Korum rods

[Nick Hodgkinson]

remember this - there is no qualification to build fishing rods

anybody can set themselves up in a workshop - they do not have access to the design information of a blank

i have had five custom built rods - my fault as i thought they would be special - they were not to me but to the builder they were the dogs danglies

buy though a shop such as Johnson Ross - factory built rods as specified by Steve Harrison

 

[Deleted member 1090]

I’ve had many custom rods made by mark tunley / ian tucker / bob gill and all of them were top notch built 100 % top quality craftsmanship

 

[Nick Hodgkinson]

I’ve had many custom rods made by mark tunley / ian tucker / bob gill and all of them were top notch built 100 % top quality craftsmanship

they all 'build' excellent rods - no dispute

i have a Tunley built Harrison GTI SU that i bought from a friend and its a lovely 'looking' rod - but in performance terms no different to a factory build

its nice to have something personal too you, be it colour of whippings or handle type etc - and if that is your desire then go for it by all means

before Ebay screwed up secondhand prices i used to deal in secondhand carp/specialist tackle especially rods at the higher end of the market

it may surprise you that custom built rods sold for considerably less than factory builds and the 'more personal' the lower the price

the reason seems to be if you want to add a third/fourth rod it can be difficult and if the blank/rings/fittings are out of production then matching rods is difficult if not impossible

 

[Nick Hodgkinson]

if it appears i'm anti 'custom building' i'm not when it improves the performance of an item

i shoot and used to do a lot of deer stalking - custom building/mods to guns are absolutely very advantageous

not so much with shotguns - provided i can have the barrel length and chokes i requires there is not a lot more i would do as i am fairly standard build and shop bought 'stocks' fit me very well

BUT with shotguns you can go massively OTT with the classic English gunsmiths - fitted to you/superb engraving/fabulous stocks but will you shoot any better?

well my friend had a pair of Boss customs made - they cost him a fortune but he shoots better with a cheap Baikal!!!

with rifles i would be prepared to spend a lot to improve them forgetting 'glass' (optics) which is a totally separate matter

i would also pay a premium for hand loads rounds to my exact specification - or match grade rounds from the manufacturer

i currently am using a .22 PCP air rifle for rabbits (site does not allow firearms) - this has been built to my exact spec even the suppressor - its accuracy/quietness is outstanding - i can practice shooting matchsticks at 25yds or a 1/4" group

i do custom work to some of my fishing tackle to make it meet my needs - mainly indicators and rod pods

my indicators cover all situations are are a total mix of components from various manufacturers and then me getting out the pillar drill and the Dremmel

i use pods a lot and my pods are real Frankenstein's ! - they are cut/chopped and generally butchered from the originals to make them fit my needs - original source pods are Fox/Amiaud de Peche/Chris Brown etc

i am just having a pair of custom titanium three rod buzzer bars made (over £100) but nothing on the market meets my exact needs - these are to the mm what i want/need - i also design my custom builds that so they are transferable between my various pod 'bases'

 

[Richard Parsons]

Hi Nick - yes, looking forward to using the Harrison, though I'm pretty sure it's not a Torrix blank. The Hexagraph; I use with a centrepin and usually fish fairly close in (under the bank if it seems productive) thus casting isn't an issue. The telling characteristic of the rod is when playing a large barbel on a small river - it just takes the fish's lunges so well, yet is so light. Perhaps the other rods in the range aren't as capable for the situations for which they're designed.

I hear what you say re; Edward Barder and his rod making. He really is second to none. His prices, however, are a little out of my range - though I did have a nice two piece (with a separate handle) split can rod built for me by a very unassuming chap going by the name of Ryan Burns. Lovely rod it is too.

I'm not necessarily interested in a custom rod for the sake of it being a 'custom' rod. I just need a travel rod to keep in the car, hidden out the way. This particular blank isn't (as far as I'm aware) available 'off the shelf' and Dave Lumb is building it for a very competitive price.

 

[Nick Hodgkinson]

Hi Nick - yes, looking forward to using the Harrison, though I'm pretty sure it's not a Torrix blank. The Hexagraph; I use with a centrepin and usually fish fairly close in (under the bank if it seems productive) thus casting isn't an issue. The telling characteristic of the rod is when playing a large barbel on a small river - it just takes the fish's lunges so well, yet is so light. Perhaps the other rods in the range aren't as capable for the situations for which they're designed.

I hear what you say re; Edward Barder and his rod making. He really is second to none. His prices, however, are a little out of my range - though I did have a nice two piece (with a separate handle) split can rod built for me by a very unassuming chap going by the name of Ryan Burns. Lovely rod it is too.

I'm not necessarily interested in a custom rod for the sake of it being a 'custom' rod. I just need a travel rod to keep in the car, hidden out the way. This particular blank isn't (as far as I'm aware) available 'off the shelf' and Dave Lumb is building it for a very competitive price.

Hi Rich

very interesting reply

and i totally agree that the Hexagraph rods absorb 'lunges' - well, the shorter non carp versions!

i'm old enough to remember using 10' split cane salmon spinning rods - mainly Hardy

they 'killed' (landed fish) far more quickly than their fibreglass replacements until Hardy did the seemingly impossible and made a 10' fibreglass spinning rod comparable to split cane - the world famous Hardy No2 that today commands very high prices on the secondhand market

 

[Simon Lush]

one thing to add ref your new Torrix rods

Dave Lumb uses eight plus tip - i would go with Steve Harrison and use ten plus tip

i have Torrix in all 'specialist' test curves and have spoken at length to Steve Harrison and fully agree with ten plus tip

your choice at the end of the day, but ask yourself why the guy who designed the blank and builds it recommends ten plus tip?

i will say this in respect of no specific custom rod builder - BUT - they all say they can make the blank 'better' than as made by the designer - what do they know about the design process/carbon used etc

i have had so called 'custom rods' and with a few exceptions (Kev Baines) all it really involves is a personal finish - ask a custom builder about splicing a Dural (aluminium ) butt section or a reverse taper to change a rods action?

i have had this done with House of Hardy carp blanks being made into a custom salmon 'shrimp rod' - made to my spec and i sold loads on the River Tay

Mike, my Kev Baines 11 footer has 8 plus tip and if you want to question him then put 3 hrs of your life aside and ask him why