Good rod bag, anyone?

[nottskev]

If anyone had asked if this rod bag was any good, I'd have said it's a bit heavy when empty, a bit over-engineered with indestructible straps and zips and rubberised patches at stress points and in random places , but nicely compact compared to some monstrous match holdalls and classy-looking, too, unlike many garishly branded luggage items.

I wasn't delighted to find it tearing near the base in a place that will be very difficult to mend. A much cheaper Browning holdall I had before this also ripped along the piping in the dame way.

I never fill the holdall to capacity - if I did I'd have to get someone else to carry it. I'll bodge it up temporarily, but I wondered if anyone has come across a good compact holdall with a sober appearance. Witty mentioned his ancient Brennan and Hickman bag. I had a carryall from them which lasted until I lost it in a house move. And I had a Fox rod bag with Jan Porter's name on it that lasted about 10 years.

 

[mikench]

The browning sphere is very well made and sombre in appearance being black.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[markcw]

Preston hardcase are good ,but can feel heavy when empty.
Midwater a angling will make custom rod bags if you contact them with details.
www.midwaterangling.co
I have no connection to the above but have seen pictures of their work and comments from people I know who have had luggage from them.

 

[sam vimes]

Here's the link for Midwater. I've got a couple of their aftermarket rod bags. They'll make them whatever size you fancy.

 

[108831]

My Brennan and Hickman lay in my cupboard bagged up when the strap gave out after many,many years,I found a woman who had an overlocker machine who could sew a brilliant strap,from a garbage Nash holdall,on this stint i've been using it around ten or twelve years,terrible value really....

I've seen holdalls which are basically a sleeve,just like my B&H on the AD website,these are cheaper than the holdalls with full zips(which give up),imo as I rarely take more than two rods,never more than three,often only one,my mate says what happens if I break one,my answer,I go home and come back another day,simples...

 

[markcw]

Here's the link for Midwater. I've got a couple of their aftermarket rod bags. They'll make them whatever size you fancy.

Thanks, I must have got the web address wrong ??

 

[nottskev]

Thanks for the replies chaps. I'm not going for the hard case style, or the ones with a big bump to accommodate made up rod/reel combos. I don't take anything made-up save barbel rods, which are the least fragile of my rods. and they go in a minimalist quiver, and what I do take for regular fishing is a highly variable selection of rods, poles and their topkits, and the more "open" and less structured the holdall the better. I'm also assuming these hard or padded designs must be heavier.

I had a look at the Browning catalogue - upsetting, as it reminded me Shimano used to have a comparable range - and the Xitan Pole Holdall looked Excitan ( let's not get carried away, it's only luggage) but I couldn't really tell from the blurb if the compartments were suited to brolly, net handles and banksticks. Also, I couldn't fathom what the difference was, except the price, between the Sphere and Xitan pole-type holdalls, and whether it's that one tears sooner than the other. Sorry; still irritated with a Black Magic holdall that fell apart after a couple of months.

I thought I recognised Midwater Angling. I have a covered seat cushion I bought from them just a while ago to go on a little canal stool I take for chubbing. A nice job, and a Made in UK item, never a bad thing. I'll look into what they can provide.

 

[rob48]

I thought this Leeda range of luggage looked quite tasteful and reasonably priced.

Leeda Concept GT Luggage - Coarse /Match Fishing - Complete Range - Club 2000 Fishing Tackle

Leeda New Concept GT Luggage – Coarse/Match Fishing – The Complete Range The Concept GT luggage is a practical range designed to cater for all modern day coarse/match anglers needs. Made from a hard-wearing material with a durable base. Reel Case Fully lined and padded to protect reels in...

www.c2kft.co.uk

Finding any stock to handle these days is always a problem.

 

[markcw]

Thanks for the replies chaps. I'm not going for the hard case style, or the ones with a big bump to accommodate made up rod/reel combos. I don't take anything made-up save barbel rods, which are the least fragile of my rods. and they go in a minimalist quiver, and what I do take for regular fishing is a highly variable selection of rods, poles and their topkits, and the more "open" and less structured the holdall the better. I'm also assuming these hard or padded designs must be heavier.

I had a look at the Browning catalogue - upsetting, as it reminded me Shimano used to have a comparable range - and the Xitan Pole Holdall looked Excitan ( let's not get carried away, it's only luggage) but I couldn't really tell from the blurb if the compartments were suited to brolly, net handles and banksticks. Also, I couldn't fathom what the difference was, except the price, between the Sphere and Xitan pole-type holdalls, and whether it's that one tears sooner than the other. Sorry; still irritated with a Black Magic holdall that fell apart after a couple of months.

I thought I recognised Midwater Angling. I have a covered seat cushion I bought from them just a while ago to go on a little canal stool I take for chubbing. A nice job, and a Made in UK item, never a bad thing. I'll look into what they can provide.

