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New reels and rod tips

M

Mark Evans

Active Member
Hi guys,

i asked this in another section but it doesn't seem as popular as this part of the forum.

Got my eye on the Daiwa Whisker SS2600 reels, anyone use them and how do you rate them?. I'd like to use this size on a barbel rod and the Nash 9ft Dwarf rods. Not too big?

And rods. When it comes to tips, how many of you choose the avon section over the quiver (or vice versa) on your barbel rods?

Is there any need for the typical 1.75lb barbel rod? i LOVE the original Drennan feeder rods and have the medium feeder and was thinking of maybe adding the big feeder for barbel. I'm not casting to the horizon or fishing flood water, most of the stretches i fish are fish around the 5-8lb mark. Just i really love the medium feeder and think they don't make rods like these anymore, nostalgic old (35) fool i am.

Cheers guys
Mark
 
A very difficult question to answer Mark as far as rods are concerned because of the variety of rivers and conditions people face. I think the 1.75lb rods tend to be popular because of their general versatility. I can use mine on the Kennet and on the Wye. Things get more tricky when you are fishing a flooded river or say a small river which is a bit snaggy. No hard and fast rules, just what you are comfortable with and what feels right for the fishing situation. All of this is great news if you like purchasing fishing rods as it gives you a fantastic excuse for having a decent stock of them.
 
Daiwa whiskers are very much a cult reel now, I found they had an inherent wobble, so sold mine. I do like my Shimano's robust and do the job.
Rods well where do you start, but I love my old Drennans too, the twin tip power barbels are great, and the 1.75 & 2.0 tips feel a good fit on the butt, with no compromise.
Summer time poking through reeds etc, l love my 11' Torrix 1.75, light and will last for ever. Like the older Fox too, the green blanks, very versatile twin tip. Makes a good feeder rod too.
Probably have too many rods, but can you have too many?:)
 
Haha never too many rods!

I currently have the Shakespeare Mach 2 XT barbel, but with the avon section it feels very tip heavy to hold and that tip seem quite beefy too. Only ever used it with the 3oz quiver section. Maybe it's just cheap?, i've no other barbel rod to compare it too though.

Ill give those reels a miss then. Other option was some 2nd Aero 6010's?
 
You won't go wrong with a good second hand 5000 series Shimano baitrunner. If you back wind then the basic RE model will more then suffice, if you prefer to use the clutch then look for a GTE, or GTE-B. Dave Aylett has a GTE-B for sale in the classified section which looks a fair buy - I've bought from Dave before and he's very straight to deal with.

Re rods - a typical 1.75 TC rod is a good all-rounder, I've never used a quivertip for barbel, I've never felt the need but it's down to personal preference. These days there is a lot of good quality used gear on Ebay (most of it hardly use at all) so its easy to experiment with rods without incurring too much expense.
 
Hi Mark,

I have ss2600's on my 10ft carp rods and I love em, but they do divide opinion. They are old fashioned and technically antiquated when compared to the latest Shimmy's and Daiwa reels. In their favour they are very robust, a decent size for smaller waters and river work, look really good ( IMHO ) and have a lovely fish playing clutch.

In respect of your rod top query. It's horses for courses really. I have my 1.75tc avon tops on for the majority of my barbel fishing but if I was fishing specifically for chub or a low, clear river in the summer with maggots I'd have the quiver tips on.
 
i use the 2600s for various work including light sea work, carp, barbel and tench or bream, i personally like them apart from the glintzy gold finish ect and am just about to send away for some carbotex washers to convert my spools into quick drag reels:)
 
Mark Evans said:
Haha never too many rods!

I currently have the Shakespeare Mach 2 XT barbel, but with the avon section it feels very tip heavy to hold and that tip seem quite beefy too. Only ever used it with the 3oz quiver section. Maybe it's just cheap?, i've no other barbel rod to compare it too though.

Ill give those reels a miss then. Other option was some 2nd Aero 6010's?
Click to expand...

Ahh the 6010's are excellent, but a bit beefy unless you are fishing a flood, that's what I use them for, and as mentioned the 5000's are better suited for all round use, they still come up on ebay, a good one will be between £40-50, ER's too, are very good.
Fox twin Duo's Drennan's, s/h Harrison's would be a good start, I think any 4000/ or older Shimano 5000's would marry up with a good 1.75 rod for your type of targets, I have the Severn in flood to contend with, which is a different ball game, you can narrow it down a bit.
 
Maybe i'm thinking of going way too light then? cause my Drennan medium feeder i love for small river chub with hardly/no barbel about, but i will be fishing the W/Avon + Severn this year.

