HARRISON TEST CURVES

[Adam Wylie]

Hi all,
The Harrison CHIMERA 3 has a test curve rating of 2.25 lb,The Harrison ACURIX 2.5 lb.
The ACURIX feels a much softer rod than the CHIMERA 3 ????
I think Test curves are very confusing ,it's about time the rod Manufactures found a better way of indicating
The power of a rod ,perhaps casting weights as per spinning ,lure rods.
Any opinions on this issue ?

 

[Richard Isaacs]

It’s a tough one Adam because casting weight while useful to know, doesn’t give you any information about a rods action.
Neither does test curves to be fair and that’s why they appear both confusing and misleading.

A test curve nowadays is only applied to a rod because we as anglers insist on it. I bet if you asked Steve Harrison now to start again without stating them he’d be more than happy to as would’ve most of the builder’s because it doesn’t mean a lot now that rod actions vary so much.

A test curve value is the amount of weight required to take a perfectly horizontal rods tip round to 90° it doesn’t matter what the other sections are doing or how much of the rod is bending, as soon as that tip is at 90°, the weight that achieved it is the rods stated test curve. So like you say one rod with a higher test curve and usually a very slow through action can actually feel “softer” than a faster actioned rod with loads of power and a soft tip.

 

[Joe Winstanley]

There is no perfect way. Test curves are perhaps the least imperfect way of giving a guide to a rods capabilities. A casting weight still won't help understand a rods action, tip stiffness etc.

It does helps to understand what the rod was designed to do and then use the TC as a guide, as that is all that it is. The Accurix (lovely blanks) was designed to accurately cast 2-2.5 oz leads to around 100 yards. The tip recovery is pretty fast, but it still has a progressive butt section. Whereas a C3 has quite a stiff tip as it was designed for casting heavy leads and feeders shorter distances, up to 40 yards say, but still maintaining a nice fishing playing action.

Really the best advice is to try and handle a blank before you part with any hard earned. TC's are just a rough guide.

 

[Joe Winstanley]

Sorry - I missed Rich's post which makes the same point!

 

[Simon Archer]

I was in Walkers of Trowell a few weeks ago, looking at some Carp rods I don't really need. I'd gone in to have a look for some 3.25 TC S-Lites.

Of course you look at other rods, and by the time I'd got to the bottom of the rack, I'm now holding some Hi-s'. Lovely rods they were. The guy in the shop showed me a Hi-s in 3.5 TC. He said these rods are a more through action than the tippier 3.25 rods and said they were an alternative to what I "wanted"

If I hadn't looked at both rods, I'd probably still think the 3.25 would be the better rod for what I think I need, but now the 3.5 may be the better all round option.

Off the subject a little. Those Helical rods are superb for the money. I really ought to buy three of those for the amount of Carping I'm going to be doing.

 

[Joe Winstanley]

I was in Walkers of Trowell a few weeks ago, looking at some Carp rods I don't really need. I'd gone in to have a look for some 3.25 TC S-Lites.

Of course you look at other rods, and by the time I'd got to the bottom of the rack, I'm now holding some Hi-s'. Lovely rods they were. The guy in the shop showed me a Hi-s in 3.5 TC. He said these rods are a more through action than the tippier 3.25 rods and said they were an alternative to what I "wanted"

Same with the 3.25lb Torrix. It has much more progressive action through the blank than the 3lb Torrix which to me feels like a fast-actioned casting tool. And much more powerful than the 3.25 in the butt section. Whereas the 3.25 feels like a proper fishing rod.

 

[Richard Isaacs]

Same with the 3.25lb Torrix. It has much more progressive action through the blank than the 3lb Torrix which to me feels like a fast-actioned casting tool. And much more powerful than the 3.25 in the butt section. Whereas the 3.25 feels like a proper fishing rod.

The 12ft specialist torrix rods are very similar
The 2lb version is quite tippy as is the 2.5lb version yet the 2.25 between the two has a much slower through action than both. Odd

 

[Tim Marks]

I was in Walkers of Trowell a few weeks ago, looking at some Carp rods I don't really need. I'd gone in to have a look for some 3.25 TC S-Lites.

Of course you look at other rods, and by the time I'd got to the bottom of the rack, I'm now holding some Hi-s'. Lovely rods they were. The guy in the shop showed me a Hi-s in 3.5 TC. He said these rods are a more through action than the tippier 3.25 rods and said they were an alternative to what I "wanted"

If I hadn't looked at both rods, I'd probably still think the 3.25 would be the better rod for what I think I need, but now the 3.5 may be the better all round option.

Off the subject a little. Those Helical rods are superb for the money. I really ought to buy three of those for the amount of Carping I'm going to be doing.

The 3.5 tc Hi S is a magnificent blank.

I looked for a set for ages and eventually found some built by Mark T and to a sensible spec. I owned them for 3 years and never used them ! They were too nice to fish with. And I'd fallen out of love with carp fishing at the time. So I sold them on (luckily at a small profit) and went back to my £50 wychwood spd rods.

 

[Mark Harridence]

This is off the articles page, it's over 10 years old, but interesting and worth a read!

Before you ask which rod/what test-curve read this - by Gary (bb king) Staddon

Before you ask which rod/what test-curve read this... By Gary (bb king) Staddon This misnomer that is 'test-curve' All too often people get hung-up on what test curve rod they have, or ought to have. There never seems to be an internet forum that doesn't have a thread from someone seeking...

barbel.co.uk