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Post by andrew on Dec 5, 2007 17:40:45 GMT -1
Hiya, I have been a member of this excellent forum for a while but this is my first post. I would like your opinions please on the best all round (rivers, lochs and salt) sea trout rod. Length, action and line weight (or make and model). Thanks very much, Andy.
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Post by DAZ on Dec 5, 2007 18:29:49 GMT -1
Andrew.....Nice to see you joining in mate. Re length!. Personally,I would recommend a 10ft model as a good all round length. Re Action. This really does boil down to personal preference!....I like fast action rods,not everybody's cup of tee!,but it suits my style of casting.Try a couple of rods out with varying actions if at all possible to see/feel which one suits you best!. Re Make. Again,personal preference,and one you will have to decide on yourself.As before,try has many makes/models as you can.Many of the lads on here would recommend Sage!....I don't like them at all......You get my point!.I don't think anyone could possibly say this is the one you want,"I can cast a full line with it no problem" It doesn't necessarily mean you will be able to,but you may with another model. Re line weight. This is also dependent on the size of rivers you fish,size of flies you are likely to throw ect!.I use a 8wt myself for the reasons I have give,It suits the rivers I fish,and it can handle the large flies I throw,two at a time,most of the time!. Personally I would recommend a 8wt Andrew.....Because,not only can you cast large flies with it,but you can also cast smaller flies with it when needed...You will struggle a little with a 7wt to do both!. Not much help there was I. DAZ.
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Post by JT on Dec 5, 2007 19:06:37 GMT -1
Hi Andrew,
For what you can pay for a new rod you can pick up two second hamd Diawa Whisker rods.
Forgiving middle-tip action, punch a reasonable line and, if you're a clumsybugger like I am, replaceable.
I use a 9'6" or 10' 7/8 weight for my night fishing and the 9'6" copes nicely in the salt (although not as well as some tippier rods).
I think it's too short for loch-fishing if you mean the traditional from a boat - aim for a 10'6" to 11'3" rod. If you mean just fishing from the bank then either of the mentioned lengths/weights would do.
They're a decent workhorse for the cash-strapped or frugal angler.
Agree totally with DAZ' comments on line weights.
Jon
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Post by andrew on Dec 5, 2007 19:17:48 GMT -1
Thanks for the replies guys, much appreciated. All the best, Andy.
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Post by T7 on Dec 5, 2007 19:36:53 GMT -1
For what you can pay for a new rod you can pick up two second hamd Diawa Whisker rods. Saw the Whisker range dead cheap on one of the online shops recently (e.g. around 40 quid for a 10 foot 7-8wt ) so they don't even have to be 2nd hand. Can't remember which company though, sorry. I have one of the older whiskers - decent all round rod but a bit too soft for me. They may have changed since then. Other bargin rods to look out for are airflo (quite often less than half price). A lot of the lads on here hate them, but I think it depends on the model. Can be a bit hit and miss but if you see a particular model on offer definately worth posting on the forum to see what the concensus is. That's what I did last year and got a very nice airflo precision series, which was really cheap and a good rod (except for slightly dodgy rings) - exactly what the guys on here said!!!
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Post by Teifi Terrorist on Dec 5, 2007 19:48:04 GMT -1
Re length!. Personally,I would recommend a 10ft model as a good all round length. Re Make. Again,personal preference,and one you will have to decide on yourself.As before,try has many makes/models as you can. Re line weight. This is also dependent on the size of rivers you fish,size of flies you are likely to throw ect!.I use a 8wt myself for the reasons I have give,It suits the rivers I fish,and it can handle the large flies I throw,two at a time,most of the time!. Personally I would recommend a 8wt Andrew.....Because,not only can you cast large flies with it,but you can also cast smaller flies with it when needed...You will struggle a little with a 7wt to do both!. Bang on advice and with you on this one. Definitely try before you buy, whenever and wherever possible. Daz and I differ on the action front, where I prefer the more middle or mid-tip action for sewin. But again, this is a personal thing and you may find that one suits you better. You tend to find that the faster blanks make for poorer roll casting rods, but again this may not be essential for you. Personally, I tend to fish with 2 rods; enigma EMG 10ft #8, and the airflo HLS 10ft for #7/8 (hugely discounted at the moment). They both do the job admirably for me, but they may not be your cup of tea. TT. p.s. Welcome to the forum
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Post by buzzerman on Dec 5, 2007 19:57:02 GMT -1
hi andrew as daz i prefer a 10ft rod, and 8wt is ideal for larger tubes ,fly,s , but a minimum of a7wt i would say , i have sage and scott theyare my main rods now , but i like my greys 7/8 weight as well but it depends on youur budget mate ,£60 to£100 pound s will get you a good en ,but if you can, try as many as you can before buying , they are all quite different ie fast ,traditional ,or a through action , try to get one you are a comftable with tight lines billy p
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Post by DAZ on Dec 5, 2007 20:21:31 GMT -1
[. You tend to find that the faster blanks make for poorer roll casting rods, but again this may not be essential for you. Your right mate.....Ok if you got a little room though,jumped roll etc!......Other wise hard work!. DAZ.
