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Darent Valley 13ft 2 piece specialist float rod.

Richard Isaacs said:
@John Newman is this what you have?
I can’t comment as never used one
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Yes, I have one of these. My main motive for buying it was because I can carry it set up in a quiver without the faff of a three piece although having used my three piece 15ft rods I now find I can cope with those set up, having sorted my technique for packing them away.

It is an OK rod, especially at the money. I have caught plenty of roach, dace, perch, bleak, gudgeon, skimmer bream and grayling on it plus chub up to about 3lbs and a very angry 4lb brown trout.

This is not a barbel rod!
 
Dave Brooksbank said:
Chris
When you get the time any chance you can let me know the weight of one these please.
Are these 12ft and 2 piece?
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Dave, 13' two piece, 228g. (Good job I checked again as I hadn't remembered despite weighing it about five hours ago.🫏)
That's about 3oz more than my lightest 13/14' rods. 13' Acolyte Specimen is 168g.

I hope the 1lb 2oz and the 12' version will be a fraction less, but I can't say if they are.
 
Chris Jones said:
Dave, 13' two piece, 228g. (Good job I checked again as I hadn't remembered despite weighing it about five hours ago.🫏)
That's about 3oz more than my lightest 13/14' rods. 13' Acolyte Specimen is 168g.

I hope the 1lb 2oz and the 12' version will be a fraction less, but I can't say if they are.
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I know I only had a brief handle of it but i didn’t really find it to be particularly over heavy.
At 13ft you can get away with it especially as it’s not on the rods nose. I seem to remember it was quite a nicely balanced rod.
I wouldn’t have a problem holding it for a good while if I had too.

However for me, it’s not what i would consider a float rod personally. More like a Harrison torrix with float guides. I bet the yanks would love it for things like steel head fishing.
13ft is a long trotting rod over there and they like em really pokey 30lb braid and 15-20 gram “bobbers”. They’d love it.
 
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Chris Jones said:
Dave, 13' two piece, 228g. (Good job I checked again as I hadn't remembered despite weighing it about five hours ago.🫏)
That's about 3oz more than my lightest 13/14' rods. 13' Acolyte Specimen is 168g.

I hope the 1lb 2oz and the 12' version will be a fraction less, but I can't say if they are.
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Thanks Chris
I recently acquired a tfgear 12ft 1.6 2piece Tremor Specialist float off of a member.
Very thin blank weighing 187g.
Lovely rod with plenty of power for certain tight snaggy swims.
It's my Chub brutali rod..A good Tench rod as well.
 
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I may now actually consider an Acolyte 13ft Specimen or 12ft 2 piece Carp Waggler? As the river season is coming to an end, I’ll puchase something for next autumn, when my Perch season starts again. My other go to Perch rod is a 15ft Acolyte Plus, but its too long for certain tight swims.

Regarding the whole 2 piece float rod concept, I regularly make up 7ft lure rods at home and place in the car as such, including in my wifes small car. On this basis I’d happily buy a 2 piece 14ft float rod, but it doesn’t exist unfortunately!
 
I’ve never had one myself

The closest thing I’ve ever owned to a 2 pc 13ft rod was a compact acolyte plus. Which obviously broke down that bit further with the screw on butt section.
It was a good concept drennan did with a number of rods but I do find it’s no issue to do a similar thing with 3 and in some cases 4 pieces and take them pre made up

Perhaps Neil the compact concept is another option for you regarding second hand rods
They did a compact version of the series 7 tench float rated to 7lb lines. That could well be ideal for you. 2 pc 13ft screw in dolly butt section
 
Richard Isaacs said:
I’ve never had one myself

The closest thing I’ve ever owned to a 2 pc 13ft rod was a compact acolyte plus. Which obviously broke down that bit further with the screw on butt section.
It was a good concept drennan did with a number of rods but I do find it’s no issue to do a similar thing with 3 and in some cases 4 pieces and take them pre made up

Perhaps Neil the compact concept is another option for you regarding second hand rods
They did a compact version of the series 7 tench float rated to 7lb lines. That could well be ideal for you. 2 pc 13ft screw in dolly butt section
Click to expand...
Was going to suggest the same - I bought your 13' compact Accy Plus off you Rich and barely use it! May be tempted to sell as after a 15' Accy Specimen
 
I have one of them Darent valley rods, I was surprised at how heavy it was.
Only used once and had a few trout to about 2lb which it was fine for, but my arm was aching a bit after an hour trotting in the middle of the river.
On the other hand,
The 8ft quiver is absolutely brilliant for the price.
 
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