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Korum rods

Robert Linwood

Senior Member
Korum have a couple of decent rods that have just come on the market there called Korum opportunist they come in 10ft 2.25 lb tc & 8ft 2lbtc which I’ve just purchased lovely little rods and for £44.99 for the 8ft version and £49.99 for the 10ft unbelievable value for money they got full cork handles and minima guides. Thought I’d post this chaps as I’m well impressed with them
 
Picture of the 8ft version
 

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Korum made some superb rods under the Xpert title

especially the 0.75 and 1.1tc rods that have sadly been deleted

also the 1.5tc rods which are no longer made

as a specialist roach/perch angler i can say hand on heart they were amongst some of the best rods ever made - yes, they needed more rings and the handle/reel seat could have been improved - but at the price who cares?

they are no longer made because the demand for low tc specialist rods is far too small

i spoke to Steve Harrison about a specialist roach feeder rod - quite simply not the demand

the new rods are just another example of high tc rods that are not needed?

i'm an old fart and just got my first pension 'cheque' - but think back?

Walkers MK 4 was about 1.5tc and the sU was about 1.75tc - yet we caught plenty of big fish?

as an old fart i cannot post pics but i have a lovely shot of an Alan Brown Hilton carp rod in full battle curve at Maxey Lakes - think it was about 23lb

must have got it wrong as the rod was a 'soft' 1.5tc if i remember correctly? - should have been 3.5tc?

don't get me wrong - when carping i used the Daiwa Infinity X in 2.75 and 3.5tc BUT only for range and by that i mean 125yds plus - great rods that i still have and would never sell
 
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That's a bold move, like swapping your missus for the prettier next door version, some things you just have to keep.

And what about the nitty griities when it comes to action? :eek:
 
That's a bold move, like swapping your missus for the prettier next door version, some things you just have to keep.

And what about the nitty griities when it comes to action? :eek:

action of rods is a very personal thing - what i call stiff action others would call medium action?

also casting weights are misleading - take say my old Daiwa Infinity X in 3.5tc which i found best with 3.5oz yet others will recommend 4/5oz

depends on your casting style/reel/line etc - and perhaps more importantly your fish playing style?
 
rods are so personal its impossible to say to what is the 'best' - its a bit like women in that we all have our own personal preferences!

price is no guide

i have handled some truly horrific rods (in my opinion, very expensive rods that were crap)

the worst Bruce and Walker Hexagraphs

i used to be a pro salmon angler/guide with 2.25 miles on the River Tay just north of Dunkeld

tackle manufacturers were always happy to give me and others rods to test

the Hexagraph madness started and the first i got to test was the Universal 15'- it was a mish mash and only appealed to those who liked the resemblance to split cane - as a fishing rod useless

but the Bruce and Walker 'Walker Range' were excellent salmon fly rods

maybe not many know but before the Hexagraphs, Dick Walker did some design work with House of Hardy with a 'hexagraph type design as per split cane and the great man said they were not the way forward

think the prototypes are in the Hardy Museum?

i have a couple of Hexagraph 12'6" long range carp rods - bought them used and had rebuilt by Bruce and Walker at about £800 - and though they look nice they are crap - a £50 rod from Sports Direct will perform better
simply style over function

best salmon fly rods at the time were House of Hardy by a country mile - but this was fifteen plus years ago and things have changed and Hardy are no longer what they were - Jim Hardy must be turning in his grave?
 
action of rods is a very personal thing - what i call stiff action others would call medium action?

also casting weights are misleading - take say my old Daiwa Infinity X in 3.5tc which i found best with 3.5oz yet others will recommend 4/5oz

depends on your casting style/reel/line etc - and perhaps more importantly your fish playing style?
With action I was trying to be funny Nick, nothing to do with rod action. Sorry mate I will stand in the corner...:rolleyes:
 
rods are so personal its impossible to say to what is the 'best' - its a bit like women in that we all have our own personal preferences!

price is no guide

i have handled some truly horrific rods (in my opinion, very expensive rods that were crap)

the worst Bruce and Walker Hexagraphs

i used to be a pro salmon angler/guide with 2.25 miles on the River Tay just north of Dunkeld

tackle manufacturers were always happy to give me and others rods to test

the Hexagraph madness started and the first i got to test was the Universal 15'- it was a mish mash and only appealed to those who liked the resemblance to split cane - as a fishing rod useless

but the Bruce and Walker 'Walker Range' were excellent salmon fly rods

maybe not many know but before the Hexagraphs, Dick Walker did some design work with House of Hardy with a 'hexagraph type design as per split cane and the great man said they were not the way forward

think the prototypes are in the Hardy Museum?

i have a couple of Hexagraph 12'6" long range carp rods - bought them used and had rebuilt by Bruce and Walker at about £800 - and though they look nice they are crap - a £50 rod from Sports Direct will perform better
simply style over function

best salmon fly rods at the time were House of Hardy by a country mile - but this was fifteen plus years ago and things have changed and Hardy are no longer what they were - Jim Hardy must be turning in his grave?


As you rightly say, rods are a personal thing. I have a 1.25lb tc Hexagraph and prefer it to any rod I've handled thus far. I'm not sure Dick Walker saying they're "not the way forward" legitimises your opinion. It's fine just as it is, I would have thought. Still, I haven't handled a Hexagraph salmon rod. Have you used the Avon?
 
