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Normark float rods

Julian Marshall said:
EasiCrikey - I did see this carbotec & wonder if it might make good money -

Carbotec Select Float rod Fast Play 3​

www.ebay.co.uk

Fishing Rod Carbotec Select Float rod Fast Play 3 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Fishing Rod Carbotec Select Float rod Fast Play 3 at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.
www.ebay.co.uk
anyone on here familiar with them?
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Yes very, pm me your mobile and we can have a chat or ask any specific questions and I’ll answer them. Cheers!
 
Julian Marshall said:
Crikey - I did see this carbotec & wonder if it might make good money -

Carbotec Select Float rod Fast Play 3​

www.ebay.co.uk

Fishing Rod Carbotec Select Float rod Fast Play 3 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Fishing Rod Carbotec Select Float rod Fast Play 3 at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.
www.ebay.co.uk
anyone on here familiar with them?
Click to expand...
Look at the distance between the second and tip ring then look at the distance between 2nd and 3rd ring.
That looks like it is missing a lump off the end.
This was my fast play no2
E5476197-25FE-476D-B586-5D22F56F1DDF.jpeg

Maybe the no3 is different but the sections tip and second should be within a mm or 2 the same length and the guide distance is very similar between tip and 2 and 2 and 3

Edit his listing description explains he used wrong pictures so not an issue.
 
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Glad I haven't just forked out £700 quid... I'd have maybe gone 350 ish.
 
Richard Isaacs said:
@Chris Jones after much thought I pulled the trigger myself on the 17ft hi s
Took a reel into the shop and gave it a much better assessment before shaving £450 off my balance.
I’ve got different ambitions for it than yourself as I’ll be doing more on the tidal and deeper stretches of the middle T and if I can trade a slider set up for a set of rubbers then happy days.
Personally I wouldn’t pick it as a tenching rod unless I’m expecting very special fish or fishing very close to snags. There is no question it’s a power float and on my local lakes down south with tench averaging 4-5lb I’d definitely prefer the finesse offered by the acolyte 17ft over the Hi S but obviously things could be very different where you go.
The rod itself is nothing short of beautiful. It’s not slim in the grand scheme of things but then I’m yet to find a real slim blank offered at that length as rigidity will likely take priority.
Put a reel of 300g on it and your balance point sits around 220mm infront of the reel seat so a little nose heavy for your light reels but not something that would phase me personally.

The overall weight of the rod itself is so light for what it is, you’d probably make the rod feel lighter by stepping up to a slightly heavier reel perhaps and moving that balance point to around 6 inch.

There is a relatively fast tip there but it doesn’t take much pressure before your out of that zone and into the rods curve. It then becomes a stiffer quite through actioned rod. Every section bends when it’s under load but there’s some resistance there in the rods power and I personally wouldn’t run anything lighter than 5lb line through it. I’d even happily go to 8lb knowing it would probably give before the rod does.
It’s a nice action but it’s definitely tailored towards special fish and not a rod I’d pick up unless I was specifically targeting fish that my other rods would simply struggle to maintain control with. Like my original 15ft version it will primarily be used for big barbel but a longer option.

They have done a good job of shaving weight off but they’ve done it all in the handle. The blank isn’t any lighter than the original and the rings are actually identical. I’d prefer to see a higher stand off on the butt ring but the rest are excellent for the distance they are away from the blank. Nice sizes too you could easily run stop knots through them with very little casting impairment at all.


The handle is a good 3 inch shorter. They’ve dropped all the steel in the caps and collars and used duplon on the for-grip and back.
The reel seat is finally one I can learn to love. Way better than the old carbon self loosening crap they used before and we’ve got a decent cork not this ultra thin slim rubbish that seems to be the fashion.

On paper at 216g (I’ll check it’s right later) it’s 2g lighter than my measured weight of the original 15ft version so neither are heavy rods for what they are however as you’d expect the 15 feels lighter simply because the bulk of the weight is more shifted closer to your hand.

