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Tench and Bream Rod

Martin Stevens

Martin Stevens

Senior Member
Evening chaps

I'm humming and ha-ing about a change of scenery and species next season. I've been on the Wasing Kennet syndicate for the past two seasons after barbel and while I have enjoyed it, I am contemplating a change for a number of reasons.

As a member I have been offered the chance to join a cheaper syndicate on a gravel pit situated on the estate. I believe the main species are Carp, Bream, Perch and Pike (not sure about tench yet).

I'm thinking of targetting the bream and any tench that might be in the water using tactics I've read about in articles by Terry Lampard and Chris Turnbull using feeders (maybe helicopter rigs). Any ideas on what sort of rod would be suitable? I have 1.75lb and 1.5lb tc barbel rods that I thought might do the trick.

Cheers in advance
 
Having spent 2 days this week entirely frustrated that the tench in the pit I was fishing were rolling around the island margins that was out of range for my softer Avon rods I chose to use I'd suggest it certainly pays to have the kit up to the job of flinging feeders out to the horizon, especially where bream are concerned as they aren't known to be margin creatures!

It depends on how big your water is too, obviously a barbel rod is more than capable of taming bream and tench but they are generally made for close range river fishing and may be a bit clumsy when trying to launch a feeder long distance. Drennan have brought out their specialist tench and bream rods...

The Drennan Distance Tench & Bream 12ft 2lb Rod | Drennan Latest

Not to be spending your money or anything!

There will be guys on here that have far more experience and authority to comment on this than me though, but having only fished pits for a handful of years now these kind of problems are always confronting me - distance, how heavy the weed growth is, how many 'nuisance' carp there are etc.
 
With tench and bream the function of the rod is primarily to cast the hookbaits where you want them. If the fish are feeding close in, light Avon rods will be fine but if you need to put out big feeders 100 yards to reach them then you'll need some beefy carp rods.
 
This is a problem that i have tench fishing a local 10 acre pit; whilst i love my 1.75 test barbel infinities, they cannot comfortably cast 2oz of lead and a pva bag of goodies the distance i need them to, so i have been looking around at a pair of rods that have softer fish playing abilities, but able to get my lead and pva bags out 100 yards. I have been looking at some of the rods available including the 12ft chub outkast small water carp rods at 2.25lb test and the nash entity at 2.75lb test; i have waggled both. The lighter ESP Snipers seem another good choice from what i have read. All seem up to the task and have a nice forgiving action and will also double up us rods i can use when river carping in the summer. Possibly as important for me is that i cannot afford to spend over 100 notes on each rod. So, i would also be interested in anyones views on this subject.

regards

Paul
 
if you have the money go onto vic gibsons site, some good options including 50mm ringing, but not cheap!
 
Chris Summersell said:
Having spent 2 days this week entirely frustrated that the tench in the pit I was fishing were rolling around the island margins that was out of range for my softer Avon rods I chose to use I'd suggest it certainly pays to have the kit up to the job of flinging feeders out to the horizon, especially where bream are concerned as they aren't known to be margin creatures!

It depends on how big your water is too, obviously a barbel rod is more than capable of taming bream and tench but they are generally made for close range river fishing and may be a bit clumsy when trying to launch a feeder long distance. Drennan have brought out their specialist tench and bream rods...

The Drennan Distance Tench & Bream 12ft 2lb Rod | Drennan Latest

Not to be spending your money or anything!

There will be guys on here that have far more experience and authority to comment on this than me though, but having only fished pits for a handful of years now these kind of problems are always confronting me - distance, how heavy the weed growth is, how many 'nuisance' carp there are etc.
Click to expand...

If only you knew! As I’m a nice man I’ll tell you. The Drennan rod you refer to is the same blank as one of their barbel rods - and in case you were wondering the barbel rod came first!:D
 
David Gribble said:
If only you knew! As I’m a nice man I’ll tell you. The Drennan rod you refer to is the same blank as one of their barbel rods - and in case you were wondering the barbel rod came first!:D
Click to expand...

