dragon carp closing down

[dorsetandchub]

Rods are simply tools for doing a job, quality tackle as well as cheap tackle is sometimes the wrong gear for the individual, just doesn't feel right. I have purchased many rods that although I could use, had irritating little quirks, casting wise, striking wise, playing fish at range or in close, something was not right or the combination of all things didn't add up, they had to go.
You find most rods do not tick all your personal boxes, the combination of faults is usually more prominent in budget tackle, I found two sets of carp rod that feel like an extension of my arm, Greys X Flites and Century Armalites, wont be buying any more.

Yep, I'd go along with that but would add that I use the Roman army approach. If I get to hear that one of my mates has just bought a certain pole / rod / box etc I'll give it the once over and see if I think it might suit me too.

Obviously, one can try things in the tackle shop but bankside testing is harder to arrange.

 

[wanderer]

I have not personally bought anything from them, but were I 14 or so again I would have been thrilled with what they have to offer price wise and that to me is a very important factor. At entry level price is key. None of my family fished and my first gear took a painfully long time to assemble from pocket money/birthday presents. I was mortified last season when I bent the landing net pole that I originally got from persuading my Dad to part with his Greenshield stamps for I think being a "Tackle Tart" is fine when you are older and have sufficient funds to indulge yourself as to be honest that is quite normal behaviour for adult males in particular and extends into other areas like DIY tools etc, where knowledge and experience (sometimes bitter!) make you realise that things are sometimes cheap for a reason. However when you are young and keen catching fish is the real thrill, especially if you have managed to get yourself there with little adult assistance.

You are right to a degree, my first rod was bamboo, Dad got me it with his Embassy cigarette coupons, but when you think about it , some poor kid is supposed to perform sometimes with tackle that an expert couldn't use, mid price rods for kids are better than cheap junk, I am not a tackle tart, I only use what works for me, I have a set of Bruce and Walker carp rods and a pair by Rod Hutchinson, that I never use because they have pulled more hooks than Warren Beatty pulled Birds, all that glitters aint gold and you learn those expensive lessons, you also learn that junk wont do the job.

 

[lambert1]

My first was bamboo too! I had forgotten about cigarette coupons. Only my Grandad was a heavy smoker and I never got him to part with his! I take your point, as I have no idea what their rods are like.

 

[tom_moran]

I haven't bought any tackle from dragon carp, but I have taken advantage of the sale and bought some marukyu bait that has been very cheap, with these cheap sites/shops if you get branded goods cheaply I'm more than happy but always wary of the cheap/own brands and tend to steer clear. I'd rather buy decent kit second hand than cheap stuff new

 

[trotter2]

I think rods in general are a lot better than they used to be,
How many of you lads remember paying over a hundred for a top float rod in the 80s
If you compare those rods with todays rods costing say £30 there is no comparision "you have never had it so good".

 

[wanderer]

I think rods in general are a lot better than they used to be,
How many of you lads remember paying over a hundred for a top float rod in the 80s
If you compare those rods with todays rods costing say £30 there is no comparision "you have never had it so good".

Yep couldn't disagree.

 

[seth49]

My first rod was made from the ariel of a tank.
Even had a greenheart trout fly rod.it wasn't that bad either.

 

[laguna]

First rod?
We made do with what we had, mine was a huge bamboo pole taken from a role of carpet 17ft long weighing a ton. I also made a reel from a mill bobbin... it was ****!

Target species was 5oz roach on a local pond size 2 triple hook with a maggot on each prong.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

They have a very large retail outlet there too although I rarely visit it, to give you an idea of scale the smaller detached box type building to the top left of the main depot is the retail outlet and is probably larger than many supermarkets... http://i1308.photobucket.com/albums/...pspchhwv73.jpg

Blige!

I want to se the size of the ladder that you used to take that piccie binks . . . . .

Regarding Cheap Tackle then the old adage rungs very true . . .

Buy cheap buy twice!

 

[thecrow]

Buy cheap buy twice!

And if one cannot afford expensive don't buy at all? I just cannot understand anyone paying hundreds of pounds for things like Carp or Barbel rods that spend 95% of their time sat in rod rests, a float rod I see why one should buy the best that can be afforded but the rest I don't.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

And if one cannot afford expensive don't buy at all? I just cannot understand anyone paying hundreds of pounds for things like Carp or Barbel rods that spend 95% of their time sat in rod rests, a float rod I see why one should buy the best that can be afforded but the rest I don't.

Well, no Crow, just don't expect the purchase to last too long or be surprised if/when it breaks or needs to be replaced . . . . . nothing else suggested. Hence buying in the knowledge that is is not built or priced to last.

As for a rod costing "hundreds of pounds" regardless how much of the time it spends in a rest, it is for its performance when in your hands that makes it worth the cost that you paid for it, in the qualities of its casting, fish playing and for not locking up and maybe losing that fish of a lifetime.

 

[binka]

Blige!

I want to se the size of the ladder that you used to take that piccie binks . . . . .

I just happened to be drifting over in my private blimp Peter.

