Daiwa air Z ags 14ft float rod

[Huanzhou Zhu]

Are these the blanks made using the very highest qaulity japanese carbon that just won't lock up and are virtually unbreakable?

No, not the very highest quality Japanese carbon, the blank is using HVF carbon, the second or third best carbon daiwa can offer in UK. The best carbon daiwa has is SVF. But it won’t lock up and will band and band.

 

[Chris Jones]

The original Air AGS match rods were largely ignored. On the face of it, the Air AGS Z replaced the Tournament reel seat (which is no bad thing) with an Alps reel seat and little more. I'm a little puzzled as to why the Air AGS Z is gaining so much traction.

Despite the line rating, I wouldn't use my Air AGS as anything other than a fairly standard float rods. I don't put line over 6lb through mine. Like many other modern float rods, they're capable enough and I like them enough to not have sold them yet, but it's not an out and out barbel float rod. The Acolyte Specimen Float trounces it for this use for a fraction of the retail price.

 

[Richard Isaacs]

Tournament reel seat (

Awful the older tourny seats.
Paint strippers basically
Glad they put this right on the RS and BU models.

To be fair i really dislike alps aswell. They look awful and don’t feel particularly nice either.

Best ones for me for comfort and use with a pin have gotta be either the IPS or TVS TK
Kdps is a strong 2nd

 

[Ian Woods]

Awful the older tourny seats.
Paint strippers basically
Glad they put this right on the RS and BU models.

To be fair i really dislike alps aswell. They look awful and don’t feel particularly nice either.

Best ones for me for comfort and use with a pin have gotta be either the IPS or TVS TK
Kdps is a strong 2nd

I think the propper screw down seats were only on the 15ft rods and above, and the feeder/leger rods.
The other lengths of the BU rpds still had a stupid tourny type screw down reel holder.

 

[Chris Jones]

Awful the older tourny seats.
Paint strippers basically

Not my idea of fun either. Largely useless combined with a centrepin the way I use them.

To be fair i really dislike alps aswell. They look awful and don’t feel particularly nice either.

I don't want a metallic reel seat on a float rod. Same goes for those fitted to Hardy Marksman and the original Preston Carbonactive Asaki float rods.

 

[Richard Isaacs]

As Others have said there isn't a rod 14ft and above worth a custom build. The off rhe shelves are; so good? I'd like to see the old 15 ft Free spirit mandrel used with the new carbon from the new range. I think they tried to make them too thin in the butt and middle and lost lost it.....

I think the difference is the wall thickness
The blank on the newer version I think has slightly thinner walls to make it lighter but I haven’t measured them together to be absolutely sure on that.
I really really like the original for barbel. The blank is stupidly strong and I think the thicker walls are partly responsible for that

However it’s quite old tech now
These super duper low resin cloths at a fraction of the thickness claim to be as strong nowadays.

 

[Chris Jones]

I don't have an issue with the power of the newer Freespirits. They've got plenty of grunt down the blank for decent sized fish. Their downfall is that the action isn't tippy enough for my preferences in trotting rods.

 

[Richard Isaacs]

Hardy Marksman and the original Preston Carbonactive Asaki float rods.

Never tried those out to be fair.

The newer Preston seat is ok
It’s a Chinese generic kdps copy.
It works fine and is comfortable enough
Personally I’d expect better for top end rod money but there you go.

 

[Richard Isaacs]

I don't have an issue with the power of the newer Freespirits. They've got plenty of grunt down the blank for decent sized fish. Their downfall is that the action isn't tippy enough for my preferences in trotting rods.

You probably wouldn’t like the older one either Chris. It’s not very tippy either. It’s not through actioned though. It’s very progressive very strong
It’s stiffer in the middle than the newer version which is what makes it better for trotting.
I certainly wouldn’t chose it for bits n bobs on the dales rivers up there. A sphere destroys it for that game.

Down here hell bent into a 13lb barbel 6ft from a margin cladded in snags…… there is nothing I’ve found better

 

[Ian Woods]

Not my idea of fun either. Largely useless combined with a centrepin the way I use them.



I don't want a metallic reel seat on a float rod. Same goes for those fitted to Hardy Marksman and the original Preston Carbonactive Asaki float rods.

The hardy reel holders have plastic liners, so the reel feet are well looked after. They don't come loose once gently tightened up like the placy ones often do.

 

[Chris Jones]

The hardy reel holders have plastic liners, so the reel feet are well looked after. They don't come loose once gently tightened up like the placy ones often do.

I appreciate that. The reason for not liking them is nothing to do with them potentially damaging reels. I simply do not want to have my hands in contact with a metal reel seat when fishing. If you could get a decent centrepin made of a lightweight polymer, I'd be all over that too.

 

[Richard Isaacs]

The hardy reel holders have plastic liners, so the reel feet are well looked after. They don't come loose once gently tightened up like the placy ones often do.

Are they Fuji Ian on the hardy just with metal finish over the hoods ?

 

[Ian Woods]

Are they Fuji Ian on the hardy just with metal finish over the hoods ?

No, I think they're a solid alloy and the alloy is actually the colour of the seat, so it isn't a finnish on top of the alloy.
They are a very classy reel holder.

I get what Chris means about cold metal on your hands, but my hands don't come in contact with the metal. I find the coldest thing is the back of the reel when my finger rests. I do remember a chap actually cut a piece of neoprene to fit the back top half of his reel and he glued it on, to keep his fingers warm.

 

[Richard Isaacs]

No, I think they're a solid alloy and the alloy is actually the colour of the seat, so it isn't a finnish on top of the alloy.
They are a very classy reel holder.

I get what Chris means about cold metal on your hands, but my hands don't come in contact with the metal. I find the coldest thing is the back of the reel when my finger rests. I do remember a chap actually cut a piece of neoprene to fit the back top half of his reel and he glued it on, to keep his fingers warm.

Ffs….your big northern blokes.
Cold metal on cold hands
Plastic centrepins
Neoprene back plates

 

[Jim Gregory]

The Alps cwg ai has a rubber insert, and is more than comfortable , even for southern softies. I have them on ³ of my rods.

 

[Huanzhou Zhu]

Speaking of Fuji supply, the rod rings and things is the new UK Fuji dealer.

 

[Ralph Harris]

Speaking of Fuji supply, the rod rings and things is the new UK Fuji dealer.

I’ve not seen anything new on their website, any idea when they will advertise more fuji products?

I have had a look at their website before and not found it encouraging, loads of products listed are marked as sold out. I got the feeling they were running down and did not intend to restock. Hopefully this is not the case and they can fill the hole left by guides and blanks.

 

[Alec Hague]

Thank you for the reply John.
The cost is factor is putting me off. However, I’d happily save for it, off the back of good reports from any users.
It also seems hard to find these top end rods stocked at a tackle shop, to have a waggle in person, so to speak.
I do wonder why it’s priced so highly compared to the Drennan Acolyte equivalents.
Would the carbon/fittings they use be that much better quality.

Thanks.

one simple reason for that Edward is the economics of rod stock is untenable these days. A tackle shop pays x for the rod and adds 50% normally. Out of that they pay 20% on the mark up, fund the rod sitting on display forever how long. When I went into tackle box, a cracking store, I was amazed they largely displayed used rods. I figured they px on rods, customers buy to order. Makes sense to me.