Fair doos, I don't own 'em myself, my barbel rods still do the business for me, although I never really fish at long distance. No idea what they're like with a fish on the other end though, I'll leave that to the experts...:D
 
Picked up a set of Daiwa Theory 2.5lb 12ft carp rods this afternoon; nice action and not stiff in the top section. Perfick for distance tincas. :D I reckon they will be spot on for 100 yard plus casts with a pva bag and 2oz or a 2oz feeder. Hinders offer price £70 notes. I love fickle carp attitudes; these rods dont sell as well as they should at 2.5 test because you dont buy a carp rod less than 2.75 test do you? ;)
 
Paul Hiom said:
Picked up a set of Daiwa Theory 2.5lb 12ft carp rods this afternoon; nice action and not stiff in the top section. Perfick for distance tincas. :D I reckon they will be spot on for 100 yard plus casts with a pva bag and 2oz or a 2oz feeder. Hinders offer price £70 notes. I love fickle carp attitudes; these rods dont sell as well as they should at 2.5 test because you dont buy a carp rod less than 2.75 test do you? ;)
Click to expand...

More importantly Paul, do they have a recommended maximum casting weight written on them? If not, take care with the size of the pva bag you intend launching with a 2oz lead '100 yards+'....or you may find out why 2.75 are preferred :D

Just a thought fella :p

Cheers, Dave.
 
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Dave,

Yeah did think of that.:eek:

Took the theorys for a test run yesterday and managed to get a good balance between lead and pva bag. With 12lb fluoro (not best line to cast with) a 1.5oz avid swivel flat lead and a half filled rapide pva bag, i was able to hit the target spot at around 80 yards without too much compression. I reckon i'll need a leader a bit more compression and to reduce the mainline bs to 8lb or 10lb, to wack it out 100 yards plus. I could have gone for a 2.75, but always feel that this is too heavy handed for tench, as is 2.5 probably, but this is the trade off for distance. I am also wary of hooking and losing one of the big commons in there (40 plus). I'd be gutted if i did manage to hook one and lose it. ;)

Forgot to mention, optimum casting weight is 3oz, so should be spot on for 2oz in-line feeders, small pva sticks and bags etc.

Paul
 
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Sounds spot on to me then Paul. I mentioned it more in jest than anything, it was just that your description of the rod and it's action did seem to point to a 'players rod', rather than a casting tool, which would mean you would struggle to reach your hoped for '100+' with a PVA bag.

Hope you catch your double figure tench Paul, and with any luck a 40+ common....what a brace they would make :D

Best regards, Dave.
 
Dave,

I am a sucker for a players rod, this is something in between i think. They will get a second outing this evening. :D

Hope my luck changes soon mate, doing my head in trying to get a double at the moment. Best excuse really is the weather. ;) although a 32 and 41-12 Mirror have been out so i am sure the tench are feeding somewhere! :eek:

atb

Paul
 
This is quite interesting.....
I have a pair of Harrision Multi Carps at 2.25 tc for m,y tench and bream fishing....The action compaired to my 1.75 AK47 March Tunley tench rods is totally different and you would think the AKs were the higher tc.
Both will punch a feeder and pva bag although the 1.75s handle it alot better. They are nowhere near as nice as the Harrisons for playing the fish tho,,,,,,,
 
David Gribble said:
If only you knew! As I’m a nice man I’ll tell you. The Drennan rod you refer to is the same blank as one of their barbel rods - and in case you were wondering the barbel rod came first!:D
Click to expand...

Are you sure? same mandrels yes but im pretty certain the barbel rod used a different pattern for the prepreg to that used for the Tench/bream model.
 
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I was told by someone who should know and had no reason to lie - he volunteered the information when I commented on his third rod being a barbel rod. It is possible he was mistaken. Good rods regardless!
 
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