Hi Richard

sorry for the late reply - been fishing

i did buy a Hexagraph Avon from a guy selling his late brother estate

think it was the 1.25tc?

i did not like it and in every respect it was worse than a Torrix 1.25 rod

but opinions are like arses - everybody has one, lol!

as regards to Dick Walker - they were his comments and quite rightly House of Hardy decided not to go down the line of Hexagraph type rods - they have been vindicated in my opinion

Walker said weight was the first problem and the costs were prohibitive - BUT in his opinion they offered no advantage against comparable 'tubular' rods
 
Hi Nick - yes, I have the 1.25 avon, and love it. Having said that, I haven't used a Torrix (of any test curve) so can't compare. Hexagraphs are understated in terms of tc so the 1.25 is more capable than a similarly rated rod. May I ask if you hooked and landed anything with the Hexagraph?

As for Dick Walker - he's rightly revered throughout the angling world for both his practical achievements as well as his technical knowledge. Thus I have no reason to doubt him, other than to say things have moved on quite a bit since - and what you say about opinions is quite correct. :)
 
Hi Nick - yes, I have the 1.25 avon, and love it. Having said that, I haven't used a Torrix (of any test curve) so can't compare. Hexagraphs are understated in terms of tc so the 1.25 is more capable than a similarly rated rod. May I ask if you hooked and landed anything with the Hexagraph?

As for Dick Walker - he's rightly revered throughout the angling world for both his practical achievements as well as his technical knowledge. Thus I have no reason to doubt him, other than to say things have moved on quite a bit since - and what you say about opinions is quite correct. :)

Richard - i used the 1.5 Hexagraph for a quick chub trip and a couple of times floater fishing for carp (chub to approx 5 and carp to mid doubles)

it did the job but in my opinion offered nothing special and that is why i sold it

certainly i think the 1.25 tc is on the 'light side' - ok it may measure 1.25tc by conventional testing means but it is certainly more powerful than any other 1.25 tc rod i have ever used

as i mentioned earlier i have a pair of 12'6" 2.5tc Hexagraph carp rods i had rebuilt by Bruce and Walker at a staggering £800 (not been used since rebuild)

Bruce and Walker claim they will cast huge distances which i openly dispute - yes, they will chuck a 3.5oz lead 100yds but they are simply not in the same league distance wise as my old Daiwa Infinity X in 2.75 and 3.5tc
 
Ah, well, your opinion is seemingly well-informed then. I can only reiterate that I'm more than happy with mine (though I bought second-hand) and I also understand that you expect something special with the outlay you made on your carp rods. 'Tis a shame you're not happy with them.
 
Ah, well, your opinion is seemingly well-informed then. I can only reiterate that I'm more than happy with mine (though I bought second-hand) and I also understand that you expect something special with the outlay you made on your carp rods. 'Tis a shame you're not happy with them.

Hi Rich

as i said they are only my opinions - glad you enjoy your Heaxagraph

what i will say about the carp rods is that unlike the Avon rod they were very 'tip heavy' - i'm a pretty good caster but could not find the 'sweet spot' in trying to compress the rods to get maximum distance and i tried leads from 2oz to 5oz?
 
Hi Nick - sounds like a design fault. There's a very good chance that I've just happened to pick the best of the Hexagraph range - more by luck than judgement, as I bought it secondhand.
I've just ordered a Harrison 4-piece Avon from Dave Lumb and looking forward to trying out a Harrison for the first time. It's just one to keep in the boot for that opportunistic session. :)
 
Hi Nick - sounds like a design fault. There's a very good chance that I've just happened to pick the best of the Hexagraph range - more by luck than judgement, as I bought it secondhand.
I've just ordered a Harrison 4-piece Avon from Dave Lumb and looking forward to trying out a Harrison for the first time. It's just one to keep in the boot for that opportunistic session. :)

Hi Rich

thanks for your comments which are much appreciated - and yes, you have got the 'sweet spot' of the Hexagraph range - purely by chance i might suggest?

when Ken Walker and Jim Bruce formed the company you had real innovators and in terms of tubular rods and with the input of Arthur Oglesby they produced at the time some of the best salmon fly rods in the world - as did Hardy who in the end i used (another story)

but in the early days the 17'6" Walker was my go to fly rod - with the right technique it would cast a 40yd fly line out of the tip!

i think it was Ken Walker who really led the Hexagraph 'thing'? - i used to know Hugh Falkus very well and he was involved in the Hexagraph salmon/sea trout rods

Hugh was the best salmon/sea trout angler i have ever met - but, he had issues

as i said at the time i had a prime River Tay salmon beat and got offered rods to test (read approve) by all manufacturers - i remember having to go to Inverness to collect an HD Universal salmon rod in cane finish

next day day Kinnaird beat (my neighbour) i fished the best fly pool with lovely streamy water and was totally disappointed/sad with the Hexagraph which went back to Bruce and Walker

but that was twenty plus years ago

but bang up to date there was a tv programme recently about the 'best of British' and Bruce and Walker were shown to demonstrate rod building!

it showed modern tech being used in a stone age environment, and a woman with a haughty voice that would scratch a diamond talking about rod bag designs requested by customers

if you wanted to show best of British hand made rods look no further than Bader split cane rods - traditionally made to the highest standards and in demand all over the world

ref your new rod - Harrison and Dave lumb - you have chosen well

enjoy your new rod
 
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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
 
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