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The full armoury of rods?

Andy - the one rod I did get rid of a few years ago was a very nice Shaun Linsley cane avon. It did suit most scenarios. Forgiving when it needed to be, steely when conditions demanded too.

The one player I dropped from my 'squad' and it turned out to be Fabregas.

Typical.
 
Yep I'm becoming a tackle tart...think I've got what I need now though.

Pair of 1.5lb-2.0lb xflites
Pair of 1.25lb drennan series 7 specialist avon
and a 11ft 1.25lb modified avon/quivertip

Think I can cover all my needs now and the drennan avons double up a good float rod for large fish

I have to be honest and think I don't need any more...even though it would be easy to think there is better out there

Jason
 
Yes Carbon has its place but its so harsh and unforgiving.
Andy

Andy - cane is indeed beautiful but beyond my price range. I think that your comment above is a sweeping generalisation though. My standard torrixes bend forever and are extremely forgiving which is why I can get away with braid straight through even when playing big fish in deep water right under my feet. I have been fortunate enough to do that on a number of occasions this season. Anyway we can have a 'discussion' next time I see you.

You would have struggled on the Trent today with your cane, it had 6 feet on and rising and there was lots of vegetation coming down as well. I had to fish at 10 yrds out even with my brand new (today) Torrix floods. Scary big river!

Oh and I blanked :)

Conrad
 
Conrad.... Scary big river and a blank eh ?

My point exactly, stay at home with a warm fire and a good whisky!


and Jason.... yes we are all very sad .. so i might just finish off the bottle tonight. !!!

andy
 
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As a result of this excellent thread, I'll be keeping a close eye on Ebay over the coming weeks. Some of you guys are nothing less than 'hoarders'... :D
 
Until someone comes up with a Split cane rod that will do what a Harrison blank can do, i will stick gladly stick with Carbon. If Carbon was so Harsh and unforgiving, Harrison's would not be sitting, so pretty at the top of there specialisation, and cane would be an even more expensive commodity, and i would'nt have 19 rods sat upstairs in my rod room.


Jon
 
A mixture for me - don't use a lot of carbon, but have a bfw stalker from Bob to use on the Bristol, and a s/u Free Spirit 12-footer when it gets big. That does me on the Trent too. Lots of cane rods too - a Barder Barbus Maximus for summer/autumn on the Kennet, Teme and Avon, with some Chapmans and B James MKIVs for spare. I enjoy them all, as my fishing is measured by being there/having fun/catching a few, rather than what's used. Last week was trotting with my Allcocks Wizard, which was fun. Given the choice i'd always use panda food, because it feels nice and looks good too, but there are times when I chuck a big lead or feeder and it's then horses for courses.

Now, reels...no, i'll leave it there :)
 
The Chairman on Sunday


Whilst young Paul has, in my opinion, an unhealthy predilection for plastic rods, I have always liked The Cane (and so does my housekeeper Deirdre).


As ever,

B.B.
 
I have a 'few' barbel rods - around 15 to 20 at last count.
Mostly Harrison but some old Tricasts, NW and Daiwa in there - all purchased as blanks and made up myself.
Have a smaller number of other species rod and even some in glass....
Funny old world, keep most of my personal rods now, but in the times of hollow glass, solid glass, cane, spanish reed and even tubular steel I moved most on.
Yep, had some that are now regarded as classics.
My 12' 3 section cane rod with a built cane tip and Milbro solid glass 'spinning' rod used to be my total armoury when in my teens.
Remember sitting in my school chums fathers outhouse watching him split and prepare Tonkin cane, discussing other rod materials like greenheart.

Cheers

Bob
 
I didn't really say what I'm using.
A couple of 1.75 Prodigys and a couple of 1.5/2.0 X-Flites with a couple of Korum twin tips if I'm chucking bigger leads about or doing something daft.

Now here's the thread for the reels to go with the rod armoury.;)
 
Don't need them all, but

11ft Youngs Ray Walton Barbel 1.3lb
12ft Fox Barbel Special 1.5lb
12ft Fox Kevlar Barbel Multi-tip 1.25, 1.5(4 tips) and 1.75lb
12ft Nash The Specialist Barbel Elite 2lb (pair)
12ft Drennan Power Barbel 2lb
12ft Fox Barbel "Duo" Floodwater 2.75lb(4 tips)
12ft Youngs Barbel Travel Rod (5 piece) (pair)

and others for my other fishing!
 
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I only have three rods that I use for barbel - a pair of daiwa whisker kevlar 11ft 2lb tc with state of the art customisation to the tips (...by tippexing them white!) and a 10ft north western kevlite stalker which has undergone similar customisation...

Regards, Bryan.
 
My twopenneth - BFW 10ft Stalker 1.5lb, built by Bob Gill, with a Shimano GT 4000 an an older black model, ( pre blue and pre heavy ) I bought one of those new fangled bluey coloured GT 4000's but it was much heavier than my old reel and I sold it.
Only fish one rod, nearly always touch leger so this setup is spot on for me.
If I cant do it with that set up I just dont do it !
As one earlier post said .. staying at home with a good whiskey perhaps.
 
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down to just one dedicated barbel rod now.. the daiwa infinity advanced 1.75, suits just about everything i do nowadays..
i could press into service a maver powerlite baggin rod with a drennan 6oz tip fitted if i should fancy slinging another rod out, i also have a tf gear 8ft compact feeder for the tight little swims, it's a real powerhouse of a rod and would handle barbel no sweat.
i seem to have more commercial gear nowadays due to the easy acess and virtually no walking, i do miss walking for a few miles along the river but i suppose time creeps up on all of us eventually...
 
Was previously using a pair of 1 3/4lb Fox Barbel Duo XS rods which were fine for 99% of my barbel fishing. They just struggle a bit when using big feeders with the river up and charging through.

Bought a pair of Harrison Chimera Specialists No. 3s but didn't like the look of them, sold them without using them...recently acquired a pair of Free Spirit Big River Barbel rods which seem to fill the gap.

A few Avon style, quiver tips and cheaper barbel rods stashed away but they never get used these days
 
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