft I sold all the 2000 and 3000 rods because the mkIIs felt better to me, as advertised....slimmer lighter and more powerful with better guides.
The tips on the mkIIs were much less fragile also, although I never had a 2000 or 3000 tip break in use.

So, if the latest avenger is only slightly more powerful than the 2000 avenger I think it would be pointless me buying one. Going off that I can't figure how the new avenger would be more powerful than a speci accy rod either since the speci accy rod is way more powerful than the 2000 avenger?
I'm a little confused how the new avenger can have a faster action than a specimen acolyte when i've been told it has a softer mid section?

 

[Richard Isaacs]

I was a big fan of normark rods both the 2000s and the 3000s and had the majority of the models shortly after their release way back when.
For me the 3000s were better than the 2000s and unlike the 2000s the 3000s felt good with the 2ft extension in place and fished at 15ft.
When I got my hands on the first range of mkIIs which were all 13ft I sold all the 2000 and 3000 rods because the mkIIs felt better to me, as advertised....slimmer lighter and more powerful with better guides.
The tips on the mkIIs were much less fragile also, although I never had a 2000 or 3000 tip break in use.

So, if the latest avenger is only slightly more powerful than the 2000 avenger I think it would be pointless me buying one. Going off that I can't figure how the new avenger would be more powerful than a speci accy rod either since the speci accy rod is way more powerful than the 2000 avenger?
I'm a little confused how the new avenger can have a faster action than a specimen acolyte when i've been told it has a softer mid section?

I know for your specific type of fishing, the amount of power or stiffness in a float rod determines pretty much everything but it’s not the case for other people particularly if fishing for other things on other venues.

I personally don’t see a stiffer float rod to always be a better one. Sometimes it is but
in the right situation I love a microlight. Most of the float rods i actually use regularly are what I call stepped up or 4-6 rods as they suit 80% of my trotting better than the real powerhouses or lighter actioned silvers rod

Huanzhou might not need the rod to be diamond stiff to prefer it.

 

[Ian Woods]

I know for your specific type of fishing, the amount of power or stiffness in a float rod determines pretty much everything but it’s not the case for other people particularly if fishing for other things on other venues.

I personally don’t see a stiffer float rod to always be a better one. Sometimes it is but
in the right situation I love a microlight. Most of the float rods i actually use regularly are what I call stepped up or 4-6 rods as they suit 80% of my trotting better than the real powerhouses or lighter actioned silvers rod

Huanzhou might not need the rod to be diamond stiff to prefer it.

Hey, HZ likes what he likes, good luck to him and it's good he's got a rod he likes.

I don't think power and stiffness are quite the same, you can still have a weaker rod with a stiff blank and fast action. A friend of mine has some very nice examples from Rive.
As far as i'm aware and have always been led to believe a softer mid section (waggler rod) is usually associated with still water fishing whatever power the rod posesses.

 

[Huanzhou Zhu]

Hey, HZ likes what he likes, good luck to him and it's good he's got a rod he likes.

I don't think power and stiffness are quite the same, you can still have a weaker rod with a stiff blank and fast action. A friend of mine has some very nice examples from Rive.
As far as i'm aware and have always been led to believe a softer mid section (waggler rod) is usually associated with still water fishing whatever power the rod posesses.

The thing is, the avenger doesn’t have a soft mid section, at least I wouldn’t call it soft. It is definitely stiffer than the 2000 and the original, not sure about the 3000 and mk2 as I never handled them. I said slightly powerful than the 2000, because the rod has a fine tip and progress action, I feel there’s a lot of power in mid to lower sections but haven’t caught anything big enough to test it.

It is a rod designed with river fishing in mind, not like a waggler rod at all.

 

[Alec Hague]

What’s the reason Huanzhou that makes the avenger that much better than the acolyte for you?
As we know the acolyte specimen is lighter, comes in 4 dedicated lengths for a start

Hey, HZ likes what he likes, good luck to him and it's good he's got a rod he likes.

I don't think power and stiffness are quite the same, you can still have a weaker rod with a stiff blank and fast action. A friend of mine has some very nice examples from Rive.
As far as i'm aware and have always been led to believe a softer mid section (waggler rod) is usually associated with still water fishing whatever power the rod posesses.

Hi Ian. Interested you mention a friend has rive rods. I was upset when I missed a r design on ebay at silly money. I bought a feeder last year from Austria and have to say its an 11ft dream.. if your pal thinks of disposing of any, I am interested. Please pass this on to hi.. cheers Alec

 

[Ian Woods]

Hi Ian. Interested you mention a friend has rive rods. I was upset when I missed a r design on ebay at silly money. I bought a feeder last year from Austria and have to say its an 11ft dream.. if your pal thinks of disposing of any, I am interested. Please pass this on to hi.. cheers Alec

Hi Alec. If he does decide to sell any I will let you know, although I very much doubt he will. He has two float rods and I handled them a few months back on the river. They had lovely rigid blanks and a super fast action and were amazingly light!

 

[Alec Hague]

Hi Alec. If he does decide to sell any I will let you know, although I very much doubt he will. He has two float rods and I handled them a few months back on the river. They had lovely rigid blanks and a super fast action and were amazingly light!

yes they have a nice feel. The r design were £400 at A/D, so very pricy! Toray carbon too but I don't think the standard R rods had that but still very light as you say.

 

[Richard Isaacs]

I don't think power and stiffness are quite the same,

I absolutely agree mate. I think they counter each other a lot of the time because to my mind power = pressure you can apply to a fish and to do that the rod or lever against you needs to be as short as possible but obviously not break

 

[Huanzhou Zhu]

I absolutely agree mate. I think they counter each other a lot of the time because to my mind power = pressure you can apply to a fish and to do that the rod or lever against you needs to be as short as possible but obviously not break

I 100% agree the stiffness and power are not the same thing. But to me, the power of the rod is when a rod bends under an external force, the force it generates to restore itself.

 

[Carl Massey]

I know there have been a lot of comparisons with the Drennan Acolyte but how the Normarks compare to say the Free Spirit Hi-S Special Power, as like a lot of people am really waiting for a 15ft float option. I have the Mark Tunley Specialist Float 13.5 ft at the moment which is a great all round rod as I don't feel over powered even when pulling in small stuff and that seems to have some power but only had chub to 5.5 lb to really test it.

Any views on the FS or MK1's against the new Normarks?

 

[Alec Hague]

I know there have been a lot of comparisons with the Drennan Acolyte but how the Normarks compare to say the Free Spirit Hi-S Special Power, as like a lot of people am really waiting for a 15ft float option. I have the Mark Tunley Specialist Float 13.5 ft at the moment which is a great all round rod as I don't feel over powered even when pulling in small stuff and that seems to have some power but only had chub to 5.5 lb to really test it.

Any views on the FS or MK1's against the new Normarks?

yes Carl, that's what I am waiting for too. I have always held the view that with the passage of time, progress in materials, design etc enable improvements not previously achievable. Therefore improved material, techniques should result in some changes, either improved product , lower prices or whatever. Given what was available in the 90's, clearly from what I read, the Normarks were way in front of the float competition. I would expect for the reasons above they are streets ahead now. Pricewise they appear a bargain compared to yester year. That's what it is all about in my view. Have they succeeded in blowing the competition out of the water, again? I give them 10 out of 10 for application and effort. But its you guys with experience of before and after which will influence whether they are a commercial success. I sincerely hope they are, as I admire people who have a go and try. I did try loads of things in my commercial life, probably 12 plus different schemes. all failed. The RSM tutted a few times, but did whatever she could to make them work, still at it after 58 years, (today in fact) ! Wow!