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Custom big river rods.

M

Martin Osmond

Senior Member & Supporter
Looking to get a pair or three custom rods built mainly to use on the Thames for Barbel. Would also be nice if they made lovely tench rods.

My initial thoughts were 12ft 2.25lb Torrix but something tells me these aren't that highly regarded, pretty sure I've read that somewhere so any recommendations would be great.

Cheers
Martin.
 
Martin Osmond said:
Looking to get a pair or three custom rods built mainly to use on the Thames for Barbel. Would also be nice if they made lovely tench rods.

My initial thoughts were 12ft 2.25lb Torrix but something tells me these aren't that highly regarded, pretty sure I've read that somewhere so any recommendations would be great.

Cheers
Martin.
Click to expand...

Have a look at the 2.5lb TC Torrix rods, which Andy Bell is selling in the classified section. I met him to collect a pair of Insight SU Barbel rods last weekend. He brought the Torrix to show me too, I had a waggle and they are very nice Barbel rods. Mint condition too 👍🏻
 
I have used second hand 12ft Chimera 3, 2.25 rods most of the time on the Thames and they do the job very well. They cope with big fish, big leads and heavy lines just fine. They bend so they tend not to pull hooks out, but they are powerful rods and punch above their weight.

What they don’t do is make very good tench rods for my style of tench fishing. I prefer a faster action rod.

Recently I bought some used 12ft 2.25 Torrix rods - the Anglers Workshop version (which is different from the std blank, allegedly). I was intrigued as to why they are so highly regarded and sought after….. After very limited use they make very nice heavy tench rods and will (hopefully) make good heavy barbel rods too. They are a very different action to the C3’s but not as stiff as standard Torrix 2.75 carp rods which I have used in the past. I didn’t fancy the Torrix 2.75 rods for barbel - I thought they would be a bit too stiff. I’ve never used a Torrix 2.5 - so can’t comment on that one.

Another (old) rod to consider IF you can find some is the Chimera 2.5 12ft carp rod. I have a pair (I have a Chimera fetish) and they are nice simple rods that would make great big river barbel rods. Softer than the Torrix 2.75, but stiffer than the C3. Also, they are unfashionable - so if they come up for sale they are cheap. Same applies to the 2.75 version of the Chimera; fantastic rods but maybe a bit heavy.

Just for balance; I used a single 11ft 1.75 Torrix (again bought lightly used) on the Thames last Summer and fell in love with it. It subdued some very decent fish surprisingly easily and was a delight to fish with. But I wouldn’t dream of using it in a Winter flood and with 5 oz lead……

My fishing mate catches big fish and he tends to use lighter rods than me. But he has broken 2 experimental Harrison blanks in the last 2 seasons, so I gave him one of my set of Chimera 2.5’s and he likes it. If I show him the Torrix 2.25 I think it will suit him perfectly.
 
Have two recent 12' 2.25 Torrix's for my larger work on the Kennet Thames etc. I've personally had a 2.5lb Torrix and I found it a beast of a rod where the 2,25 blank construction had a bit more feel to it.... Just my personal take on the differences. If your fishing heavier waters flows etc then you might suit the 2,25?
 
Thanks everyone,

I've got an 11ft 1.75lb Torrix and multiple Torrix carp rods and love them all so pleased to hear the comments about the 12ft 2.25lb Torrix, I must have got it wrong or maybe thinking of a different blank.

Will most likely get a pair. Thanks for the feedback.
 
Julian Griffiths said:
Have two recent 12' 2.25 Torrix's for my larger work on the Kennet Thames etc. I've personally had a 2.5lb Torrix and I found it a beast of a rod where the 2,25 blank construction had a bit more feel to it.... Just my personal take on the differences. If your fishing heavier waters flows etc then you might suit the 2,25?
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I was reading a comment of Dave Lumb's on P****'s P** (don't know if I can type the full name on another forum 🥸) and he said something along the lines of 2.25 will do you for everything you need. I don't have the experience to affirm or refute, but when a guy of his reputation says speaks up it's got to be worth a bob or two.
 
Free Spirit Hi-S Specialist Big Water 12ft 2.25lb probably worth a mention. I've never used them myself but I'm on the lookout for some - they're well-regarded on here for Barbel and some of the Big Tenchers are using them for distance and weedy Tench fishing.

