Hello Peter,
Reasonable price for the gear - could be cheeky & ask him to throw somethng else in the clinch the deal!!
Depends on where on the Trent you intend to fish & what seasons. The reels are probably a bit on the big side, when fully loaded, with the wieght of the rod, could be a little more cumbersome than you need. Just looking at the reel spec's, they hold 350m of 14lb line or 430m of 12lb.
The rod's TC is fine as long as it has a bit of give through the rod. The extra foot on the rods probably unnecessary for most summer flow conditions. These might come into their own during flood conditions.
To be honest, most of the fishing on the middle Trent one can get away with leads less than 3oz, fishing a few rod lengths out with 10-12lb line. For barbelling I have used a variety of rods (carp, pike & ledger rods) & reels (emblems, basia's & a no. of shimano baitrunners) - my present setup is a bit of a mismatch combining carp & coarse tackle. For instance, I am using 2.75tc century blanks build by Nick Bus (£275 each) but then am coupling these up with cheap, small shimano baitrunners (£30 each).
The rods are the main thing coupled to a decent pod or stick arrangement that gives one the flexibility to elevate the rod where necessary. For the most tho, throw out a 2-3oz gripper no more than 20 yards, with 12lb line & have a good scrappy fight regardless of the tackle.
For flood fishing, again keep it in the edge, have a few heavier leads to 6oz in the bag. The extra foot might be a slight advantage to create the acute angle, but again, a good pod/stick arrangement can achieve this.
Some anglers like the flexibility to throw a lead 50 yards across the Trent. For that, the bigger spool for the quicker retrieve & the extra foot could be slightly more convenient. For my approach I very rarely cast beyond the middle (30 yards).
I would probably use what gear you presently have & give it a go first. Then readdress in due course.
If you want any extra info, drop us a pm.
Cheers, Jon
