Shakespeare Agility Barbel

[symonh2000]

I have just received a £50 Amazon voucher as a belated birthday gift and was thinking of treating myself to a Shakespeare Agility Barbel rod like this one.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00BFTG...TF8&colid=3V7GS59E1PUOK&coliid=I1VKSUWRCL13AH

Has anyone got one and how would you rate it? I know there are more expensive better rods out there, but I don't get to go fishing as much as I would like anyway so spending more might be a bit of a waste.

At the moment I have an older (EVA/Duplon handle) JW Avon quiver, which has done me well but I fancy something new.

Most of my fishing is done on smaller rivers, but it does contain a few double figure fish.

 

[iain t]

I've heard nothing bad about the rod. The Agility range of rods are well made. Doubles should be no problem for a 1.75 rod. I've had a 16.4lb Barbel on my Avon rod. I've also had a 14.2lb Common Carp on my clubs stillwater using another Avon rod i own and that is rated at 1.25lb.

 

[symonh2000]

Thanks, I haven't heard any bad about it either and the Amazon reviews seem positive.

I will most likely take the plunge, it gives me an excuse to get out over xmas as well.

 

[Keith M]

I have just received a £50 Amazon voucher as a belated birthday gift and was thinking of treating myself to a Shakespeare Agility Barbel rod like this one.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00BFTG...TF8&colid=3V7GS59E1PUOK&coliid=I1VKSUWRCL13AH

Has anyone got one and how would you rate it? I know there are more expensive better rods out there, but I don't get to go fishing as much as I would like anyway so spending more might be a bit of a waste.

At the moment I have an older (EVA/Duplon handle) JW Avon quiver, which has done me well but I fancy something new.

Most of my fishing is done on smaller rivers, but it does contain a few double figure fish.

Although I haven't used the Shakespeare Agility Barbel rod; Shakespeare do make some really good rods and I would have no qualms about using this rod for Barbel.

I have a couple of the original 11ft 1.25lb JW Avon/Quivers (although mine have the cork handles) and I used to find them a tad too light for handling the larger Barbel of over around 5 or 6lb in my local stream; so if you think you are going to hook bigger Barbel in your smaller rivers then I think you will love the extra control that the 1.75lb Barbel rod is going to give you.

Keith

 

[symonh2000]

I did manage to land a 11 1/2 pounder on my JW Avon quiver with the quiver top section fitted. It did handle the fish pretty well especially considering I was on 6lb line straight through to a size 14 hook.

I wasn't really expecting to catch a Barbel, mainly chub although I have used it to target smaller Barbel in the past with no real issues.

A better more powerful rod would be better for deliberately targeting the big ones though, as it is hard to keep them away from snags on the light one.

 

[Keith M]

I did manage to land a 11 1/2 pounder on my JW Avon quiver with the quiver top section fitted. It did handle the fish pretty well especially considering I was on 6lb line straight through to a size 14 hook.

I wasn't really expecting to catch a Barbel, mainly chub although I have used it to target smaller Barbel in the past with no real issues.

A better more powerful rod would be better for deliberately targeting the big ones though, as it is hard to keep them away from snags on the light one.

Yes Simon, I have also caught some large Barbel from fairly open swims using a 1.25lb JW Avon/Quiver using 6lb line in the past, I've also caught Carp up to just over 17lb off the surface from my local estate lake using one of them too but on a small snaggy stream with tree roots and undercuts everywhere, and with sharp bends every few feet I found the JW Avon/Quiver was way out of its limits with a big barbel screaming off on the end Lol. which is why I moved up to using 1.5lb and 1.7lb through auctioned Barbel rods many years ago whenever I'm after barbel; and now I can control a large barbel in these smaller snag ridden swims a lot better Lol.

Nowerdays I only get one of my old 11ft JW Avon/Quivers out if I'm fishing for chub in very tight and very overgrown swims (as these rods can be very resilient to knocks from overhanging vegetation etc.) and I don't want to chance damaging one of my more expensive modern rods lol

That Shakespeare Agility Barbel rod sounds like a very good rod

Keith

 

[ribblemeister]

I have one of these rods and can honestly say that for the money it punches above its weight.
Also have a couple of agility 12 Ft 2 lb tc specimen rods which I use more for barbel but I can honestly say the agility range is superb.
My advice is buy one you won't regret it

 

[Jim Crosskey 2]

Not sure if you've pulled the trigger yet, but I have a Daiwa Black Widow twin tip, same sort of money (£50 ish?) which I bought sort of by accident... I was away fishing on the wye for a couple of days and managed to break not just one but two rods! Anyway, I needed a replacement to get me through the weekend, went in to Woody's and had a waggle on several lower priced barbel rods - and the thing I liked most about the Daiwa was it was light, slim and very much through actioned. I've used it quite a bit since and I've come to really like it very much - it's gone from "a rod to see me through" to "first rod out of the bag" as far as barbel fishing goes. Also doubled up as a sleeper rod fishing the method and whilst I haven't tried it I'm sure it would make very light work of floater fishing for carp too.

All of that said, it's probably built on the same blank as the Agility! Given the spec and the price point....

 

[symonh2000]

Thanks for that, I will take a look at the Diawa as well.

I do like Diawa tackle as a rule, but some of the Shakey stuff I have had recently (reels) has been a bit dodgy in terms of quality...

 

[Lord Paul of Sheffield]

Shakespeare make decent rod for reasonable money - as far as I'm aware they don't sponsor any big names in angling so don't the press coverage they deserve

 

[Keith M]

some of the Shakey stuff I have had recently (reels) has been a bit dodgy in terms of quality...

I agree about some of their reels, but their rods are usually top notch if you stay clear of their basic bottom level rods.

Keith

 

[ribblemeister]

My sentiments as well had a sigma reel and not impressed but I've yet to have owned a bad Shakespeare rod

---------- Post added at 12:36 ---------- Previous post was at 11:32 ----------

By the way regarding daiwa black widows.
I have the 3000 size of these reels on my 4 barbel rods and really rate them .
At £50 apiece they are excellent value a lot nicer than the newer shimano baitrunners in my opinion.

 

[xenon]

Shakespeare make decent rod for reasonable money - as far as I'm aware they don't sponsor any big names in angling so don't the press coverage they deserve

Agree-tno one comes close in terms of "bang for buck"