Rod ;sleeves, holdalls and quivers.

[Blue Fisher]

All my fishing life I have set up my rods at the waters edge, but now I want to take my rods to the water tackled up. My research has shown that there are sleeves quivers and holdalls. But what will be best for me? What are the pros and cons of the systems on offer? Are there any particular brands I should look at and are there any I should ignore?
I generally prefer 11ft rods but I do have some 2 piece 12 ft’ers, but these are more problematic partly because longer rods don’t fit in the car too easily. I expect a 12 ft sleeve will be longer and bulkier than a 12ft rod and cause me even more transport problems. And if I go the full protection sleeve route there are very few 11ft sleeves.
I am a small river angler predominantly. I would like to carry two rods made up, a bomb and a trotting rod. But would probably carry a couple of other rods not tackled up.
there seems to be a Korum folding quiver thing that will do, but it looks enormous in the pictures. I assume I will need some tip protectors or some sort of hood for it as well.
your opinions / advice please.

 

[Pete Shears]

NGT do sensibly priced tip protectores - I always use them with quivers, Trakker and for small river work, the Korum.

 

[Keith M]

I haven’t used a rod hold-all for years; since I used to fish a lot of matches; and I have five Rod Quivers now.
I have a large Wychwood Carp rod hold-all that spends it’s life in the shed; and hasn’t seen daylight for years.

I keep most of my two piece rods in protective rod sleeves with reels attached; ready or partly made up; however my three piece rods are carried in the Quivers central compartment in a tube; as are my lighter and more delicate rods which are a little too delicate to carry made up; and these I make up on the bank.

I do usually carry my Carp rods unprotected on the outside of a rod quiver however I occasionally put them into rod sleeves if there’s a chance of them getting caught up in bankside vegetation or crushed in the back of a car.

Some of my Diawa rod sleeves for 12ft rods are a bit snug fitting length wise; but my Drennan and other makes of rod sleeves made for 12ft rods are a bit more roomy length wise which I much prefer.

Whenever I go out to buy a new 2 piece rod I go out and buy a protective rod sleeve to keep it in.

I have a hatchback and my Quivers fit fine in it with the back seats lowered.

Touch wood; I haven’t damaged any of my rods because of keeping them in a rod sleeve and quiver.

Keith

 

[nottskev]

I know where you're coming from, and it's nice to make rods up at home and arrive ready to fish. But I've tried all sorts, and I think the ready-rod approach only works with the more robust tackle. Carp rods, barbel rods, Avon rods ... fine. But imo match rods with fine tips and rods with quiver tips of 2oz and under are just too fragile and need to be carried in a bag at least and in a tube to be sure. Anglers who fish commercials where they park at their peg or barrow/trolley their gear on flat tracks carry rigged-up float and quiver rods, but the hard luggage they use weighs a ton and is no use for anglers who regularly walk across a rough field, step over stiles, move swims etc. So, I make up my barbel rods at home, but set up other rods on the bank. There are things you can do to speed this up, though: you can put shotted stick and waggler rigs, with or without floats, on pole winders, and tie hooklengths at home. When it comes to putting your line through the rod rings - the most tedious bit and the most challenging if your eyes are not great and the light's bad, or cold fingers make it hard - you can tie a blunt needle ( they sell them) to your reel line at home and then it's a doddle to do it on the bank.

I had a serious go at transporting made-up match and quiver tip rods, and concluded the risk to precious rods ( if your rods are precious) were too big and there are other ways to save time and make the chore easier.

 

[The Sogster]

I mainly use the Drennan specialist double rod sleeve. It does everything I would want and more, I can't praise it enough.
The kit is well made and has excellent features.
I wish they did a shorter .version for 3 piece rods.

Edited: I very rarely carry made up rods in it but am happy to do so in this. The top will also fold over if carrying 3 piece rods - secure with a rod band or similar.

 

[ian g]

I use the same as Sogster , good bit of kit .

 

[mikench]

I think that with float rods and quiver tip rods, you cannot be too careful. I would rather spend 10 minutes on the bank than £80 on a new tip for my float rod.

 

[RMNDIL]

I use padded rod sleeves for all of my rods, very light quivertips rods, delicate float rods - the lot. Have done for more years than I can remember. Never broke a rod on the bank/transporting yet (which now means I will !!).

Mine are, though, strapped to a main holdall (3 double sleeves so 6 made up rods) which itself has pole/extensions/kits/umbrella/banksticks/landing net handles in.

For light roving I use made up rods in a Specialist quiver which itself is padded like a sleeve.

 

[Alan Whitty]

I like Kev will only use made up rods for the heavier rods, i.e. Avons upwards, I use Korum protectors and settled in the end for a Korum two rod padded sleeve cum holdall which has pockets for banksticks, landing net handle and brolly, it is bulky, but I found that some of the venues I visited had thick brambles and scratched the rods so it was a no brainer, I've had the stuff for maybe 15 years now so I don't know if they still make it...

