Yes, agree with this. My Shimano and Milo rods are still perfectly usable, and superior (IMO) to anything else I found besides the Spheres and Rives. The big problem was they became irreplaceable, so for ten years or more I was dreading having an accident and wondering what I'd have to use instead.
How much would you pay???
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Golden Eagle
Well-known member
Of course the bi-product of all this innovation is a thriving second hand market. Of my five first choice rods 4 are bought used and all in perfect condition. (3 of which are acolytes).
I have never paid more than £100 for a rod and thats my cut off point out of principle.
I doubt its cost me any fish.
Would I enjoy the sport more with a rod that weighs 1oz less or picks up line a micro fraction of a second quicker on the strike ?
....I doubt that very much either so unless there literally was nothing in the £100 price bracket to do the job then I cant really see a reason to spend more. There are some amazingly good rods out there with a very modest price.
I doubt its cost me any fish.
Would I enjoy the sport more with a rod that weighs 1oz less or picks up line a micro fraction of a second quicker on the strike ?
....I doubt that very much either so unless there literally was nothing in the £100 price bracket to do the job then I cant really see a reason to spend more. There are some amazingly good rods out there with a very modest price.
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I think £500 off the shelf is ott, when one considers the price of custom builds (eg the gear Kev Baynes (now retired) would produce for the less than half the price of a factory built). All told I assume the blanks are top quality and possibly/probably exclusive to the manufacturer.
Chris,the reason I started this thread is I am interested in others points of view on the subject,there is no modern coarse rod that I cannot afford,my issues are that if I were to spend big bucks the rods would need to be a fair bit better than the ones I have now,something that I don't see very much,when I picked the sphere up I thought it was a little too responsive,but that is my feeling,every angler has preferences,I wish I'd bought an Avenger 2000 when they came out,if they were still being made today I might pay big money for one,many of the rods I have are not the best money can buy,or not what I thought they were going to be but,they still do a job,I fully understand your own enjoyment in buying float rods,i've done it,how many have you and I bought that were not what we'd hoped,one of the worst I bought was the hardy marksman 13ft float,I only had it a month before I was shot of it,vastly over priced and not the action I wanted....
I think that most rods other than float rods can be used whether an ounce or two heavier or so,as long actions suit you,float rods,especially when you trot with them,need the right sort of blank,lightness is good,as you need to hold them all day,but i'm positive that if you could look at every rod available,something could be found that was more than good enough for around the ton or less,there is nothing with collecting rods,I wouldn't like to try and write a list of all the float fods I've owned it would be embarrassing...lol.
Action I can understand but I must say the whole thing about lightness especially for trotting rods I have never really understood. We are often talking literally an ounce in difference between some rods yet you often hear the quotes about people worried they will l grow tired holding the rod all day.
The thing is I don’t see many lure fishers who really are holding & working the rod the entire day complaining and if they are flinging out some of those jerk baits or twitching deadbaits then the rods are seriously heavy.
I occasionally go for a few hours with some sprats and chuck them about on a Carp rod and 8000 sized reel...yes its quite heavy but my hand is not falling off at the end.
The thing is I don’t see many lure fishers who really are holding & working the rod the entire day complaining and if they are flinging out some of those jerk baits or twitching deadbaits then the rods are seriously heavy.
I occasionally go for a few hours with some sprats and chuck them about on a Carp rod and 8000 sized reel...yes its quite heavy but my hand is not falling off at the end.
Yeah I think it is partly balance which is enhanced by the reel used,often heavier reels,make the rod better balanced,I think,if you fished with my 12ft titan 2000 you might think slightly differently,but some rods are top heavy and are hard work,specially if your holding them for seven or eight hours sessions,ouch...
terry m
Well-known member
Whitby you are correct balance is so important.
And it is not just about a rod being an ounce or two lighter, it’s about the whole experience of using a superior tool made to more exacting standards with quality components.
And it is not just about a rod being an ounce or two lighter, it’s about the whole experience of using a superior tool made to more exacting standards with quality components.
sam vimes
Well-known member
That really wasn't quite the point I was making. The point is that you have spent the equivalent of £500 (or thereabouts) in the past, you have Normark 2000s. It simply doesn't add up that you think £300-£500 on a rod now is somehow excessive when the equivalent price wasn't excessive twenty(ish) years back. It's no more excessive now than the Normarks (and others) were when they were current. The fact that you don't wish to buy these new rods is simply a testament to you having forked out for some of the most highly regarded and costly rods of their day.
