hi Andy,
I've been reading this post and will stick my neck out to say what I use & why ......if it helps?
As most irsh men are tight ;D we usually use 1 rod for most things
ie for lough fishing 1lb brownies it might seem OTT but then some loughs have big boys and runs of salmon coming through.
we may turn to a rainbow fishery and of course when the grilse arrive we use the same rod.
my rod for the last 3 years has been a 10ft Vision GT4 #8 line - it'll do my lough fishing rainbows, grilse & has been taken to the shore few times.........10ft being the norm here as it could be in a boat 1 weekend and on a salmon river on Monday!
it is classed as fast - now fast in this sense actually applies to to tip recovery
yes it is stiffish but when fishing and playing fish it behaves like a sweet middle-2-tip - my brother fishes a 3-zone which is classed as middle it is actually stiffer it will bend to the middle as classed but a pulling fish would have to be really strong to make it bend into the bottom section..............I thought that classing tthe rod appled to this type of action
ie its recovery after casting:-
as daz says his rods stiff (stay away from them sheep) but it may recover quickly but whilst playing fish it might have a sweet curvature flexing into the middle etc therefore overcoming lost fish
you see a casting rod is not the best fishing rod - i would advise you look at T&S may 2007 for boat rods in there there is a selection of 10ft'ers that would make in my mind at least decent sewin rods...the Sharpes, Platinium, Attack, Fulling Mill.....some starting at £70+
i think you would probably be in the same boat as anglers here
i pick a rod for my own fishability.......as in
1/ preferable a european make - no sea-trout in the states, a rod from the states is usually a casting weapon or steelheads no finesse really required there then
2/ cover my bases in my fish species and fly choices:-
length10ft no.8 line - for river brownies etc i do have other rods but refuse to fish 'light' for anadramous fish or where fish are over 5-6lb weight - a silly man who uses light gear knowing he could possibly break in a fish or take forever to beat it if hoping to C&R
3/have features like fighting butt but more importantly a reel fitting that will take no hurt in saltwater......anodised etc. but all saltwater tackle needs cleaned in FW afterwards.
If you say spend £100 on a rod then spend more money on good hooks or flies & decent cast, more money £400+ is spent on rods and then scimped on the flies etc. i've said before the rods for casting the FLIES are for catching
magazines have us groomed this way because the writers are bummin & blowing more about their new US rod costing £600 etc...etc...etc. newcomers are seduced into buying the best of the best on the pretence that they'll be better anglers, catch more fish,
just like the guy in this months mag!
Ask if the guy who designed the rod actually fishes in your situations....hence my European biase and why I choose the Vision for myself - they fish in the Baltic, have salmon & sewin etc.
but thats me so you'll have to decide what you want......You may prefer to have a Sharpes made in Scotland?
Enigmas always got a good write up and so did Greys but never seen an enigma here and Greys GRx's etc - well i seen alot break
a lot of guys on my river have the old Shakey XPS, though they broke alot in my eyes, it seemed a good rod and alot of the boys have had theirs a long time and won't fish anything else.......
check out that may07 T&S ....yes they are boat rod reviews but i think you will be doing some of that aswell and they are put through their paces with DI7 lines etc so you will get an idea if it will handle these lines etc which are used in sea-trout fishing by some....I just need sinking leaders on my river but your's maybe different.
BB
PS
regarding SI comments JJ I can't see where any of it was directly solely at you? It seemd then normal way some forum members ask for clarification etc.. .
Calm down boys.........it appears cabin fever is striking already ! ;D
there seems to be alot of paranioa overthere regarding forum comments etc.. let off some steam by fishing at the rainbow fishery or better still those grayling that you's are lucky to have....... we don't
the anti-climax of another fishing season ending makes us all narkey, calm down, take a deep breath, stop reading into things to much...................this is how it appears to me reading through the posts
- Go rough shooting, fly-tying, fishing or on the lash
or numerous other adult activities - May is a good bit away yet