Trotting Rod

[Matthew White]

Hi All

I am looking to get a new float rod for trotting the rivers. I would like a rod that I can use for fishing light for grayling as well as fishing a bit heavier for Chub.

I like the Drennan rods but dont know which model to go for.

Matt

 

[Graham Whatmore]

It might be better if you tell us how much you are willing to spend.

If you are on a budget this is a good rod suitable for what you want at a good price.

 

[tigger]

Personally I'd be inclined to go for one of these

Normark Avenger II, 13' Rod (NCA 13X) on eBay (end time 02-Sep-10 21:25:11 BST)


NORMARK MIROLITE II 13 foot Match ! on eBay (end time 30-Aug-10 00:15:15 BST)

 

[Matthew White]

I would probably be looking to spend around £100. Less if possible!

 

[captain carrott]

you will be lucky to find a drennan for less than 100 notes unless it's off fleabay.

it also depends if you want a waggler rod that you're going to use for stick fishing, not actually a problem really like it used to be.
or a proper stickfloat spliced tip fast actioned rod.

if it's the proper stickfloat rod you're looking at 200 notes and a very restricted choice.

for a decent float rod that will do the job you want for less than 100 notes it would have to be a shakespear

something like this

Shakespeare - Rods - Fresh water - MACH 3 XT Match

 

[tigger]

I've heard nothing but good about the Shakespear MACH rods and reels.

here's a drennan rod or two in your budget...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/drennan-stick...03?pt=UK_SportingGoods_Fishing_FishingRods_EH





Drennan Tench float rod coarse fishing tackle on eBay (end time 27-Aug-10 18:58:38 BST)

 

[captain carrott]

I've heard nothing but good about the Shakespear MACH rods and reels.

here's a drennan rod or two in your budget...

NORMARK MIROLITE II 13 foot Match ! on eBay (end time 30-Aug-10 00:15:15 BST)

Drennan Tench float rod coarse fishing tackle on eBay (end time 27-Aug-10 18:58:38 BST)

no me either the mach 3's get good reviews everywhere i've looked and this from ordinary anglers

 

[Graham Whatmore]

I have a Shakespeare 15ft Mach III and what a little beauty it is, even better because it only cost me 50 notes on ebay. I also have an 11ft Mach III feeder rod I use for the method and that was even cheaper and does everything I want from a feeder throwing a loaded method feeder 50yds with ease and that using a 1lb t.c tip.

Never under estimate the value of Shakespeare.

 

[S-Kippy]

I have a Shakespeare 15ft Mach III and what a little beauty it is, even better because it only cost me 50 notes on ebay. I also have an 11ft Mach III feeder rod I use for the method and that was even cheaper and does everything I want from a feeder throwing a loaded method feeder 50yds with ease and that using a 1lb t.c tip.

Never under estimate the value of Shakespeare.

Very true but good as they are I wouldn't dismiss a good second hand example of a "better" rod. Float rods that you intend to use for trotting are not something I think you can compromise with in quite the same way as [say] one you intend to use down the local carp puddle.

I dont know the Normarks. I use a Preston Carbonactive Sentient which I got second hand off the bay for exactly this sort of work.Its perfect...and within the £100 budget. I paid [I think] about £80 for mine.

Skippy

 

[dezza]

The Drennan Puddlechucker which is similar to the Drennan Tench Float retails for less than £70.00.

I have one, it's a bloody good rod.

 

[captain carrott]

The Drennan Puddlechucker which is similar to the Drennan Tench Float retails for less than £70.00.

I have one, it's a bloody good rod.

thought you'd have had some hand made concoction with silks which were hand spun on the thighs of dusky maidens in the south pacific, you'll be falling behind peter if you're not carefull

 

[Sean Meeghan]

I'd go with Ron's suggestion Matt. On the rivers you fish you don't want too light a rod and you'll struggle with a light match rod. I've got a Garbolino Carp match rod (no longer available) which is just about perfect - 5lb main line (although it will handle heavier) and hooklengths down to about .1mm. My mate has a Drennan Tench Float which he swears by for grayling fishing, but I'd suggest having a look at a few rods designed for commercial fishing.

---------- Post added at 22:25 ---------- Previous post was at 22:22 ----------

If you hook a decent grayling or a chub at range in a spate river you need a rod with a tip soft enough to cushion your hook length, but with enough backbone to work the fish up stream in fast water.

