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I need a quality Umbrella

Richard Garbett

Richard Garbett

Senior Member
As above, can anyone suggest what I should be looking to buy after 2 poor previous choices (years ago mind)
It has to identify as a brolly and not a bivvy as our club does not allow bivvies.
 
Do you want a bedchair to fit under it? Or just yourself?
 
I've had a few over the years but I got an 55" Aqua Fast and Light Mk2 last year and it's brilliant. Not cheap but very good quality. Fits into my Drennan 3 rod quiver no problem.

Downsides? Just one, and that's if I hang it up in my garage when wet it doesn't "drip dry" like my previous brollys, and being a fishing brolly it's a tad big to erect in the garage.

But if I fish the odd session with my buddy MikeB, and we like to share the same brolly whilst we put the world to rights, I still use my 60" Badger (now that I sussed how to re-seal the seams).
 
One of the problems I have with fishing clubs is of definition. eg. When is a brolly not a brolly but becomes a bivvy? Some allow stormsides and some do not or they allow an "open fronted shelter". Some can have sides down at night but must be rolled up during the day etc! The Fox specialist has small first rib stormsides whereas the Fox Supra and Sonic SK TEK have wider second rib stormsides. So it might be an idea to chat to a club official to understand their own definition and then buy the biggest (60 inch) good quality umbrella with whatever stormsides are permitted.
 
I need one as well as mine is pushing 30 years old. I had a look at the big one show a few weeks back and didn’t see a single one only the brolly/bivvy systems. The one I got currently is huge but heavy being that old thick material and I’d be worried with the newer ones ripping on the thorn bushes and that in the tight swims. Might just try to repair the broke arm on mine and stick with it
 
Just a day session brolley Rich?

There’s so much choice out there now from brollys with a central stick in the mud pole right up to brolly shelters with doors and ground sheets where they are literally one step away from full blooded bivvies and everything in between.
if it’s just to pull out when things start to open up I’d say 45-50inch ribs is plenty big enough.

look for one that has the ability to put a couple of pegs in the back when set up in the 45° as that is the real difference between something useful and something that’s gonna suffer with wind.
id also look at spoke design as well.
Alot of them, the spokes take up a huge amount of room preventing you getting to the back and some have clever designs keeping the spokes right back.
I have an ovel chub brolley I bought second hand as a quick replacement for one that broke and it’s been great for day sessions, takes a couple of pegs at the back and a couple of storm poles but the spokes on mine take up a lot of head room and I’ll consider more that next time I buy.
Shame really as it’s extremely good quality and a rock solid thing. Perfect actually other than the low spokes.
if you’ve got the budget I’d say look at the fox specialist as it does tick all the boxes and they do it in a perfect 45” size but with the spoke design being so great it’s probably got more room under it than most 55” brolleys.
 
Richard Isaacs said:
Just a day session brolley Rich?

There’s so much choice out there now from brollys with a central stick in the mud pole right up to brolly shelters with doors and ground sheets where they are literally one step away from full blooded bivvies and everything in between.
if it’s just to pull out when things start to open up I’d say 45-50inch ribs is plenty big enough.

look for one that has the ability to put a couple of pegs in the back when set up in the 45° as that is the real difference between something useful and something that’s gonna suffer with wind.
id also look at spoke design as well.
Alot of them, the spokes take up a huge amount of room preventing you getting to the back and some have clever designs keeping the spokes right back.
I have an ovel chub brolley I bought second hand as a quick replacement for one that broke and it’s been great for day sessions, takes a couple of pegs at the back and a couple of storm poles but the spokes on mine take up a lot of head room and I’ll consider more that next time I buy.
Shame really as it’s extremely good quality and a rock solid thing. Perfect actually other than the low spokes.
if you’ve got the budget I’d say look at the fox specialist as it does tick all the boxes and they do it in a perfect 45” size but with the spoke design being so great it’s probably got more room under it than most 55” brolleys.
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Yes it'll be a day session brolley Richard, if there ever is a night on the bank, it'll be on a warm, still evening🤣
The Fox specialist seems to be the ideal thing for me, as it'll likely come roving with me at times.
Thanks everybody for the recommendations 👍
 
After getting rid of my Korum brollies I purchased a couple of Daiwa md 125 they are 50 inch very light with fibre arms, they are more stable in the wind than the Korum which used to rap around you when the wind picked up.
A few of the Ringwood boys also use these and are very pleased with them.
They dry at a reasonable rate.
Not that cheap but the best light and strong brollies that I have used.
BRIAN.
 
As been said if you can get away with a brolly with side wings ?? then this would possibly suit you ?
 
I tend to err towards being a fine weather fisherman and also like to rove so not often I carry an umbrella. Also I find that when rain is forecast and I hump the umbrella up and down the bank it stays dry and on days when there is a "chance of a shower" it pees down. I did however buy the Fox Specialist umbrella about 18 months ago and find it very good. Plus points, are being able to peg it down and remove the central pole, relatively light weight although a little bulky. You do need to carry a couple more bank sticks to support the sides though which adds to the load but not a problem if no walking distance involved.
 
Brian Willson said:
After getting rid of my Korum brollies I purchased a couple of Daiwa md 125 they are 50 inch very light with fibre arms, they are more stable in the wind than the Korum which used to rap around you when the wind picked up.
A few of the Ringwood boys also use these and are very pleased with them.
They dry at a reasonable rate.
Not that cheap but the best light and strong brollies that I have used.
BRIAN.
Click to expand...
My old Korum lighweight stood up well to the gales we had in February, Brian, barring a few hair-raising moments. :)
 
Hi All
I also wanted a new brolly after I broke a rib on a diawa brolly which was light, strong and good quality waterproof material, so after searching on line I brought a Grey's light weight umbrella - yes it's light weight, but is poor quality, fist time on the bank manager to get a couple of holes in it!
Would not recommend this. Also have the fox specialist brolly, excellent quality, but a bit to bulky, so don't use it very often.
The korum pentalight looks good, but I want to see quality before parting with any more of my money
Regards
Wayne
 
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