trotting rod advice

[frothy]

Hi, I have been dithering for a while now regards the purchase of a trotting rod, i haven't done any river float fishing for many years so have lost touch with it all. the two rods i have been looking at are the shimano purist tench 12'6 and the drennan floatmaster combo 13/15ft, the purist appeals as it has a bit of grunt and i would also like to use it on still water for tench/bream and it can be left setup! but im worried about it being to short on the rivers? this is why i have also considered the drennan combo as it would seem to cover both situations... does anyone have experience of these rods? or any advice?
Thanks in advance

[geoffmaynard]

Get both because a lot will depend on the rivers you are fishing. I prefer long rods on most rivers as I usually fish with a pin and the longer rods give me better control of the tackle. But on small overgrown streams the long rods can be a right pain and a shorter rod - even a 10ft rod - would sometimes be better.

[sam vimes]

At the risk of going down a road well travelled already. I'd not be using a specimen float rod for trotting unless I was targeting big chub or barbel. They don't usually have the tip action or finesse that I'd be looking for in a trotting rod.

[frothy]

Originally Posted by geoffmaynard

Get both because a lot will depend on the rivers you are fishing. .

I may well end up doing just that but i will have to sneek one into the garage just want to make sure these are up to the job before i do so.

[S-Kippy]

Originally Posted by sam vimes

At the risk of going down a road well travelled already. I'd not be using a specimen float rod for trotting unless I was targeting big chub or barbel. They don't usually have the tip action or finesse that I'd be looking for in a trotting rod.

Second that. In my experience its rare to find a rod that will do two jobs well...adequately maybe,but not well. The exception is as Sam says maybe "heavy" trotting.I used to use a Tench Float for chubbing where the extra oomph certainly helped but it was way too beefy for light work.

I'll happily use budget end rods on stillwaters but for trotting I would always opt for the best I could afford.

And I dont personally like rods over 13 ft for anything for a variety of reasons...not least being that I think float rods tend to be 13 ft for a very good reason ie it is the optimum length taking into account weight/balance/action/tip recovery etc etc. Other people get on fine with longer rods and good luck to them but I dont & wont even contemplate one.

[mick b]

I tried to Wallis cast with a 13ft Diawa Spectron and found the cast difficult, however the centrepin experts who I watched and spoke to told me to get a through/compound action rod to enable me to master the cast correctly.

I now use a Hardy Marksman specialist float 13ft and can Wallis cast prefectly, however if your not using a 'pin my experiences are irrelevant.

I agree that 13ft is the best all-round length for the majority of situations.

IMO its better to buy the best you can afford then add some, than have a stack of rods that do not do the job you brought them to do.

Most of us fish all our lives and money spent on good kit is never wasted.

[tigger]

Originally Posted by S-Kippy

And I dont personally like rods over 13 ft for anything for a variety of reasons...not least being that I think float rods tend to be 13 ft for a very good reason ie it is the optimum length taking into account weight/balance/action/tip recovery etc etc. Other people get on fine with longer rods and good luck to them but I dont & wont even contemplate one.

I have a 13 to 15ft titan 2000 but very rarely use it at 15ft. I also have a 14ft drennan im9 which is excellent but my preferance is for a 13ft rod even when fishing large rivers.

[XIII13]

Originally Posted by mick b

I tried to Wallis cast with a 13ft Diawa Spectron and found the cast difficult, however the centrepin experts who I watched and spoke to told me to get a through/compound action rod to enable me to master the cast correctly.

I now use a Hardy Marksman specialist float 13ft and can Wallis cast prefectly, however if your not using a 'pin my experiences are irrelevant.

I agree that 13ft is the best all-round length for the majority of situations.

IMO its better to buy the best you can afford then add some, than have a stack of rods that do not do the job you brought them to do.

Most of us fish all our lives and money spent on good kit is never wasted.

I notice that Hardy have a new range coming on stream (XT) which seems a bit more reasonably priced, plus if you shop around some of the original Marksman rods are being heavily discounted to clear stock. I'm thinking of treating myself to one.

STEVE

[S-Kippy]

Originally Posted by XIII13

I notice that Hardy have a new range coming on stream (XT) which seems a bit more reasonably priced, plus if you shop around some of the original Marksman rods are being heavily discounted to clear stock. I'm thinking of treating myself to one.

STEVE

Do it...they are lovely rods to use and own.

[mark brailsford 2]

I have the preston carbon active rods in 13, 14 and 17ft and they are superb river rods, yes they are a little on the pricy side, but they are of a superior quality and unlike most cheaper rods the blanks are made in japan from top end carbon cloth.
they are a dream to use and are so light, I can hold my 17ft all day without fatigue!
Go and have a waggle in your tackle shop, you will not be disappointed, honest!

mark

PS: forgot to say, they are a lot cheaper than the hardy rods, with them you are just paying for the name...before anyone pulls me up on this I would just like to say that when I was fly fishing (15yrs) I owned a couple of very expensive hardy rods (and reels) bought because I thought paying a bit more bought me a better class of fly rod, I was wrong, I cast better and a lot further with cheaper rods (a lot cheaper!) leave these rods for the wealthy folk out there.