On my list is either:

Korum 1.75 barbel (single tip version)
Drennan 1.75 avon
Drennan Martin Bowler 1.75 barbel

I imagined on the Drennan rod the avon section would be more usable and not a pokey as the one on my cheap Shakey rod?

Lot of choice on reels and one i'm going to have to look into further before making a decision.
 
This thread could be endless Mark. We've all got favourite rods and reels but not always the same of course!
I can only advise not to let rod and reel dictate where and how you fish, but to see how your barbel fishing evolves, and upgrade accordingly.
There is a lot of good mid -budget gear out there and I would recommend a shifty through some of the archives on here to check on user reviews.
Personally, i don't tend to use quiver tips and shy away from the bigger reels for barbel, and try to buy quality. Shimano and Daiwa have produced some classic reels over the years which are worth considering as a secondhand purchase.
Twin tip rods that have good guides and reel fittings can cover a wide variety of river scenarios, except trotting. ...however, you will never get away with 'a barbel rod' you need loads!!
That's part of the fun..when trying to justify another rod purchase to the other half. :rolleyes:
 
Mark,
This is a lovely problem to have !
There is no right or wrong answer, so you can upgrade regularly without feeling guilty.
Reels, I started with Okuma reels for my carp and barbel fishing and found them very good alrounders. Later upgrading to Shimano 8000's for carp and 5000's for barbel and tench.
Rods are very much a personal thing, barbel will happily give you good bite indication on a 1.75 Avon using a lead or feeder. But in summer I like to do a bit of freelining with bread or meat and then a 2 or 3ozs tip is my choice.
Enjoy your search.
Mike
 
35 and single.....living the dream! Haha.

Thanks for all the advice guys, will head to my local tackle shop that I know has a couple of the rods I have in mind and ill have a look to find what I like.
 
Mark, i seem to remember a Drennan cup winning 14lb Barbel from the Dorset Stour by Len Arbury was landed on a drennan light feeder,your rod but the lighter version which was his 'Winter rod'. Each to there own when it comes to rods,at the moment i am using a sigma wand and very light line catching lots of Barbel whilst Roach fishing on bread .The Rod bends to the handle and the barbel are up to around 9lb and i loose very few. Others are fishing the section with 2lb rods and 15lb line they catch less and weirdly loose more.I own Harrison chimeras and torrix plus fox kevlars and a stupid number of other barbel rods and would use the right rod for the occasion,heavy snags or very big barbel, but this section does not warrant heavy gear.The answer is balanced tackle
 
I think I need more than one rod so I can pick the right one I need at the time ;)

Man I remember that! And reading a great article in Improve your coarse fishing in the 90's on Len, he was chub and barbel fishing armed with 2-3 of the Drennan rods. Good times!

Not sure if I'll regret it but went for a Daiwa Whisker SS1600 to try out, since I'll only use it for barbel I went for the smaller 1600 size over the 2600.

Will most likely get a Shimano baitrunner again once I know the best one to buy, all the letters confuse me. The only ones I really know are the 6010 and 8010 GTE double handle ones from a few years back.
 
Mark,

On the middle Severn i mainly use a Drennan Medium combo 11.5/12.5ft feeder, 13ft DRX feeder and 12ft Super feeder rod in anything from summer levels to 6-8ft on. I use the Super feeder when i'm mainly targeting Barbel and the 13ft DRX for longer chucks. If you buy another Drennan (excluding Acolyte), the tips off your old drennan should fit both rods saving you having to have multiple sets of tips! Also Drennan have the most extensive range of spare tips available (that i know of anyway!).
 
I have my eye on either the Drennan Avon 1.75 or the Martin Bowler 1.75 barbel. I think either would go with my medium feeder well as a more stepped up rod.
 
Speaking of quiver tips and rod tops I stopped using the quiver tip many years ago.i touch leger and it doesn't matter what thickness the tip is .if they even smell at the bait.Bingo.you can watch the Kingfisher and still hook them
Albert
 
Yeah i noticed those rods, although i'm only after one and he's too far away from me. I'm also going buy new from my friends shop, supporting your local store and all that.

Hi Albert, touch legering with my Shakey Mach 2 XT is not something i could do for long due to it being/feeling quite tip heavy with the avon section on. I feel i'd deffo need a lighter rod more suited to this style.

Had a look at the Shimano site last night, Jeez, how many different baitrunners do they need?! haha, and so confusing over all the lettering, D, XT, RB etc etc i should have stayed up to date with everything to know what to buy. Although that 4000D looks VERY nice!
 
Mark I am selling my fishing gear because I cannot get to the river now that my wife is no longer here.2 free spirit rods and other gear .the rods are
mint 11 ft and 12 ft with 2 tops and tips
Albert
 
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