The test curves on Harrison Rods are very misleading. I brought the 11ft 1.75 Torrix on a recommendation but its not through actioned the action is described as fast it's nice rod but takes a bit getting used to. My mate has a 12ft 1.25 Torrix it's got a powerful butt section but soft tip as someone described its not fit for man or fish. I have handled the 11ft 1.50 Torrix is a cracker it's a true true actioned rod I already have too many rods otherwise I would buy one it's far more versatile than the 1.75 version IMO. I have a pair of 2.25 Multi Carp they are soft have a true through action very similar to the action of the Mark 4 rods. I use these for short range tench fishing in weedy waters where there is a likelihood to catch big carp on tench tsctics
Free Spirit Barbel Tamer
- Thread starter Kevin aka Aethelbald
- Start date
I've yet to use a Harrison rod that didn't have an excellent fish-playing action. For barbel fishing - and I don't mean carbelling - that means responsive elasticity and the power to get the fish out before it exhausts itself or takes you into snags. Although I'm only a part-time barbel angler and more of a match rod user, I've somehow ended up with 7 Harrison barbel rods, and they're all great for different situations. Two 1.75 12' Torrix for open water/"soft" terrain like weed and rushes; two Chimera Snag and Flood 11'6" 2.25lb for heavy water and fishing up to snags and in rocky swims; an 11' 1.6lb Avon, lovely if you are lucky to have medium size barbel in a small river (but how many have these days?) ; a 10' 2lb+ Torrix for fishing under trees etc; a 12' 2.5lb Torrix for big fish in challenging swims.
Alan Whitty
Well-known member
I think I know where that recommendation came from Hugh and I maintain what I said earlier,if you apply more pressure the action comes in,if we are frightened of putting that pressure on,or prefer the feel of it that way the rod doesn't perform properly IMHO,11fters develop more power than longer rods,that is why I prefer them,the problem is we have different preferences in rods,reels,lines,hooks,it would be better if we formed our own opinions on each item of tackle to avoid disappointments....
Last edited:
@Clive
Well-known member
I agree about the vintage Hardy reels. They actually started cutting corners as far back as 1910 when they simplified the Silex. If you want a quality vintage fly reel look for one from the top end retailers in London, Glasgow, Dublin and other cities. They had reels made by William Dingley who was the top man at Hardy until he left to go it alone in 1911. He made reels for JJS Walker, Bampton as well as the big name sellers; Eaton & Deller, .Bernard, Westley Ricards, etc. Even Sharpes and Farlow You can pick them up for around a third of the price of a similar model made by Hardy.I know very little about their coarse rods, but in fly fishing the name Hardy is no longer venerated as it was 60 years ago. Their fly rods went through the doldrums for about thirty years, but have bounced back in the last ten years or so. Don't get me going on used vintage Hardy reels... mostly rubbish - generally tatty (or is it 'patinated'?) and not well engineered in the first place - but commanding stupid prices, and I really do mean stupid. On the other hand, I have a superb 8ft Hardy fly rod that is worth about £300.00 and cost me £170.00 - that's the sort of deal I like for a used Hardy rod.
Ahhh, nice to get a rant out of the way first thing in the morning... so apart from all that, thanks for the link.
.
Also JJS Walker rods were also made by the top rod building man at Hardy until he went solo in 1907.
barbelboi
Well-known member
I haven't changed my Harrison Avon Specialists (1.5tc) after almost 20 years. They have taken dozens of double figure barbel plus unexpected river carp to 32lb............................
Alan Whitty
Well-known member
Are they the 1lb 6oz tc ones Jez,I have an 11ft one,had many doubles on it...
I sold my pair of 11ft 1.6tc rods dispite catching Barbel up to 13lb on them. I found there were a bit of a jack of all trades rods two stiff in the tip for perch and a bit undergunned for barbel. They would have been OK for tench but prefer 12ft rods for that application.
Alan Whitty
Well-known member
Defo too thick in the tip for perch Hugh .....
I like my old 1.6 Avon - it's the Fishing Magic Concept Rod, no less, the outcome of some sort of horse-designed-by-a-committee affair on FM around the turn of the century. But It's definitely more of a slow taper through action and very different to the Torrixes with their finer tips and different balance between the flexible top section and the more powerful butt. I can happily float fish for barbel with the Torrix, but the FM Concept rod just never feels right for the float.
