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Fox Duo Lite Specialist

George Maltby

George Maltby

Senior Member
I have a duo lite avon and love it for chub and roach fishing, and for fishing live baits for perch on the solid top.
My question is, is there alot of difference between the avon and specialist? (if anyone knows), i.e. if i have the avon, is it worth buying the specialist for roach, or are they too similar to bother? and is the specialist is much lighter is it a bit too light for river work (does the tip load too much in gentle flow, and can it handle the odd rogue chub?) The avon is lovely but it could go lighter for quivertipping for roach and perch.
A lot to ask i know, really aimed at someone who has owned or fished with both, or someone with decent knowledge of the specialist.
 
Its never an 'accident' steve!:)
Cheers.
Does anyone know how it compares to the avon, or am i going to have to track one down and wiggle it till it snaps!
 
I bought my Duo Lite Specialist about 18 months ago. It was wrongly advertised as a 8oz tc, but is actually 1lb. (wot good is 8oz to anywon) So I copped mine at a bargain price of £59.99.
Well happy and have used it for floating for chub and tench, had barbs to 7lbs on it, along with much else. Perfect tool for trotting, and the quiver section is great too.
I already had a 1.25lb and a 1.5lb rod, so no need for another Avon.
 
Chris Guy said:
I bought my Duo Lite Specialist about 18 months ago. It was wrongly advertised as a 8oz tc, but is actually 1lb. (wot good is 8oz to anywon).
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Right, that's put the cat amongst the pigeons! I was also looking at these two rods. I have large stillwater perch fishing in mind. However, there's always a possibility of the odd rogue tench and carp, nothing much over 10lb at the moment.
The Fox catalogue/website lists the Duo-Lite Specialist as having a half pound TC and the Duo-Lite Avon as having one pound avon top and three quarter quiver. Both have reel line ratings of 3-6lb. Can anyone confirm these figures?
I suspect that the lighter rod will be a lot more fun for the smaller species of fish but is it really as light as the adverts suggest?
 
Chaps, the current dup-lites are being discontinued. There are replacements however, the fx duo-lites, 4 in the range, one being a multi tip jobby.
 
Chris, my Duo Speci would be perfect for your perch angling, as it's a nice forgiving rod, so will soak up the jerky fight from a large perch.
I've fished it with hook lengths from 2.6lb up to 5.5lb, no probs.
It's a wonderfully light tool as well and comes with 4 lovely tips for the quiver section.
If they are being discontinued, you might be able to pick up a bargain.
 
climax tackle have the fox specialist down to £60! All the other fox barbel rods are down to £100! Looks like they are getting rid of the 'old' duo lite model.
 
Alan White said:
I was thinking of getting the flood water version has anyone got an opinion of these rods?:)
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Not the standard 12' flood but I do have the 15' Extremes. Absolutely love them. Not numb, as the bare TC figure would suggest, smaller barbel still put a decent bend in the rod. Capable of chucking big feeders a very long way very easily.
 
Alan White said:
how do u find the 15ft versions do they ever seem a burden becuase of the length are they a 3 piece rod ?
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I'm not using it on little overgrown rivers so 15' is no problem at all. For casting it's a bonus, for the Trent with its margin slabs it's a bonus. The extra reach is great when trying to keep a kipper out of those slabs on the inside.

It is a three piece.

The downsides that I've encountered is that it can be a bit more awkward than a two piece 12' rod to break down still rigged up and it's a foot too short for many rod sleeves out there. If you use one then a short fixed landing net pole is not much use at all. You need quite a bit more extra reach than a standard carp type net/pole gives.
 
Thanks George for starting this thread.

Hi George,
Having been on the look-out for a light ledger rod for perch fishing,I've followed your thread with interest.The deal Climax are offering was too good to pass up,so ordered a Duo-Lite Specialist and also the 1lb Avon.£130 for two rods of that quality have got my Christmas presents well sorted.
They may be about to be discontinued,but plenty of tackle shops are still quoting the recommended price.Can't wait to give them some action,especially the Specialist teamed up with a centre pin.

Pete.
 
After seeing some confusion on various forums about the relative power between the Duo-Lite Avon and Duo-Lite Specialist, I'm now in a position to say what's what. Santa was nice to me and brought me a pair of the Specialists to go with my Avons. I can't be pestered to get the spring balances out to give me a rough idea of the test curves. However, using a tin of pop in a poly bag gives you a thirteen ounce weight. The Avon will lift it off the deck without being forced to change the angle of the butt from parallell to the floor. You do need to raise from waist height a little though. The Specialist will not do this. Picking the rods up side by side with the weights atached to both makes it painfully obvious.
Whatever the actual test curves are the Specialist is definitely lighter than the Avon.

I intend to use the Specialist as a stillwater rod and after using the Avon for a chub session a little while ago, I won't try the same with the Specialist. Not because I don't think it's got the backbone for it, simply because I feel that flowing water would load the tip too much as a quiver. Could be good for fishing a float though.

Hope that's some use to someone nearly as sad as me!;):eek::D
 
hi guys, just a word of two on the rods i have. from fox, the first pair are the kevlex barbel with the 1 1/2lb and 1 3/4lb and a quiver section with 5 tips, awesome is the best description does all that could be needed from them and recommend if you find one to get it if you can. second pair, duolite floodwater barbel 12'. don't let the test curve put you off at all. originally got mine for long range tenching on a pit but love them to bits. third pair, fox kevlex specialists, again 2 tops and the quiver section having 5 tips, much too light for more than chub and bream but a lovely action all the same. 4th pair not fox, shimano technium specialists i really love these rods and they were my first choice at the time for anything that swam in the river.

there are a few hexagraphs in the armoury but their an acquired taste and rare, but nice on the right day. i have the ray walton no2 avon and a no3 that only arrived 2 days ago. the no 2 is a lovely rod but is a bit more powerful than even the 1 3/4 fox even though it'a rated at 1 1/4lb. the n0.3 is about 20 percent more powerfull again but still usable. then i have a 12' CT carp, also 1 12lb test and about the same as the 12' floodwater with it's solid tip in. last of the bottom rods is a monster hexagraph at 13'6" with a test of 2 3/4lb right through actioned from tip to butt end that could launch out a house brick but still play a fish without too much fear of hook pull or not enjoying the experience, only used for pike so far and cant describe the feeling. this had been made as a salmon worming rod but re-rung as a carp/ultra heavy floodwater barbel rod using the no2 avon as a design cue and having 30mm to 10mm rings 9 in all. i hope one day to find a river big enough with fish large enough to make this monster seem the tool for the job but until then......god knows;)

less said about the cane ones the better, suffice to say i have a seriouse addiction:(:D:D:D

all my rods have been found second hand but if i were to chose a new set of specialist and barbel rods the duolite's would be near the top of my list still. already have the duolite specialist float which apart from having a few replaced rings has performed well for the last 18 months and is my main (modern) float rod these days.
 
fox avon duo lite in the 1 lb test curve a cracking little rod(12foot) has caught me many a good fish from roach to carp all river fish incidently,cant really go wrong,if you can get them well worth it.
 
For anyone viewing this thread, I've just bought two Shakespeare Solitude rods. Both 1lb TC, 11ft. One standard Avon and one light quiver, with 3/4 and 1.25 oz tips. They look glorious in old boy green colour and very well finished. £79.99 each.
I'm yet to use yet, as I really bought them as winter tools for the Ivel. I'll let you know, but I know they're thin on the ground.
 
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