I would imagine the browning rod you have is as good as a spliced tip float rod has got, but in all honesty do you think it gives any advantage over a hollow tip rod?
I've never used one of the ultra modern spliced tip rods like yours so in reality I can't say one way or another. I do know the few models i've held and used just didn't feel as good as my hollow tipped rods, and a couple of them where top totty in their era. I can't imagine a spliced tip doing anything better than a hollow tip rod though?
I'm getting a horrible feeling of deja vue, I'm sure we've had this conversation before!
With absolute honesty, yes, I do believe the right spliced tip rod still offers an advantage over any hollow tip rod I've used, for certain applications. I wouldn't bother with the expense if I didn't think they offered something more. A good spliced tip rod is still my genuine preference for trotting and really light waggler work. However, a rod for the latter will have a drastically different action to a trotting rod, even if it does have a spliced tip.
You know that I have two types of modern spliced tip trotting rod. One I absolutely love, the other I'm far less enamoured with. However, I know plenty of folks that think the one I'm not keen on is a fantastic rod. That's probably down to fishing rather different types of river.
Ultimately, it comes down to the individual's style of fishing. Although there's a lot of common ground with us, your striking technique is miles away from mine. I want to be able to do little more than roll my wrist to strike, even at range. The right spliced tip rod allows me to do this. The first spliced tip rod I bought was the best part of thirty years ago. My style of trotting and striking has become ingrained in all that time. I don't really want to adapt to a more through actioned rod (or at least a less fast actioned rod). You've developed a style to suit the rods you favour, and it's a lot more of a sweep to your strikes than I'm comfortable with when trotting. I very much doubt that you'd be comfortable adapting your ingrained ways to a spliced tip rod. You like the MK2 Normarks for trotting. I love them for the waggler, on still or flowing water, but I don't use them for trotting.
I've made do with some faster actioned hollow tip rods over the years. Some I've really liked, but until the Acolyte Ultras came along, there was nothing fast actioned yet mellow enough for much of my trotting. Most hollow tipped fast action rods are not really intended as out and out trotting rods, and to me it shows. The Spheres knock the Acolytes into the weeds. They've got the all of the better Acolyte attributes plus a faster action that I prefer, without ending up as pokers. On top of that, much to my surprise, I don't feel the need for a beefier version of the Spheres. It's more versatile in that respect than I imagined.
