I can’t think of a more typical November day to be out on the riverbank, the almost eerie stillness with a fresh covering of damp fallen leaves on the ground and thick fog for the entire day with the only noise being that of unseen crows crowing away in the distant, fog bound fields.
It was anything but unpleasant though and a real pleasure to be out there.
I gave myself a free day today in terms of not having any aims, I just wanted to go out and give the new 15’ float rod a good going over and I’m very pleased with it overall.
I was a bit wary as Hardy lowered the upper line limits for comparable rods when they changed from the original Marksman to the newer Supero’s which generally have lighter ratings and which suggests to me that Hardy either overrated the originals (I don’t think so from my experience with several of them) or the Supero’s aren’t as high a modulus carbon and having spent most of Sunday looking around I managed to source both the original Marksman and the Supero but strangely enough and in contradiction to earlier the Supero had a heavier rating at 7lb as opposed to 6lb on the original although this might be explained by the fact that the Supero is a three piece rod and not a four like the original.
Anyway, I made my choice and opted for the slightly heavier rated Supero and nipped up to Leeds yesterday to pick it up so I was eager to get out this morning and give it a waggle, arriving at the river just as dawn was breaking.
I tried a few swims just trotting a worm through below a 3grm Avon and took a few perch to a pound or so and then upped the float to a 5grm when I reached a faster beat downriver and this is where the barbel were holed up.
I took four in total with the best just shy of a double I reckon and in lovely condition, especially as they're packing a bit of depth on ready for the onset of winter…
It was certainly a great test and I was very pleased with the rod’s playing action which was very nice indeed and is described by Hardy as “progressive”, but not being the lightest in its class I can’t honestly say it’s a rod I would like to hold all day… Having said that and in addition to some trotting, it will spend much of its life on a rest with the tip poked under an overhanging bush or tree on the river looking for perch or dibbing on some of the lakes I fish where it will just get me over the marginal shelf so I can’t say that it will cause me any discomfort.
What with keeping check with flighty via texts throughout the afternoon on each other’s progress it was a very enjoyable day and I’m chuffed to bits with the rod, well christened I reckon.
And to those dastardly and devious doubters it’s still fifteen foot, thank you very much
:w