Alan Whitty
Well-known member
Kev, isn't that rod a twin tip 1lb 8oz test, I've got one myself but can't think what they called it, mine might have been a later edition... I think it begins with a C and I can't be bothered to dig it out to check...
Just looked it up on Google, it was 1lb 8ozs t.c.
Just looked it up on Google, it was 1lb 8ozs t.c.
Last edited:
Is there a rod you haven't got Alan Lol
No, Alan, It's a two piece Avon, no quiver top, with a short handle. If you search back through the FM archives, you might find stuff about it. I think Graham Marsden was behind it as an "all-rounder" for bigger fish, bearing in mind a lot of barbel were caught in the 5-7 range back then. It's not the type of think I take to the big rivers these days.
Alan Whitty
Well-known member
Sulis it was called, the original concept preempted that rod....
Hugh, I have two 1.25lb 'barbel' rods,one an Insight by Leslie's, the other a Normark Bob James one with twin tips,the Sulis 11ft 1lb 8oz twin tip, a Harrison 11ft 1lb 6oz Avon Perfection, the 11ft Torrix 1.75lb and a Hardy Marksman 11ft 6in smuggler stepped up Avon (which upon inquiry to Hardy has an approx tc of 1lb 10ozs), so 6 Avon type rods of varying test curves of which the lighter ones I now use for tench, I own no carp rods, 6 or s7 float rods of varying strengths and lengths, 2 feeder rods and 2 fly rods, plus 2 poles... however I've owned a lot of other rods that I've sold on in my search for perfection.
Oh unless you count my 2 old Hardy glass rods and three cheapo glass spinning rods...
Hugh, I have two 1.25lb 'barbel' rods,one an Insight by Leslie's, the other a Normark Bob James one with twin tips,the Sulis 11ft 1lb 8oz twin tip, a Harrison 11ft 1lb 6oz Avon Perfection, the 11ft Torrix 1.75lb and a Hardy Marksman 11ft 6in smuggler stepped up Avon (which upon inquiry to Hardy has an approx tc of 1lb 10ozs), so 6 Avon type rods of varying test curves of which the lighter ones I now use for tench, I own no carp rods, 6 or s7 float rods of varying strengths and lengths, 2 feeder rods and 2 fly rods, plus 2 poles... however I've owned a lot of other rods that I've sold on in my search for perfection.
Oh unless you count my 2 old Hardy glass rods and three cheapo glass spinning rods...
I remember seeing the Sulis rod mentioned here and there. Iirc, there were two big differences from Harrison's usual range: the blanks were sourced from elsewhere and the rods had quiver tips. I've never actually seen one. Do you like it?
Alan Whitty
Well-known member
Yeah, it's OK and it has Harrison written on the blank, it has an Avon tip and a quiver one, trouble is these days for barbelling it is a little too soft for what I would call proper barbel fishing where fish up to mid doubles are present, or very weedy water,a very good chub rod, especially with the quiver section(which is supposed to be 3ozs but seems more than sensitive enough)...
Last edited:
I see your point. In the places that have maintained their barbel stock, the average size of fish can be very different these days. In a couple of the rivers I used to fish, the soft rod wouldn't be a problem as you're unlikely to be bothered by barbel any more.
Alan Whitty
Well-known member
Or the size of fish or nature of the river doesn't need such heavy gear...
I think that rod may have been named by Harrison as the Interceptor 1 it had a quoted tc of 1lb 10oz but was overstated.
The rod I referred to as the Fishing Magic Concept rod is called .... the Fishing Magic Concept rod
I've seen it billed as 1lb 6oz or 1lb 8oz. It's racked up in front of me now, rigged up ready to go.
Maybe it's the same blank as the Interceptor ? but has a different description. I am sure that Harrisons would know i find them very helpful when i have contacted themThe rod I referred to as the Fishing Magic Concept rod is called .... the Fishing Magic Concept rod
I've seen it billed as 1lb 6oz or 1lb 8oz. It's racked up in front of me now, rigged up ready to go.
View attachment 27328