As for the Hardy rods, no comment. I can't be bothered enduring the wrath of those that love them. All I can say is that I never really fancied them. Good luck to those that do. My only regret with the Hardys was not buying a few when they were heavily discounted. What a nice little investment that would have been. Of course, I've bought rods, from budget to rather expensive, that have not met with my approval. Such is the risk you take if you are daft enough to buy blind or on a recommendation. Regardless of whether a purchase turns out well or not, I still enjoy finding out for myself. Even a negative outcome is enjoyable and part of the fun of the fair.
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My original post was for feeder rods Chris,although I get the point,I would probably pay for an avenger 2000 if they were in production today(spares available etc),I wouldn't pay the money they are fetching on ebay for a well used rod,feeder rods sitting in a rest imo is excessive for £450,nah....
steve2
Well-known member
If a rod is going to be held all day then I can understand the weight being an issue. Having fished through the cane and glass eras I can only assume we have turned into a bunch of weaklings if an ounce makes so much difference.
I am back in the cane era at the moment and I am back in weight lifting training.
If a rod is going to sit in the rest all day, carp or feeder fishing then to me there plenty of good cheap rod that do the job for under £100.
But at the end of the day it's your money and take your choice. There is always going to be takers no matter what the price.
I am back in the cane era at the moment and I am back in weight lifting training.
If a rod is going to sit in the rest all day, carp or feeder fishing then to me there plenty of good cheap rod that do the job for under £100.
But at the end of the day it's your money and take your choice. There is always going to be takers no matter what the price.
The most I have paid for a rod is £200 namely a recently custom built Harrison Torrix 11ft 1.75tc. The vast majority of my rods are either custom built Harrisons or Drennan which I think have a nice playing action and typically are in the £120 price range. I brought my first carbon rod in 1983 which was an Alan Brown 13ft Normark for £79 which guess would be the equivalent of over £230 today. I have some high-end Century SP rods and an IM9 14ft Drennan but these were brought second hand for a very reasonable price
I can remember using a 12ft hollow glass Craddock float rod with brass ferrules as my first float rod,then I bought a 14ft 6in Milbro enterprise(now that was heavy),then an East Anglian rod company Tipster 14ft,before moving to Shakespeare international and alpha before buying Hardy matchmakers in 12 &14ft and a Leslies light liner before moving to carbon...
I still have a 14 foot Shakespeare Alpha match, my first proper rod. It "boasted" fuji lined tip and butt rings & looked great when the sun shone through the orange blank.
All my mates with their 6 foot woolworth rods where jealous ?
All my mates with their 6 foot woolworth rods where jealous ?
David Rogers 3
Well-known member
I have a 12' Matchmaker, which was my favourite float rod until last year, when I bought a Rodrill Black Swan for £15 - it feels and performs equally as well as the Hardy and (to my eyes) is more attractive, being black with orangey-red whippings tipped with yellow (i.e. real black swan colours!).
steve2
Well-known member
At the moment I am rebulding 2 rods one is a 10ft 6" 3 piece cane with a fibreglass top same as the rod I use nearly 60 years ago. With a reel fitted the balance is as good as my other modern rods, just slightly heavier by a ounce or two. I remember I used this rod for all my fishing for small stream chub It worked back then so it will work now.
Does spending £100's on tackle make you a better angler I very much doubt it.
Does spending £100's on tackle make you a better angler I very much doubt it.
sam vimes
Well-known member
Has anyone that wasn't a total buffoon ever claimed that it does?
steve2
Well-known member
There are plenty who are taken in by adverts and believe they will catch more by paying out on the latest must haves be that rods, reels or all the other gadgets. Also that this years model must be better then last years. Reading some of posts on this forum seems to bear that out.
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sam vimes
Well-known member
Whilst that can be true for some, that's not the same as believing that they are better anglers. Better gear might catch an individual a few extra fish, but it might not, it depends on what it is and how well it's used. It's never made them a better angler and never will. However, I've never heard anyone actually claim that it does.