 

[Blue Fisher]

Hi
thanks for all of your responses. If I interpreted the advice correctly, those sleeves that totally enclose the rod give total protection. You feel Quivers are not suitable for light float road and quivertip rods since the tips are vulnerable during transport. Tip protectors give some protection but some of you feel this is still too risky for the most cherished rods.
I have looked at the drennan specialist double rod sleeve ( thanks for the recommendation) and it is a good bit of kit but I’m still concerned about the length, my hatchback seems too short!
Has anyone used a quiver with a separate drawstring hood to protect the tips rather than individual tip protectors. I think the hoods are designed to slip over the top of the quiver to provide protection for the exposed rod tips perhaps with tip protectors as well? This way the length is still only as long as the longest rod in the quiver.
The only 11ft sleeves I have found are by candence are there any others to look at?
RMNDIL You are obviously happy with a padded specialist quiver for light roving, does this leave the tips exposed? I.e do you think the risk to the rods is acceptable with care? Could you share the make.
looking forward to more advice, thanks once again for all of your opinions they all help.

 

[nottskev]

I had an expensive tip rod that had survived 15 years intact. Thinking to dodge the couple of minutes it takes to set up on the bank, I set it up at home and "protected" the 1oz tip with an NGT Tip Protector. These have a crude seam on the inside ( a better product would have the seams outside where they can't do any harm) and when I carefully fed the sections into it, the tip snagged on the seam and folded over, snapping an inch off.

The padded specialist rod bags I have - Drennan Specialist and Greys - are both so mean in their dimensions that you have to force the rod butts against the base and push the tips in, something you can get away with with specimen rods but unthinkable with fine-tipped rods. I'm not planning to ruin a rod because someone has skimped on materials leaving no "play" in their rod bags.

Unless you're fishing matches and struggling to get set up in time, I think looking after your rods comes ahead of saving a few minutes on the bank.

 

[Ray Roberts]

I bought a rod quiver a few years back that has elasticated rod tip protectors built in. When there are no rods in it, it looks like something you would milk a cow with. It seemed like a good idea at the time but gives scant protection to the rods and offers no protection at all for the reels, which can knock together and get damaged. I now use mainly Darent Valley sleeves I got from the Tackle Box in Dartford. I use these for barbel rods and other two piece rods, but if they have an extra quiver section then they aren’t ideal. I have some fibreglass tent poles I intend to cut down to fit inside the sleeves so they become ridged. For three piece rods I carry them in tubes the same as Kev. I fit mine into the central part of a rod quiver. This gives the best protection. The translucent blue tubes are the strongest I have found and you could probably stand on the tube without it collapsing. I cut them down to accommodate the shorter rods.

 

[@Clive]

I'm nearly 68 so haven't got much time left. Not enough to fanny about on the bank when I can set the 2 piece rods up at my leisure at home right down to the hook and float or ledger attachment. I carry them in a Korum three rod quiver after they have been secured with sleeves on the joint ends and a neoprene wrap on the lower end. The tip or quiver has to fit inside a pocket along with the butt and I take care to make sure that both parts go inside the pocket.

If I use my old three-piece cane or fibreglass rods though I have to set them up on the bank. I have tried the three-rod folding technique and still use it if I'm moving swims. But for travelling to and from locations I like to have the rods in their bags inside a protective holdall. Purely because they would be very difficult to repair or replace.

I absolutely hate setting up the 15 foot three-piece float rods with a million tiny guides to thread the line through. Especially when it has the Adcock Stanton with no brake, check or friction drag attached. That is a nightmare!

 

[The Sogster]

I have both the Greys and the Drennan too, I agree the Greys is too short but the Drennan fits my 12' rods in sleeves perfectly no bending or squeezing.
I hate the thought of my rods rattling about in plastic tubes.

 

[The Sogster]

Here it is top folded over, with three banksticks (48" visible), two 14' three piece rods in sleeves and a net. Still room for a brolly and rods not rattling about in tubes,

 

[mikench]

One advantage of not setting a quiver rod up at home is that if you decide to change the tip to a 1oz from a 2oz on arrival you can and easily. Each to their own.

 

[Ray Roberts]

Here it is top folded over, with three banksticks (48" visible), two 14' three piece rods in sleeves and a net. Still room for a brolly and rods not rattling about in tubes,

View attachment 31346

They don’t rattle about if they’re in cloth bags, lol.

 

[nottskev]

If I say I carry some rods in tubes, I mean in their bags in tubes. As Sogster says, rods rattling around in tubes are a no no.

 

[The Sogster]

I have found that today's slimmer rods can certainly still rattle around in their bags while in tubes. Plus I don't want the extra weight.

 

[Blue Fisher]

I bought a rod quiver a few years back that has elasticated rod tip protectors built in. When there are no rods in it, it looks like something you would milk a cow with. It seemed like a good idea at the time but gives scant protection to the rods and offers no protection at all for the reels, which can knock together and get damaged. I now use mainly Darent Valley sleeves I got from the Tackle Box in Dartford. I use these for barbel rods and other two piece rods, but if they have an extra quiver section then they aren’t ideal. I have some fibreglass tent poles I intend to cut down to fit inside the sleeves so they become ridged. For three piece rods I carry them in tubes the same as Kev. I fit mine into the central part of a rod quiver. This gives the best protection. The translucent blue tubes are the strongest I have found and you could probably stand on the tube without it collapsing. I cut them down to accommodate the shorter rods.

I will have a similar problem with a twin tip rod. I think I will get a tube suitable for a single section so I can have it protected in the sleeve when the other two sections are in use. It would also stiffen up the sleeve when the whole rod is all in there.