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Off the shelf Barbel rods

The adverts for the Shimano rods showed awful cork on the handles really looked terrible why they add that to the adverts I'll never know. Not sure about the Guru's but they looked over priced and just don't look nice.
 

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Andy Bell said:
Tried all sorts but still love my Leslie’s of Luton Insight multi tip rods, and the SU version built on Harrison blanke
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Yep big fan myself….as you will know Andy👍 just wish I could get another of the HD version, never seen another since having yours
 
I see Bruce and Walker are no longer making the Hexagraph range - IMO one of the best off the shelf options.
Other than that I like my old Normark carp/barbel rods (with a 1.5lb and 2lb tc top section for each). Had cork handles put on them as soon as I acquired them - so much nicer than the original shrink wrap. Very slim blanks.
 
Richard Parsons said:
I see Bruce and Walker are no longer making the Hexagraph range - IMO one of the best off the shelf options.
Other than that I like my old Normark carp/barbel rods (with a 1.5lb and 2lb tc top section for each). Had cork handles put on them as soon as I acquired them - so much nicer than the original shrink wrap. Very slim blanks.
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I do agree with you about abbreviated handle's . I bought on eBay a beautiful new 2.75 Sportex carp 2 really as I was fascinated by the brilliant green filigree on the blank. At 40 incl courier I could hardly refuse. Anyway never used it in anger, rigged once so I could see how it casts. Found the thin handle impossible and decided to have a cork one fitted. Didn't as I am unlikely to use. Still, it's by far my prettiest rod, Makes the Harrison's seem dour! Still think about the cork though.
 
Jon Frisby said:
Absolutely....mine are lovely
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I won a new one in an auction by TFT, at the beginning of lockdown. £159.99 delivered. Sadly it was a 2.75 so too much for me. Thoroughly enjoyed using it for carp a few times before I reluctantly sold it. Definitely one of my favourites, alongside the browning silverlite cc feeder. Another unsung rod.
 
I'd like to get my hands on the 1.75 Basia, particularly to see what it's like as a medium range Tench rod. I rated the Infinity's highly.

Probably best I don't though as they are well out of my price range!!
 
Joe, I have a pair. On my local lake, I had just spooled up with some Gardner Pro Dark in 12 lb for my Tench fishing. I do it in the garage and then take it to my local to get the twists out etc. So with the Basia 1.75s, 12lb mono, a guru 45 gram hybrid feeder I was able to cast... to around the 80yd easy and my best was 92 yds. I had a few Tench to 7.12 the other week. Abfab imo
 
If you do what Jon did and change the tip ring for an antifrap Version then I doubt very much there will be a rod to rival it in terms of lightness, balance, slimness especially around the tip and it’s action is wonderful.
I would say the test curves are slightly underrated on it and the 2.75 is probably closer to 2.5 if it was actually measured.
It’s a players rod no doubt about that but it’s no slouch, it’s got everything you need to cast a long way and put the brakes on. Tip is stiffish and the mid sections bend right through. Good resistance to bending as it gets down to the lower parts but it’s not locking up till the cork starts to bend.
You can’t really notice the x45 so much while playing a fish or I couldn’t really but where you do notice it very much is casting.
If your casting a large weight a long way (something I’m not amazing at) this rod is exceptional with direction.
Where your pointing is where your bait goes every time. The x45 definitely aids to accuracy in direction as it can even make a casting clown like me hit the spot 🤣
 
I had a Torrix 2.5 and this is more powerful in the butt, butt with imo a tippier top section.
 
I've always thought my 2.75 Basias were a bit softer than stated. Glad I'm not the only one. Lovely rods though, although they don't get used that much.
 
Joe Winstanley said:
I'd like to get my hands on the 1.75 Basia, particularly to see what it's like as a medium range Tench rod. I rated the Infinity's highly.

Probably best I don't though as they are well out of my price range!!
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Richard Isaacs said:
If you do what Jon did and change the tip ring for an antifrap Version then I doubt very much there will be a rod to rival it in terms of lightness, balance, slimness especially around the tip and it’s action is wonderful.
I would say the test curves are slightly underrated on it and the 2.75 is probably closer to 2.5 if it was actually measured.
It’s a players rod no doubt about that but it’s no slouch, it’s got everything you need to cast a long way and put the brakes on. Tip is stiffish and the mid sections bend right through. Good resistance to bending as it gets down to the lower parts but it’s not locking up till the cork starts to bend.
You can’t really notice the x45 so much while playing a fish or I couldn’t really but where you do notice it very much is casting.
If your casting a large weight a long way (something I’m not amazing at) this rod is exceptional with direction.
Where your pointing is where your bait goes every time. The x45 definitely aids to accuracy in direction as it can even make a casting clown like me hit the spot 🤣
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entirely agree with you Richard. When I had the basia, ,aventus and the air, the later was the most accurate caster.( I hasten to add, in my hands) r. But they had one common thread. A feisty angry fish has me incredulous at the amount of bend all 3 would take and still not break. Really had to be seen to be believed.
 
Richard Isaacs said:
I’ve got the torrix 2.25 and I thought they were very similar in both action and power to the basia.
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Saying that though the 2.5 and 2.25 torrix’s are totally different rods completely. It’s bizarre
My 2.25 is built as a trotting rod for dead baits as it’s action is fairly slow but the 2.5 is much faster in the tip and wouldn’t work the same. I tried a lot of blanks out before settling on this one. Of all the torrix specialists, the 2.25 is the most un torrix like
 
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