Artie
Active member
Yes how times change, 30years ago I was using two 1.5 tc fiber Glass 11 1/2 foot for carp fishing, I still have them and do still used them for Barbel & Carp.
Lower t.c. Rods
- Thread starter ben10
- Start date
Yes how times change, 30years ago I was using two 1.5 tc fiber Glass 11 1/2 foot for carp fishing, I still have them and do still used them for Barbel & Carp.
Artie,I remember a guy(Alan Wilkie)who fished Arlesey lake(of **** Walker fame)who stalked for the carp on the float with Conoflex glass 1lb t.c. carp rods(yes carp rods)in what was called the logs(massive sunken trees),he caught many fish,including the biggest carp in the lake,over 30lbs(which was big then),but he had many twenties,imo these rods were too soft for bream,being all through and far softer than the Hardy Avon mentioned earlier,even though that was supposedly 1lb t.c. too...
steve2
Well-known member
When I last fished for barbel I used Avon rods 1lb to 1.25lb tc so I am totally out of touch with modern barbel rods. I had no trouble landing doubles on the waters I fished back then so unless the fish have changed I still could now.
I can see the point with regard to powerful rods on powerful rivers but this use of power rods seems to every where now.
I can see the point with regard to powerful rods on powerful rivers but this use of power rods seems to every where now.
Steve,what I find worse is how the 'barbel police' want to control what tackle everyone should use for the species,a beginners guide yes,don't try to tell people with experience of the species though,unless they ask for advice...
I dont really go for the automatic bigger river = bigger rod idea. Ok you may need to step up for some swims or situations but you can still use a light rod on a big river. I dont think its any surprise that the rods have got heavier as bolt rig / Carp tactics became more popular in Barbel fishing.
thecrow
Well-known member
Perhaps some anglers myself included choose a TC that will allow them to use those rods for different species/methods, my Barbel rods are not expensive ones but I can fish on small or big rivers quite happily with them I can use them on still waters for Zander or large Bream.
As has been alluded to previously TCs mean little and I would far sooner rely on the action/taper of the rod, besides any 1.75 that has been used for a while will no longer be a 1.75 TC as the blank will weaken with use, the heavier the use the quicker that will happen.
As has been alluded to previously TCs mean little and I would far sooner rely on the action/taper of the rod, besides any 1.75 that has been used for a while will no longer be a 1.75 TC as the blank will weaken with use, the heavier the use the quicker that will happen.
Keith M
Well-known member
I use 1.25lb, 1.5lb 1.75lb and 2lb rods on my local streams and narrow stretches of river and they have all had their uses at different times.
Low water levels or heavy flood conditions and anything in between; bendy stretches, weedy/snaggy stretches or relatively clear river conditions and the different times of the year; all of these have influenced the rods that I have chosen to use for Barbel.
I don’t usually need to use any feeders on the small rivers and streams that I fish because I can usually get away with loose feeding by hand or small catapult, plus I’m rarely fishing further than an underarm swing away, and rarely fishing swims that are deeper than around 4 or 5ft deep. My usuall rig is just a small half ounce link leger except in flood conditions when I will step up the weight to suit the flow.
I fish one venue (a small stream) where the barbel only usually run to around 5 or 6lb and the biggest I’ve had from there was just over 7lb, where I often use an old original 11ft 1.25lb JW Avon Quiver and that’s fine but if try to use this rod a mile or so downstream where the barbel run into double figures and the streamer weed is more abundant then I have to step up to my 1.5lb barbel rod or the 1.5lb tip on my multi-tip rod otherwise I lose any ability to control the fight and apply some pressure when it’s really needed; and if the flow has increased a tad further in a rainy period I sometimes need to use a 1.75lb tip, especially in a swim that will require me to bully fish away from any tree roots or other snags.
And in real flood conditions when the stream or river is almost breaching it’s banks I will often use my 2lb tc tip on my Greys multi-tip Specialist rod or very occasionally an old 2lb tc Diawa Powermesh Carp rod which has a lovely sweet action.
So ‘small river = small test curve rod’ doesn’t always ring true in my view.
NB: Most of the rods that I mentioned above have forgiving through actions except for the light Carp rod which has a fairly forgiving action anyway.
Keith
Low water levels or heavy flood conditions and anything in between; bendy stretches, weedy/snaggy stretches or relatively clear river conditions and the different times of the year; all of these have influenced the rods that I have chosen to use for Barbel.
I don’t usually need to use any feeders on the small rivers and streams that I fish because I can usually get away with loose feeding by hand or small catapult, plus I’m rarely fishing further than an underarm swing away, and rarely fishing swims that are deeper than around 4 or 5ft deep. My usuall rig is just a small half ounce link leger except in flood conditions when I will step up the weight to suit the flow.
I fish one venue (a small stream) where the barbel only usually run to around 5 or 6lb and the biggest I’ve had from there was just over 7lb, where I often use an old original 11ft 1.25lb JW Avon Quiver and that’s fine but if try to use this rod a mile or so downstream where the barbel run into double figures and the streamer weed is more abundant then I have to step up to my 1.5lb barbel rod or the 1.5lb tip on my multi-tip rod otherwise I lose any ability to control the fight and apply some pressure when it’s really needed; and if the flow has increased a tad further in a rainy period I sometimes need to use a 1.75lb tip, especially in a swim that will require me to bully fish away from any tree roots or other snags.
And in real flood conditions when the stream or river is almost breaching it’s banks I will often use my 2lb tc tip on my Greys multi-tip Specialist rod or very occasionally an old 2lb tc Diawa Powermesh Carp rod which has a lovely sweet action.
So ‘small river = small test curve rod’ doesn’t always ring true in my view.
NB: Most of the rods that I mentioned above have forgiving through actions except for the light Carp rod which has a fairly forgiving action anyway.
Keith
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steve2
Well-known member
A carp rod can be used for carp in the summer, barbel in the autumn and pike in the winter, just a matter of changing end rig.So something with 2lb tc can be multipurpose.
It’s what we did before fashion/manufacturers said we needed a different rod for every fish.
It’s what we did before fashion/manufacturers said we needed a different rod for every fish.
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Artie
Active member
Great point.