Tidal Trent

[cal_sutt]

Hi all, asking for more help once again!

Recently I've been fishing a local stretch of the Tidal Trent and it's safe to say I'll continue to fish thread for many coming seasons. I've been there targeting carp and I've had a few but on my last session I fined down a bit fishing maggots for big bream. On the day I had around a 30lb bag of hybrids and bream. It was a great day but one thing dampened the whole session - the rod. As I'm limited to literally 2 rods, I had to settle for a carp rod to get a feeder cast out nicely. I'm currently saving for a barbel rod of either 1.75lb or 2lb, which would be the best for casting 2oz and 3oz feeders on my local stretch? But at the same time, light enough to fish the smaller rivers on 1/2 oz bombs and less?

 

[cal_sutt]

No help at all?

 

[Peter Jacobs]

A difficulty choice to make really as you won't get perfect performance at either of those two extremes.

If it were me then I'd opt for something like a twin top 1¾lb T/C with a quiver tip section and an Avon style as well. although, as I said it is difficult to get top performance at either end of those extremes.

 

[nicepix]

No help at all?

Too wide a gap in my opinion. Anything that will throw 3oz feeders isn't going to be much fun bagging skimmers and roach on a small river.

 

[cal_sutt]

A difficulty choice to make really as you won't get perfect performance at either of those two extremes.

If it were me then I'd opt for something like a twin top 1¾lb T/C with a quiver tip section and an Avon style as well. although, as I said it is difficult to get top performance at either end of those extremes.

I can't seem to find one within price range! I'll probably go for the 1.75 and if I need something different I'll look for something more appropriate for fishing for other species rather than the big barbel I'm going to target with the barbel rod.

 

[Mr Cholmondeley-Corker (PaSC)]

I would say a 1.75 tc is the minimum you'd get away with in the tidal. I'm comfortable with a 2.75 but have to cast carefully with my 1.75

It depends on what you're targeting. If barbel then you may need upwards of 4oz on a feeder plus the weight of bait in it. You could pick up dome big bream also.

But like nice pix says sewhaf over gunned for skimmers and silvers.

 

[cal_sutt]

I would say a 1.75 tc is the minimum you'd get away with in the tidal. I'm comfortable with a 2.75 but have to cast carefully with my 1.75

It depends on what you're targeting. If barbel then you may need upwards of 4oz on a feeder plus the weight of bait in it. You could pick up dome big bream also.

But like nice pix says sewhaf over gunned for skimmers and silvers.

I think there's just two rods missing from the "arsenal" that I will need to cover most (if not, all) of my fishing situations. That being, ideally, a feeder rod ideal for match style feeder fishing on the Trent for bream, roach, perch etc but it will need to chuck loaded 2oz groundbait feeders to hold bottom. As well as this, I'm hoping to get an ideal rod for my (more) local river which is narrow and snaggy and I'll be going for big barbel and chub with it so the 1.75 will probably be the rod for this.

 

[ravey]

The Daiwa 11/13 may be a suitable option for you. Something of a cult rod on the (tidal and non-tidal) Trent in match circles in years gone by.

The heavy/power versions are capable of throwing 3oz and maybe more. With 2oz+, the far bank is within reach with the right lines and technique. You can shorten off to 11' and couple it with one of the lighter Daiwa (or Drennan) tips for the lighter approach for smaller fish. Main lines betwen 3lb and 8lb Maxima, I would suggest.

The 11/13 is not a current option as far as I am aware, but have been around long enough (in various model guises) to show up on certain auction sites and classifieds regularly.

Anything 'Whisker', Kevlar', 'Amorphous', or 'Connoisseur' is likely to cost more, although the 'Lightning Graphite Coil', 'Matchlite', and 'Matchwinner' may be picked up for considerably less, but serve just as well.

Hope this helps.

 

[cal_sutt]

The Daiwa 11/13 may be a suitable option for you. Something of a cult rod on the (tidal and non-tidal) Trent in match circles in years gone by.

The heavy/power versions are capable of throwing 3oz and maybe more. With 2oz+, the far bank is within reach with the right lines and technique. You can shorten off to 11' and couple it with one of the lighter Daiwa (or Drennan) tips for the lighter approach for smaller fish. Main lines betwen 3lb and 8lb Maxima, I would suggest.