I will give it a try out on the nene for big chub to see how it fairs but I can’t see it replacing my avenger3000 at 15ft for that job personally.

Hope that helps in your decision making because it’s not a cheap rod to get wrong.
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Picking back up on this what did you make of the 12/13 foot rods when you looked are they as powerful ? Would any of the range be reasonable for tench and chub for example ? Intrested more than anything 😊
 
Daniel Earl said:
Picking back up on this what did you make of the 12/13 foot rods when you looked are they as powerful ? Would any of the range be reasonable for tench and chub for example ? Intrested more than anything 😊
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The 13ft 2 piece is a lovely rod. Again…. Wouldn’t be my 1st choice for tench and chub just because I like to catch such things on tackle a little more refined but it’s definitely more than up to the job.
To me these free spirit rods would only make a trip to the bank if I know I’ve got a fair shot at double figured fish or anything quite hard fighting where I’m fishing close to snags.
If tench (averaging round my local lakes 4-5lb) or chub are the primary targets, I’d select something like a capable or stepped up match rod. (Acolyte plus, avenger, shimano spc, diawa spectron etc etc) the free spirit is a step above all these and what I’d class as a “power” float
 
Richard Isaacs said:
The 13ft 2 piece is a lovely rod. Again…. Wouldn’t be my 1st choice for tench and chub just because I like to catch such things on tackle a little more refined but it’s definitely more than up to the job.
To me these free spirit rods would only make a trip to the bank if I know I’ve got a fair shot at double figured fish or anything quite hard fighting where I’m fishing close to snags.
If tench (averaging round my local lakes 4-5lb) or chub are the primary targets, I’d select something like a capable or stepped up match rod. (Acolyte plus, avenger, shimano spc, diawa spectron etc etc) the free spirit is a step above all these and what I’d class as a “power” float
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Got a 1lb mark Tunley float which is epic for my chub and perch float fishing to be fair it’s the 12 foot it’s even nice to catch roach on which surprised me won’t set the world alight but nice. Just like to see on the horizon if I want another float rod for the Thames and a weedy big pit tench water down here that’s done a 12 times gone by and the tench I’ve witnessed out this last week have been over 7lb. Won’t always be like that kind 🤣🤣
 
I'm just getting myself geared up for a FS 14ft, as a shorter rod to my 2 x 15s. I don't think they will be overgunned at all for tench. The large bore of the guides makes them a very suitable rod for the slider. I was looking at the Guru aventus 14s and 15s. Had 15 seconds with the Guru 15 footer and it went back on the rack. I personally like to be that little bit overgunned, for specimen fish.
 
Daniel Earl said:
Got a 1lb mark Tunley float which is epic for my chub and perch float fishing to be fair it’s the 12 foot it’s even nice to catch roach on which surprised me won’t set the world alight but nice. Just like to see on the horizon if I want another float rod for the Thames and a weedy big pit tench water down here that’s done a 12 times gone by and the tench I’ve witnessed out this last week have been over 7lb. Won’t always be like that kind 🤣🤣
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It’s different for everyone as we all have different desires in our tackle. I liked the 13ft version a lot but it doesn’t really have much of a place in my fishing personally but it’s a lovely rod.

Unlike as Jon mentioned above I’ve personally always preferred to float fish using lighter balanced tackle where practical.
I won’t use a power float rod where chub are the primary target but something a little stepped up with a 4lb-5lb main line would be perfect for me. Stuff that through the guides of an acolyte plus or similar and you’ve got a set up that will comfortably land any chub that’s hell bent on getting for cover.

Barbel are obviously a different game and while I know they are successfully landed on capable match rods I’d prefer the power float option here with nothing less than 0.23 running through it if for nothing else its just not cricket to exhaust them.
My ambition this coming season is to get one or two off the nene on the float. Small river, lots of snags and potentially massive fish so I’ll be going in armed up to extract her.
Tench for me is really a bit like chub fishing. I don’t catch massive ones I don’t target them often but when I do it’s nearly always on the float. I’ve had 1 to 8lb but the rest are usually around half that size and quickly netted on typical slightly stepped up float gear.
 