Kev ,email them with your details of what you want and they will let you know if they can do it,
Or contact them via pm on maggotdrowners if you are a member of MD

 

[markcw]

@rob48 I have seen the Leeda liggage it is good value, The maver MVR is also good value along with the new Daiwa Matchman luggage.

 

[rob48]

Thanks Mark, I'll have to try and find some when we're all more mobile.

 

[nottskev]

Again, thanks for the suggestions. I know what I don't want, but as for what I do, it's somewhere between patching up the old one and succumbing to the lure of sexy luggage. Who wouldn't be turned on by the siren voices whispering about "integrated non-snag design with a smooth outer shell'? Me, probably. I remember Vic Reeves making a mockery of chocolate bar adverts - " It's brown with a rippled underside".
I think I'll shelve the idea til I get a chance to look at some in the smooth-shelled flesh. Btw, isn't it odd that as the technology to give customers product information is at a highpoint ( everything seems to have been dangled in front of a video) the quality of information seems to reduce?
Is it possible that words are better than pictures for some things?
There seems to be lot of structured, segmented rod holdalls about. I'd be more interested in a sructured carryall, I think. I've got a gallon ice-cream tub in mine, which gives it a bit of shape and holds all the bait together, but the rest is open spaces where a all your other gear gets piled up in a fairly random way. A bit of compartmentalising would be handy.
I've ordered a couple of box-shaped reel cases from Midwater; you can't have too many of these.

 

[markcw]

Kev, they will make one to your specification, Someone had a net bag and carryall combined made,

 

[silvers]

No desire to emulate Markg (in the bodge it & scarper sense) ... but I would recommend trying to hand sew it using something like 10 pound Berkeley fire line as thread (no stretch). that shouldn’t be a high stress area so may well last a long time?

usually the zips, straps and handles are particularly vulnerable. The best luggage I ever had was some Nash match luggage in the early 90s that I gave to a friend when I got some sponsored luggage ... big mistake!
Currently using a Maver holdall and Drennan carryall ... both of which have lasted well.

 

[nottskev]

No desire to emulate Markg (in the bodge it & scarper sense) ... but I would recommend trying to hand sew it using something like 10 pound Berkeley fire line as thread (no stretch). that shouldn’t be a high stress area so may well last a long time?

usually the zips, straps and handles are particularly vulnerable. The best luggage I ever had was some Nash match luggage in the early 90s that I gave to a friend when I got some sponsored luggage ... big mistake!
Currently using a Maver holdall and Drennan carryall ... both of which have lasted well.

I'm not usually one for giving up on gear til I've had a couple of decades out of it. It's ripped right along the beading next to a rubberised section, so stitching it up will probably be a finger-shredding job with an awl to make holes for the needle. There are pockets inside, one either side of the zip, to make a bottom for tubes and poles; I might be able to stitch it to the nearest one of those.

 

[ThomsonMary]

Any thoughts about the Blisswill fishing backpack? I'm thinking about getting one for all the fishing gear because it has many compartments, but I'm not sure if it's truly worth the money. I'm using a case organizer for my rods, but I need more space for the reels and other fishing accessories. Anyways, I've compared its features on https://backpacks.global/compare/features/backpack-with-laptop-compartment/ and found a better alternative to it. Well, it isn't actually designed for fishing but seems to be really comfortable, especially when walking on rocks, and you need your hands to be free.

 

[mikench]

Not heard of it but it seems Amazon U.K. Sell it. We don't really use telescopic rods over here so that facility isn't required. It's £46 or so here so not bad if it's any good. Sorry can't help.

 

[markcw]

No desire to emulate Markg (in the bodge it & scarper sense) ... but I would recommend trying to hand sew it using something like 10 pound Berkeley fire line as thread (no stretch). that shouldn’t be a high stress area so may well last a long time?

usually the zips, straps and handles are particularly vulnerable. The best luggage I ever had was some Nash match luggage in the early 90s that I gave to a friend when I got some sponsored luggage ... big mistake!
Currently using a Maver holdall and Drennan carryall ... both of which have lasted well.

Nash Matchman holdall, best one going at the time, trouble was if you went on a coach to a venue it was hard finding yours because a lot of blokes had them.
Mine came off my roof rack at 70mph going down the M56, went top to tail a couple of times like a caber toss, I pulled up sharpish and ran and got it, The road surface had put a couple of scuffs on the base and a couple of small tears on fabric of brolly compartment, The rods,pole and brolly were fine, nothing broken.
My only bugbear with it was the zip only came part way down and you had to root for rod tubes.

 

[The Sogster]

Resurrecting this thread to state following the above recommendations regarding Midwater tackle I have just received a couple of their rod bags and have to say the quality is fantastic. Far better in my experience than many rod bags that have come with mid range and above rods bought brand new.

I also bought one of their 'comfy cushions'. Wow!!

 

[hague01]

Tfg did a compact rod bag, which took 2 rods, plastic bottom. For 3 pce rods perfect. About 30 new. I have 2 I don't use now, happy to part with one if they suit . Will be about a fiver to post, that all.