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New chub rod

Richard Isaacs

Richard Isaacs

Senior Member & Supporter
Just thought I’d share I’ve been down to see mr Tunley today to collect my order.
I love a bit of chub fishing especially in winter and it’s been long over due that I customized a rod to suit my requirements exactly for chub ledgering methods. Float is sorted as the compact Acolyte is spot on for my trotting but my quiver rods can be vastly improved on for my small water big chub roaming.
My Spec.
Harrison Avon 11ft 1.125 Avon rod. Lots of power lovely soft action. 4-8lb main lines. An awesome blank for chub recommendation made by Mark.

Tip cut down and spliced with Long 2oz quiver tip for ledgering with small weights on small rivers and streams. I don’t like interchangeables I like 1 tip that works properly with the rod.

Fuji 20mm k series singles set.
My favorite rings on specialist rods.

Full cork with sliding bands
For me on rods like this a sliding band reel seat is far nicer than the fixed type.
I can chose exactly how much handle I want sticking out the back and balance up a reel perfectly to the rod. Something I think is very beneficial with touch ledgering feeling for bites.

Last 75mm Japanese shrink tube.
I don’t like any Eva on my rods but I do let the back end sit in the wet mud quite often when roaming. This should provide a little extra protection on the cork.

Tip painted white and orange. Covers most backgrounds I’d say.

So overall functionality over form. It’s a very understated Matt finish with simple black whippings.
As you’d expect from MT it’s an amazing job.
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Finally placed an order with Mark a couple of days ago myself, after a few years of deliberating... I’ll report back in a few months when they’re ready, but I’m beyond excited... Mr Tunley is great to deal with.

These look great. Some nice little touches, they’ll be perfect for the job.
 
Alex Warren said:
Finally placed an order with Mark a couple of days ago myself, after a few years of deliberating... I’ll report back in a few months when they’re ready, but I’m beyond excited... Mr Tunley is great to deal with.

These look great. Some nice little touches, they’ll be perfect for the job.
Click to expand...
A little more detail required Alex.
What you ordered??
 
Oooh I like that. Have always wanted a chub rod like that on a Harrison blank. Didn’t know they could put in the spliced 2oz tip as that’s all I use for chub. Going to have a clear out soon as I’m moving house might have a mass sell of unused bits and get one of these on order. Should be ready just in time for the colder months when I do a bit of chubbing.
 
Looks very nice Richard, I hope you get many a lump on it!

I’m assuming the blank is a bespoke one made for Mark Tunley with it being 1.4 rather than the standard Harrison Avon TC of 1.6? Or is that the result of the standard blank being ground? I like the ultra-Matt finish...perfect choice for a close quarter chub-rod.

Just one thing, I’ve done very little in the way of touch legering, but using a quivertip for touch legering seems counter-intuitive? Doesn’t the soft quivertip dampen the sensitivity?

ATB,

Joe
 
Joe Winstanley said:
Looks very nice Richard, I hope you get many a lump on it!

I’m assuming the blank is a bespoke one made for Mark Tunley with it being 1.4 rather than the standard Harrison Avon TC of 1.6? Or is that the result of the standard blank being ground? I like the ultra-Matt finish...perfect choice for a close quarter chub-rod.

Just one thing, I’ve done very little in the way of touch legering, but using a quivertip for touch legering seems counter-intuitive? Doesn’t the soft quivertip dampen the sensitivity?

ATB,

Joe
Click to expand...
I absolutely love touch ledgering with a quiver rod Joe. It might not be the norm for most people but the sensitivity I believe exaggerates things a bit further as they feel less resistance when testing a bait. They are little buggers for plucking and messing and I think a quiver tip encourages a proper follow up take as they feel less resistance in the rod but the angler can still feel everything through the blank.
 
Richard Isaacs said:
I absolutely love touch ledgering with a quiver rod Joe. It might not be the norm for most people but the sensitivity I believe exaggerates things a bit further as they feel less resistance when testing a bait. They are little buggers for plucking and messing and I think a quiver tip encourages a proper follow up take as they feel less resistance in the rod but the angler can still feel everything through the blank.
Click to expand...

That’s interesting, thanks Richard
 
Richard Isaacs said:
I absolutely love touch ledgering with a quiver rod Joe. It might not be the norm for most people but the sensitivity I believe exaggerates things a bit further as they feel less resistance when testing a bait. They are little buggers for plucking and messing and I think a quiver tip encourages a proper follow up take as they feel less resistance in the rod but the angler can still feel everything through the blank.
Click to expand...

Are you using braided mainline Richard?
 
I used to use a powermesh Avon for touch led work and since reverting to a sensitive tip I’ll never look back again!
There are many ways to skin a cat but imo touch ledgering works best when everything is sensitive and low resistance
I don’t pull yards of line off the reel and hold it like some do I just hold the rod normally and rest my other finger on the line between the reel and big eye. I keep a very slight bow In the line.
It’s always the way you get a couple of plucks that are more visible from watching the line and they do also dink on the tip.
If the jobs done right and the bait has passed the resistance test then you’ll see that line snake off and rap the sensitive tip over.

What I found with the Avon rod top was the follow up take sometimes didn’t happen and my theory (no body knows for sure) was the sensitivity wasn’t there. Even with a slack line the flow takes it up and everything is transferred through to the tip so they will feel it.
Obviously best case scenario is a proper take in the first place but unfortunately those chub are incredibly wise and can test a bait without fear of getting hooked.
Smaller baits it’s obviously less of a problem. I am a big lump of cheese paste man most of the time and this method with this style of rod seems to be most productive for me.
 
Yesterday i ordered one of marks harrison 8ft 1.75lb Tc stalkers I’ve only just picked my 10ft stalker up from him a few weeks ago but as it’s my birthday tomorrow thought I’d treat my self to another little custom made rod. Mr tunley is a top bloke and I’ve had loads built by him now and his work is spot on 👍
 
Richard Isaacs said:
Just thought I’d share I’ve been down to see mr Tunley today to collect my order.
I love a bit of chub fishing especially in winter and it’s been long over due that I customized a rod to suit my requirements exactly for chub ledgering methods. Float is sorted as the compact Acolyte is spot on for my trotting but my quiver rods can be vastly improved on for my small water big chub roaming.
My Spec.
Harrison Avon 11ft 1.125 Avon rod. Lots of power lovely soft action. 4-8lb main lines. An awesome blank for chub recommendation made by Mark.

Tip cut down and spliced with Long 2oz quiver tip for ledgering with small weights on small rivers and streams. I don’t like interchangeables I like 1 tip that works properly with the rod.

Fuji 20mm k series singles set.
My favorite rings on specialist rods.

Full cork with sliding bands
For me on rods like this a sliding band reel seat is far nicer than the fixed type.
I can chose exactly how much handle I want sticking out the back and balance up a reel perfectly to the rod. Something I think is very beneficial with touch ledgering feeling for bites.

Last 75mm Japanese shrink tube.
I don’t like any Eva on my rods but I do let the back end sit in the wet mud quite often when roaming. This should provide a little extra protection on the cork.

Tip painted white and orange. Covers most backgrounds I’d say.

So overall functionality over form. It’s a very understated Matt finish with simple black whippings.
As you’d expect from MT it’s an amazing job.
View attachment 11062View attachment 11063View attachment 11064View attachment 11065
Click to expand...
VERY NICE MATE 👍
 
That looks a lovely rod, I’m also a fan of sliding reel fittings.....I wonder if I can convince myself I need a new Chub rod🤔
 
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