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Post by jj1 on Dec 5, 2007 21:34:33 GMT -1
i have to agree with TT, a middle to tip rod aswel as being a better roll casting tool on the river also allows you to slow down your overhead cast in the dark, this allows you to feel what the line and flies are doing in the air and thus accuracy is far greater. by slowing the cast down you are also opening up your loop, this afords less tangles that would happen if you where trying to maintain a tight loop with large or multiple flies on a fast actioned rod. N.B. a faster rod doesnt always mean longer casts, and a casting rod isnt allways the best fishing rod, especially when river or off the front of the boat drifting for seatrout. jj
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Post by jj1 on Dec 5, 2007 22:07:54 GMT -1
p.s. has anyone seen the shakespeare odyssey range of rods? their only around the 20 quid mark but are superb! being a tight cardi' by birth i got myself a 7.5 footer 4# for dry fly fishing. if the 10 footers are as good ,then they just may corner the market once the word gets out. quality cork handle, als rings, polished metal uplocking reel seat and a good build quality, for the tackle tarts out there dont laugh just check them out, but also for beginers into our sport what a steal! jj
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Post by DAZ on Dec 6, 2007 0:58:03 GMT -1
p.s. has anyone seen the shakespeare odyssey range of rods? their only around the 20 quid mark but are superb! I know Hoppy is in the market for a brook rod!....Might be worth checking out Hop ?.....I'll have a look myself...Nice one. I agree with most of what you say JJ.I'm not up on all the technical stuff when it comes to casting though!. . by slowing the cast down you are also opening up your loop, Is it not the same for a fast actioned rod ?. , this afords less tangles that would happen if you where trying to maintain a tight loop with large or multiple flies on a fast actioned rod. Would you put knots/tangles down to the action of the rod ?...or a bad technique ?.I know one or two people who throw extremely tight loops and never suffer (Not often anyway) with tangles etc. . a faster rod doesnt always mean longer casts It does for me!.....Thats why I would recommend anyone to "Try before they buy". Cheers. DAZ.
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Post by Hoppy on Dec 6, 2007 8:19:28 GMT -1
JJ - i bought one this week in a 'closing down sale' in Shrewsbury, for the money it seems very good - nicely finished and a nice action You can get them for around £12.50 from Mullarkeys. I have had the 7'3 4 wt for brook work - however i am awaiting a new Powell 6'6 ;D Hoppy
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Post by silverinvicta on Dec 6, 2007 8:40:36 GMT -1
JJ - You can get them for around £12.50 from Mullarkeys. Hoppy Thats handy mate.. you can afford a 1/2 dozen at a time...save yourself a fortune over the season.....cheaper to bust one of them, than paying the postage when you bust any others.... ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Post by JT on Dec 6, 2007 8:43:51 GMT -1
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Post by buzzerman on Dec 6, 2007 9:12:24 GMT -1
si ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Post by White hunter on Dec 6, 2007 9:33:37 GMT -1
Some sound advice from the lads here.. Worth also considering is the fact that the aftma number on a rod is a rating that is purely subjective, Lines are made to specific standards laid down by the aftma system,"or at least they should be", and as far as i am aware, the rating on your rod has not really been quantified against some sort of similar system, therfore is coming from the manufacturers/testers opinion "who may cast and fish much different to yourself" I therefore always consider the aftma number on a rod as a reference point for experimentaion.. At the end of the day, the line we are casting serves not only as a vehicle for our flies to be attached to and delivered with, its is also simply to provide weight to the system in order to "load" the rod. Please remember that if you had the time for practice "or even better the means to fish all the bloody time (which I havnt ), you would actually be able to both overhead or spey cast fast or slow "tight loops" or fast or slow "open loops" with either a fast action rod, or bamboo. It all boils down to the caster, the rod is simply a flexible lever, how you adjust how the lever is to behave with whatever weight and "length of weight" you have beyond the tip is what counts.. Errrr, probably miles off topic by now and probably looks like a rant "sorry", when i come home from work dont be suprised if i delete this post.... ;D P.s ...Yes, the stiffest and fastest rod will always cast the furthest but may not be the most suitable for someones current ability...
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Post by DAZ on Dec 6, 2007 9:52:03 GMT -1
Good post mate. I was hoping you would join in. DAZ.
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Post by Teifi Terrorist on Dec 6, 2007 12:28:15 GMT -1
Worth also considering is the fact that the aftma number on a rod is a rating that is purely subjective There was talk about introducing a new rating system, have you heard anything about this WH? will it come to fruition? TT.
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Post by sewinfly on Dec 6, 2007 13:10:05 GMT -1
Hi Andrew, Another make of rod to chx out is the Sharpes Gordon range very nice rods and finish is good to. As JT said the daiwas are excellent as well. I managed to pick up a brand new 9'9" Alltmor 8/9 wt on ebay for under £60. All the best. Sewinfly
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Post by waddington on Dec 6, 2007 13:36:17 GMT -1
The advice to try before you buy is spot on. I've learnt the hard way with this and had my fingers burnt a few times. If you decide that you want to go down the road of buying one of the premium American brands, it is well worth checking out how much money you can save by ordering from the states. Lots of American companies do a lot of business supplying rods to the UK and are extremely helpful. Despite the difficulties with UK import taxes there are large savings to be made! The tackle shop below were very helpful and efficient in supplying me with a Sage xp last year. Obviously no connection other than as a very satisfied customer. estore.anglers-pro.com/cgi-bin/catI hope you find what you are looking for. Phil
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