I've got 12' 1.75 Torrixs for Barbel and tenching but they struggle to cast distance and the action of the Chimera means they struggle even more. Might not be the case with higher TCs, though.

Daiwa Infinities are a better all round rod for me, they might be worth looking at in 2.25 or Basias if you can afford them. Not custom build though.
 
I have a chimera 3, planning to use it as a backup rod when thames is flooded in the winter, my prime rod for Thames is daiwa basia x45 rods, although not custom build, but the blank is better than any Harrison and free spirit.
 
Alan Rose said:
I was reading a comment of Dave Lumb's on P****'s P** (don't know if I can type the full name on another forum 🥸) and he said something along the lines of 2.25 will do you for everything you need. I don't have the experience to affirm or refute, but when a guy of his reputation says speaks up it's got to be worth a bob or two.
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I think he refers to the CS12-SU ( chimera 3) as the only barbel rod you need on his website - this is a 2.25tc
I was talking to him a few weeks ago and he said that’s all he uses for barbel.Typical Dave - no BS.
I have them and for heavy feeders / bigger casts they are awesome but not too stiff when you have a lively fish at the net.
You won’t go wrong with a pair of them.
 
Paul Richardson said:
I think he refers to the CS12-SU ( chimera 3) as the only barbel rod you need on his website - this is a 2.25tc
I was talking to him a few weeks ago and he said that’s all he uses for barbel.Typical Dave - no BS.
I have them and for heavy feeders / bigger casts they are awesome but not too stiff when you have a lively fish at the net.
You won’t go wrong with a pair of them.
Click to expand...
Nice, I nearly bought one earlier this year but got hold of a 12' Torrix 2.25 instead. It can be a right old merry-go-round imagining different rods for different scenarios, but I reckon this one will do me fine for big and small rivers (especially given how little I actually fish with leads and feeders).
 
Dave Quinn said:
Free Spirit Hi-S Specialist Big Water 12ft 2.25lb probably worth a mention. I've never used them myself but I'm on the lookout for some - they're well-regarded on here for Barbel and some of the Big Tenchers are using them for distance and weedy Tench fishing.

I've got 12' 1.75 Torrixs for Barbel and tenching but they struggle to cast distance and the action of the Chimera means they struggle even more. Might not be the case with higher TCs, though.

Daiwa Infinities are a better all round rod for me, they might be worth looking at in 2.25 or Basias if you can afford them. Not custom build though.
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This was one of my 1st choice rods to go for when I needed the 2lb plus rod, but unfortunately my builder was taking an absolute age to get hold of them, & I rather think the blank got built for someone else, when I was told it wasn't available.... Long story short I went with the 12ft 2.25 Torrix as my chosen builder could get the blanks in quite fast.
 
The 12ft 2.25 torrix is the best 12ft torrix blank hands down.
It’s absolutely brilliant and it will do anything apart from flood work.
Its completely different to both the 2lb and the 2.5lb rods in the respect that it’s not a tippy rod at all.
It’s got a medium progressive quite slow action and it bends really nicely
It’s not a 6oz caster like a C3 but it’s good for 3-4oz far bank stuff all day long
 
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Richard Isaacs said:
The 12ft 2.25 torrix is the best 12ft torrix blank hands down.
It’s absolutely brilliant and it will do anything apart from flood work.
Its completely different to both the 2lb and the 2.5lb rods in the respect that it’s not a tippy rod at all.
It’s got a medium progressive quite slow action and it bends really nicely
It’s not a 6oz caster like a C3 but it’s good for 3-4oz far bank stuff all day long
Click to expand...

Richard Isaacs said:
It’s a very odd rod compared to the rest of the family. A good way to describe it would be chimera 2.5
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Sorry - thread hijack
What do you make of the Dark Carbon 1.75 Rich?
 
Paul Richardson said:
I think he refers to the CS12-SU ( chimera 3) as the only barbel rod you need on his website - this is a 2.25tc
I was talking to him a few weeks ago and he said that’s all he uses for barbel.Typical Dave - no BS.
I have them and for heavy feeders / bigger casts they are awesome but not too stiff when you have a lively fish at the net.
You won’t go wrong with a pair of them.
Click to expand...
Here's what DL says about the 12' 2.25 Torrix on his website...

DL.jpeg
 
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