The 11/13 is not a current option as far as I am aware, but have been around long enough (in various model guises) to show up on certain auction sites and classifieds regularly.

Anything 'Whisker', Kevlar', 'Amorphous', or 'Connoisseur' is likely to cost more, although the 'Lightning Graphite Coil', 'Matchlite', and 'Matchwinner' may be picked up for considerably less, but serve just as well.

Hope this helps.

Excellent guidance there thanks very much! Been hoping to find a 13' Porky Pig, I borrowed one of these in a match a little while ago, excellent rod... I would even hazard to say that its the best rod I've ever used - well balanced, strong but perfect with small fish.
Got hold of a Daiwa Ivan Marks Carbon Match 13' today on a car boot which I'm going to test this week, in the past the older Daiwa rods have been absolutely cracking rods.

 

[ravey]

I've got the Porky Pig as well, but if it's versatility you want/need then the recommendation I made about the 11/13 models still stands, and the point made about the more well known 11/13 models also applies to the Porky Pig range (they are well regarded and hence attract relatively high prices).

As you mentioned, there is nothing wrong with the older Daiwa rods...some would say that they are better than the more modern equivalents.

Happy hunting!

 

[silvers]

I'd go with ravey on this one .... I have 3 of the original whisker 11/13 (25 years old now) and they are the most versatile rod I have. I've had barbel in to double on them on the Wye carrying 7 foot of extra water with no qualms. But they just about do for skimmer fishing as well.

 

[cal_sutt]

I've struggled to find an old Daiwa rod that would be right for the job that's within my price range so I guess I'll just have to keep an eye out. I have, however, looked at some modern power/distance feeder rods including the Garbolino Rocket Distance feeder im either 12ft or 13ft, the Shimano Forcemaster AX 12ft Distance feeder and the Shakespeare Agility and Mach series power feeders in 12ft and 14ft.

It's most likely that I'll go for the Shimano as I've found it dirt cheap!

 

[cal_sutt]

It's not quite as dirt cheap as the Shimano, but I've looked at the Nash Dean Macey Specimen feeder combo, it can be fished at either 11ft 6in or 13ft which means it will be perfect for rivers and commercials... Comes with tips ranging from 1.5oz to 3oz, think this is the one if I don't stumble upon a Porky Pig soon.

 

[ravey]

I'm afraid I can't offer any useful advice about any of the newer rods, as I have no experience of them, and it would not be right for me to make recommendations without having used them (or seen being used by others).

The stuff I use is what worked in years gone by, and still does. The Trent hasn't changed in terms of width, flow etc, although I accept that the dominant species have shifted away from chub towards barbel (both in size and numbers).

I suppose that my hope was that you could pick up something that meets your needs in terms of versatility for a bit less than would cost for a newer equivalent. If you are prepared to search and/or wait for the right rod, I believe that it would be time/effort well spent.

There's a diawa heavy duty connoissuer feeder combo (11/13) on the 'bay right now, which may be worth a punt.

 

[cal_sutt]

I'm afraid I can't offer any useful advice about any of the newer rods, as I have no experience of them, and it would not be right for me to make recommendations without having used them (or seen being used by others).

The stuff I use is what worked in years gone by, and still does. The Trent hasn't changed in terms of width, flow etc, although I accept that the dominant species have shifted away from chub towards barbel (both in size and numbers).

I suppose that my hope was that you could pick up something that meets your needs in terms of versatility for a bit less than would cost for a newer equivalent. If you are prepared to search and/or wait for the right rod, I believe that it would be time/effort well spent.

There's a diawa heavy duty connoissuer feeder combo (11/13) on the 'bay right now, which may be worth a punt.

Figured the problem here, the older rods are somewhat out of budget at difficult to get hold of and I'm struggling to find advice on the newer rods... Just need a few guides really - What sort of length should I look at? What casting weight? What TC tips are ideal?

Once again bearing in mind I will be casting up to about 3oz, targetting roach, bream, perch with maybe the occasional small carp or chub if I'm lucky, may fish for barbel on it but certainly not on the Trent. Basically needs to be tough enough but still have the sensitivity to pick up bites from fish under a pound.