 

[kirky]

Drennan Puddle Chicker all the way. I have a Daiwa MatchWinner which I find to very soft, you have to make a big strike to offer enough resistence to set the hook. I also have a Carbonactive which is too slow on the pick up for river fishing (I am aware it wasn't designed for it).
.
I am now using my 12ft, 2 pce Drennan Carp Waggler rod and I must confess it is tops. Used it on the Test last winter and it was fantastic, very responsive, not too stiff. Its now my first choice float rod on most occasions now, so much so that my other float rods will be going up for sale.

Hope this helps in some way.

 

[Graham Whatmore]

Interesting that people now think a heavy match carp waggler is better, (even needed) than an ordinary match rod, I include Shakespeare rods as well because they are good match rods regardless of the fact that they are cheaper.

I, and hundreds of thousands of river match anglers managed to hook and land chub (decent chub too over 4lbs) plus the odd small barbel up to 6lb or 7lb on the old style match waggler or stick float rods. These modern match carp rods weren't even invented in those days and they are only used now because they are intended for targetting carp to double figures.

I personally still fish a river with the 'proper' river float rods and have never felt the need to use a stepped up rod to land the fish I hook. The Preston carbon-active rods handle big fish in much the same way as my old match rods except they are a through action as opposed to a tip action which is what old style rods had.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

I personally still fish a river with the 'proper' river float rods and have never felt the need to use a stepped up rod to land the fish I hook. The Preston carbon-active rods handle big fish in much the same way as my old match rods except they are a through action as opposed to a tip action which is what old style rods had.

Me too Graham, I far prefer my old Daiwa Connoisseurs to the modern stepped-up carp pool rods of today. My old Tri-cast Allerton spliced tip stick float rod has landed many a Chub upto five and a half pounds, and I landed a near-double Carp at Clattercote on the Daiwa, with a Stradic 2500 loaded with 5lb B/S line and a 4 pound hooklength.

I have a Carbotec number 3 float rod (very similar to the Preston Carbonactive rods) that will handle anything from 3 ounce roach to double figure Barbel, and give you as much pleasure with either.

But, as in most things "fishing related" each of us have our preferences I suppose.

 

[Sean Meeghan]

Not sure I agree with you there Peter and Graham! Whilst some of these rods are beasts, some are superb trotting rods. I'm comparing my Garbolino with a Shimano TripleX which I still use regularly and my mate is comparing his Drennan Carp Waggler to a Tricast. We both agree that for grayling fishing on spate rivers some of the modern carp float rods are better. One of their main advantages of is that we lose fewer fish on them.

I'm not saying that they are better rods, just that they are better suited to the type of fishing that Matt will be doing.

 

[Graham Whatmore]

Hmmm! curiouser and curiouser! I have fished for grayling on the Wye, the Teme and the Itchen and never ever thought my match rod was outgunned. Grayling aren't that hard fighting, not moreso than a good chub and certainly not in the same class as a barbel however small.

I'm not arguing the fact just curious Sean, why do you think match style rods lose more fish on a spate river because having spent my life fishing big powerful rivers such as the Severn, Wye and Trent I havn't found losing fish a problem to be honest. The same argument could be applied to using carp rods for barbel fishing as some anglers do but it wouldn't be my choice.

 

[captain carrott]

i have to agree with graham on this one, if i was happy with a rod for use on the trent then i would be more than happy to use the same rod for the same species on the ribble as the ribble has no where near the power of the trent in comparable stages of flow.

 

[Sean Meeghan]

Fishing in Winter on the Wharfe you're often trotting fast, turbulent water, think upper Severn, and I feel that a bit of extra 'backbone' in a rod helps bring the fish upstream faster. The rod I use has a finer tip than my TripleX, but a bit more 'grunt' lower down the blank.

Like all things fishing this probably defies explanation, but I know which rod I pick up if I'm heading off on a day after the grayling.

 

[tigger]

I've used several different float/match type rods when fishing for grayling and i actuaslly like to use my normark microlite which is the least powerfull of them. I uswe it in pretty fast flowing waters and have had no prob's retreiving fish just topping 3lb.

Graham, I do use carp rods for barbel ...Daiwa tournament whisker kevlars in 11ft 2 1/4 and 1.75 test and they're better than any barbel rod I've ever seen or used, my opinion of course. Also use shimano diaflash specimine rods in 2lb test, again perfect for targetting barbel.