Recommendations for a 13ft stick float rod for roach fishing.

[108831]

Whitty.

If we cannot have opinions and NOT fall out then were not very civilised are we? Havens sake we are all adults after all? I'd just like to hear what people like, and why, it may make me buy or at least think about other rods? We have a wealth of experience about the forum, lets have a debate, and not argue?

Sorry,but it was not a snipe,but arguments regularly occur over these subjects and are in the main emotive,opinins on reels,rods,hooks etc,as i said i dont like rods longer than 13ft,in fact i have not owned one for quite a few years,dont enjoy fishing with them,simples,they are unbalanced,that is all of them,i myself feel that and apart from rods that i havent been able to handle(like the Sphere)on which i cant opine,enjoy your fishing,because too many spats on here end in tears and toys being thrown out of prams...

 

[103841]

It’s been an informative and helpful thread for which I’m grateful, some diverse opinions as I’d expect, no arguments.............yet

 

[tigger]

First time out with a 13ft 6inch sphere....





First time out with a 15ft 6inch sphere...




Caught plenty of fish with both the rods and they were fine. I've always prefered rods at 13ft and up to 14ft, i've never liked the feel of a fishing rod longer than 14ft. Up until getting the 15ft 6inch sphere i'd never used a rod over 15ft before other than having a few trots with my friends. The 15ft 6inch sphere felt good even with the extra length but it would without doubt make mending the line less of an effort if fishing across river, especially if conditions weren't conducive to trotting.
The handles look rather odd at a glance but they felt quite good in my hand and the shape of the reel holder means that you have easy access to the rim of a centrepin reel. The spliced tips are ultra thin and delicate and I would imagine there will be lots of accidents with them, much the same as there was with the team normark 2000 range of rods. If you get one that is something you would need to remember, especially if fishing in places with trees etc.

 

[mikench]

Santa must really like you Ian but I understand as you need new rods.:

Blimey 2 rods; I'll never keep up now. :thumbs::yo:

 

[tigger]

Santa must really like you Ian but I understand as you need new rods.:

Blimey 2 rods; I'll never keep up now. :thumbs::yo:

The price was right Mike

 

[108831]

What,a tenner each???

 

[sam vimes]

Here's a pictorial demonstration of why I love the Browning Sphere (Fuji really) reel seat, especially for use with a centrepin.

That's the way I prefer to hold a pin. This reel seat allows a wonderful resting thumb position with a very easy drop to the spool rim for thumb control.

Whether you can get on with this reel seat in conjunction with a fixed spool reel will depend greatly on how you hold such a set up. I tend to swap between the reel stem being between finger one and two, or two and three. This reel seat feels all wrong when the reel stem falls between two and three. It's fine between one and two.

It's the kind of thing that people will either love or hate.

 

[mikench]

Nice Conquest Chris. I like the reel seat on the Silverlite.

 

[sam vimes]

I like the reel seat on the Silverlite.

I think it's a screw up seat, so I doubt it'll be for me. However, I believe that the Silverlites are purely tip rods, so I won't be finding out for myself any time soon.

 

[108831]

I had a waggle of a 15' 6" Sphere yesterday, after my mates funeral,at Benwick Sports,great tackle shop,with helpful knowledgeable staff,anyway it was very nice,very light for a 15'+ rod,i picked up a 17' Acolyte,it felt bloody awful to me,anyway i wont be buying one anytime soon,but can understand the appeal and the Sphere seems worth the cash to me....

 

[sam vimes]

I had a waggle of a 15' 6" Sphere yesterday, after my mates funeral,at Benwick Sports,great tackle shop,with helpful knowledgeable staff,anyway it was very nice,very light for a 15'+ rod,i picked up a 17' Acolyte,it felt bloody awful to me,anyway i wont be buying one anytime soon,but can understand the appeal and the Sphere seems worth the cash to me....

I prefer my Spheres, but the 15' Acolyte (even with it being 6" shorter taken into account) is lighter than the 15' 6" Sphere. The 17' Acolyte is unbelievably light, but it has a really strange action. It's awful in a tackle shop waggle, but better in use. However, it does make anything over 4oz hoop the tip over like it was huge.

The following figures should demonstrate nicely that if it has been anything approaching ten years since you picked up a longer rod, there's a chance that your opinions on long rods no longer hold much water. The 15' Acolytes are actually lighter than plenty of 13' rods, regardless of whether they are new and expensive.

15' Drennan Acolyte Ultra ---------------- 168g
15' Drennan Acolyte Plus ----------------- 169g
15' Maver Signature Pro Classic ---------- 179g
15'6" Browning Sphere Splice Tip River - 184g
17' Drennan Acolyte Float ---------------- 199g
15' Shimano Speedcast ------------------- 225g
15' Shimano Aerocast Specimen Match -- 280g
16/18' Abu Suveran ----------------------- 333/377g
(I do expect that I'd be able to pole vault with the last two. There's nothing typical about either)

Just to compare and contrast, the following are all 13' rods (except the 13' 6" Sphere).