I managed to get a Shakespeare Mach 1 at 14ft for £70.
Perfect for trotting for big Chub, catching tench and Great for silvers.
Tip doesn't snap like the Acolytes or the Normark Titans either.
 
Graham Elliott said:
I managed to get a Shakespeare Mach 1 at 14ft for £70.
Perfect for trotting for big Chub, catching tench and Great for silvers.
Tip doesn't snap like the Acolytes or the Normark Titans either.
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I’ve got titans and acolytes Graham. Mine ain’t broken.
Rough handling from people rather than an actual rod problem I think.
 
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Heard too many stories re Acolytes.
Very thin blank to lose weight has consequences.
Mate had 2 tips go.
Heard quite a few others.

I think they had a problem about 3 years ago especially, probably now sorted.

Certainly the Normarks wonderful to fish with as are the Microlights
 
I held off buying my first acolyte because I’d read similar stuff.
Then when I realized 10 complaints was actually 2 written 5 times and then you get to hear the story behind the breakage which differs somewhat to the original after a while and honestly I don’t believe there is or ever was a rod problem with them.

Nobody ever broke an inch off the tip of an acolyte by playing a fish or tackling up but I’m sure lots of tips particularly on very delicate thin hollow tipped rods, have been broken on wrap overs, pulling out of snags, general knocks and bangs etc and it’s easy to say the rod had a problem because it shouldn’t of broke that easily.

Rod never had a problem, they are just delicate tools that dont tolerate rough handling.
That’s my view anyway.
 
I did break a couple of inches off the tip of my Acolyte when I was tackling up second or third time I used it. Drennan replaced the section no problem and I’ve not had any problems since

I had a Shakespeare Mach 3 at 14’ which was a nice rod but not nearly as nice to use for trotting as the Acolyte, obviously.
 
Them new HI-s float rods are something special had a look when I went into tackle box.

13 foot two piece is delightful

But for down south here on the more intimate rivers with decent chub and snags the 10ft is a real nice rod. I thought this before I found out that a guy helped develop it that fishes the rivers down here for chub and I kinda get that now ! It feels a little like the 1lb small water in float version to me not totally but closest thing I can think of. Maybe a little more forgiving.
 
I've had to sacrifice a fair bit of this year's prime tench fishing to work. It was in a good cause though, two FS Hi-S float rods. I've had them a couple of weeks now and have managed to squeeze a touch more fishing in of late. I can finally give a minimally informed view of them.

First up, for those interested in bare weight figures, the 15'er comes in at 180g and the 17'er 218g. In my view, both feel a touch heavier than bare weight figures might suggest. This is due to the point of balance being a bit further forward than might be ideal. Not really an issue for my application as they are likely to spend most of their life on rests. When I venture out with them to a river, I'll be looking to use a reel that's a touch heavier than I may usually choose.

As far as power goes, they are undoubtedly as pokey as I require. However, they are nowhere near being the brute of a tool that the Freespirit "Spirit Specialist Advanced" 13' 1lb 6oz Power Float, that I already had, is. I've actually had to wade through a fair number of roach and perch to catch tench up to around 6lb. There's enough in the tips to give something more than a rather soulless retrieve with fish around the 8oz to 1lb 8oz mark. I've had no issues with bumping such fish. I did use the 15'er on a small river for about four hours. Similar story in that it was fine with the small dace and roach I was catching. Plenty of power in reserve for the 3lb ish chub that tried to bury itself in every bit of streamer weed present and the inevitable near side kiting to get into reed beds.

Mat the fishing gods have mercy on my soul for the next comment. The rods are also rather easy on the eye with the 1k weave and "perdurable" finish. I'd absolutely loath to do so, but it has crossed my mind that I might just about be able to cover all my float fishing with four (17', 15', 13' and 10/11') Hi-S float rods. There would undoubtedly be some niches that they couldn't adequately cover, but if I were prepared to compromise a bit, or had greater "specialist" leanings, it could be viable.
 
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