Browning Sphere Match --------------------------- 144g
Drennan Acolyte Ultra ----------------------------- 146g
Drennan Acolyte Plus ------------------------------ 150g
Tri-Cast Allerton Waggler -------------------------- 156g
Tri-Cast Allerton (spliced tip) --------------------- 162g
13'6" Browning Sphere Spliced Tip River -------- 162g
Maver Matchwinner Liquid Crystal ---------------- 177g
Normark Microlight II ------------------------------ 177g
Normark Titan II ----------------------------------- 178g
Shimano Speedcast ------------------------------- 193g
Daiwa (Tom Pickering) Matchwinner-S Waggler - 195g
Daiwa (Tom Pickering Matchwinner Waggler ----- 195g
Daiwa Air AGS ------------------------------------- 205g
Shimano Aerocast --------------------------------- 219g

 

[rob48]

I've still got a barely used 16/18 Suveran lying around somewhere. It actually had an improved action at the longer length as the additional 2' section stiffened the middle of the rod making it better for hitting sharp bites, if you were strong enough to do so. It made a practical alternative to gym membership at least.
I'm a big fan of the spliced-tip Spheres but for out and out roach on the stick at close range I've not used a better rod than the Rive - r Waggler 13' light. Although it says waggler on the blank it's suitable for any light line roach fishing, with a fast tip and a progressive action that hits bites and rarely bumps fish.

 

[103841]

What is a “Rive - r Waggler 13' light“ Rob?

Ignore this, just googled them.

Surprised such a light rod hasn’t been mentioned to my knowledge before.

 

[tigger]

I'm not really a fan of long rods but found the 15 ft 6 inch sphere comfortable and not to heavy at all. I do wonder if I should have got the 15ft accy plus rod as I have the 13 and 14 footers and they're excellent rods. I know I could still get a 15 ft accy but I very rarely use a longer rod so I think i'd be wasting my coin. The 15 6 sphere will come in handy for days when theres a downstream wind and i'm fishing on a larger river.

 

[rob48]

The 15.6 Sphere is an ideal "big" river rod. I use mine on deep stretches like the Trent at Shardlow and the Severn in the Upton area, sometimes with Bolo type floats down the middle.

 

[sam vimes]

I've still got a barely used 16/18 Suveran lying around somewhere. It actually had an improved action at the longer length as the additional 2' section stiffened the middle of the rod making it better for hitting sharp bites, if you were strong enough to do so. It made a practical alternative to gym membership at least.

With a line rating of 2-8lb, mine gets used for deep water gravel pit tench. Using it for trotting isn't even worth thinking about. The short (2' 10") butt section must have a fair chunk of counterweight fitted. It's 205g on its own. That's heavier than an entire 17' Acolyte.

 

[tigger]

With a line rating of 2-8lb, mine gets used for deep water gravel pit tench. Using it for trotting isn't even worth thinking about. The short (2' 10") butt section must have a fair chunk of counterweight fitted. It's 205g on its own. That's heavier than an entire 17' Acolyte.

Whaaaaaat !

Seriously, I wouldn't give that a space in the rod room.

 

[sam vimes]

Whaaaaaat !

Seriously, I wouldn't give that a space in the rod room.

Find another 16/18' float rod that can comfortably cope with 8lb line.

 

[tigger]

Find another 16/18' float rod that can comfortably cope with 8lb line.

That one should cope with 20lb line .

I wonder what the one we spoke about recently is rated to, might be worth checking up on that as it might just fit the bill for you?

 

[108831]

I prefer my Spheres, but the 15' Acolyte (even with it being 6" shorter taken into account) is lighter than the 15' 6" Sphere. The 17' Acolyte is unbelievably light, but it has a really strange action. It's awful in a tackle shop waggle, but better in use. However, it does make anything over 4oz hoop the tip over like it was huge.

The following figures should demonstrate nicely that if it has been anything approaching ten years since you picked up a longer rod, there's a chance that your opinions on long rods no longer hold much water. The 15' Acolytes are actually lighter than plenty of 13' rods, regardless of whether they are new and expensive.

15' Drennan Acolyte Ultra ---------------- 168g
15' Drennan Acolyte Plus ----------------- 169g
15' Maver Signature Pro Classic ---------- 179g
15'6" Browning Sphere Splice Tip River - 184g
17' Drennan Acolyte Float ---------------- 199g
15' Shimano Speedcast ------------------- 225g
15' Shimano Aerocast Specimen Match -- 280g
16/18' Abu Suveran ----------------------- 333/377g
(I do expect that I'd be able to pole vault with the last two. There's nothing typical about either)

Just to compare and contrast, the following are all 13' rods (except the 13' 6" Sphere).

Browning Sphere Match --------------------------- 144g
Drennan Acolyte Ultra ----------------------------- 146g
Drennan Acolyte Plus ------------------------------ 150g
Tri-Cast Allerton Waggler -------------------------- 156g
Tri-Cast Allerton (spliced tip) --------------------- 162g
13'6" Browning Sphere Spliced Tip River -------- 162g
Maver Matchwinner Liquid Crystal ---------------- 177g
Normark Microlight II ------------------------------ 177g
Normark Titan II ----------------------------------- 178g
Shimano Speedcast ------------------------------- 193g
Daiwa (Tom Pickering) Matchwinner-S Waggler - 195g
Daiwa (Tom Pickering Matchwinner Waggler ----- 195g
Daiwa Air AGS ------------------------------------- 205g
Shimano Aerocast --------------------------------- 219g

The trouble is Chris some rods that are heavier feel better in the hand whilst fishing,the Sphere would undoubtably be one,an Acolyte is a rod I have no wish to own,preferring the rods I already own...