This was shortly before turning the regulator valve up to get more height and twisting it off in my hand which resulted in having to ditch in the nearest field but not before taking two house roofs off and writing off a dust cart mg:

 

[S-Kippy]

I just happened to be drifting over in my private blimp Peter.

This was shortly before turning the regulator valve up to get more height and twisting it off in my hand which resulted in having to ditch in the nearest field but not before taking two house roofs off and writing off a dust cart mg:

That probably constitutes a soft landing for you !

 

[thecrow]

As for a rod costing "hundreds of pounds" regardless how much of the time it spends in a rest, it is for its performance when in your hands that makes it worth the cost that you paid for it, in the qualities of its casting, fish playing and for not locking up and maybe losing that fish of a lifetime.

My Barbel rods cost 50 quid each the ones before those cost even less (my lad is still using them and has had fish over 16lbs on them) none have ever locked up and believe me I don't mess about with fish, rods are meant to be bent, I don't loose fish because of the rods performance and view hooks as a far more important piece of tackle than any rod and I don't pay silly prices for those either because they have a name on the packet. I would be interested in how the rod performance differs from £50 to £250.

How much would you be expected to pay for a wooden rod nowadays, the ones where they advise the owner that if they are in contact with a big fish the rod should be turned upside down to avoid getting a set in it.

I have paid more than I have wanted to in the past because I needed a tool that did what I wanted it to on a big pit, other than being a tool for distance casting they were no different to other rods I have purchased, the very week I stopped fishing that pit they were sold and cheaper ones purchased.

Please note that I haven't said there is anything wrong with someone that can afford to pay for high end priced tackle doing so if that's what they want to do but the difference between the rods is small to say the least and not imo worth the exorbitant price charged by some rod sellers.

This is from Barders website part of the rod care section

7.During protracted struggles with big fish, try holding the rod with the rings facing upwards: easier than it sounds, this distributes heavy loads on both sides of the rod

 

[Peter Jacobs]

I would be interested in how the rod performance differs from £50 to £250.

Then you need to do a physical test with a cheap rod and maybe something like a Carbotec and you would see a huge difference.

How much would you be expected to pay for a wooden rod nowadays, the ones where they advise the owner that if they are in contact with a big fish the rod should be turned upside down to avoid getting a set in it.

I bought my Barder Merlin years ago at about 2/3rds of the price of one today which is in the region of £1,800 but then you are not talking about a rod that has a cheap alternative.

Then again, you have chosen a rod at the very far end of the market, and to be honest owning a Barder is more like owning a Jaguar rather than a mini, and is something of an iconic rod.

I think where the price differences really come into play these days is in a fly rod where if you were to compare the casting qualities of, say, a Sage rod to a cheaper rod of the same length and AFTM # then you would see a huge difference . . . . . .

 

[S-Kippy]

I think where the price differences really come into play these days is in a fly rod where if you were to compare the casting qualities of, say, a Sage rod to a cheaper rod of the same length and AFTM # then you would see a huge difference . . . . . .

Oooo.....controversial ! Being a fully paid up member of the Anti-Sage-Shimano alliance I suggest that it rather depends on the owner. I hate Sage rods because they just do not suit my casting style. My Hardy Gems are much more suited to me and were a proper bargain by comparison to the price of a Sage.

Coarse or fly there are some very good budget rods about....but you do have to wade through some dross to find them. The fittings & finish are the most obvious markers and if that matters to you then steer clear. i like my rods to look nice as well as perform so most of mine are mid-price range or 2nd hand top end. But if owning a nice rod gives you pleasure & you can afford it then why the hell not ?

I've just changed my barbel rods. Not because I needed to but simply because I fancied a change. Who cares but me and Mrs S who will never suspect anyway !

 

[thecrow]

I think where the price differences really come into play these days is in a fly rod where if you were to compare the casting qualities of, say, a Sage rod to a cheaper rod of the same length and AFTM # then you would see a huge difference . . . . . .

Something I have never done Peter but I can see how important the rod would be to that type of fishing as I can with a float rod that spends a lot of time in the anglers hand.

---------- Post added at 12:39 ---------- Previous post was at 12:37 ----------

But if owning a nice rod gives you pleasure & you can afford it then why the hell not ?

Agree with that but if an angler cant afford to and can find something cheaper that will do the job imo better that than not fish at all.

 

[S-Kippy]

Agree with that but if an angler cant afford to and can find something cheaper that will do the job imo better that than not fish at all.

Absolutely ! I have some quite expensive-ish rods but also some very good rods indeed that cost next to nothing new. I've no problem with that at all...or with second hand examples of rods I am familiar with.

 

[sam vimes]

It never ceases to amaze me that so many people give a stuff what other people choose to spend their money on. That works all ways, the budget buyers that have a thing for the big spenders, the big spenders that sneer at the budget buyers and those in the middle that can't quite accept either end of the spectrum. Much of it seems to be born of snobbery, including inverse snobbery.

Anyone that tries to suggest that all budget kit is useless is talking nonesense. Anyone trying to suggest that top priced gear is all overpriced, and no better than mid-price kit, is also talking nonesense. There are some excellent buys at the budget end of the market. There is some wonderful kit, that'll not be replicated at bargain prices, at the top end of the market.

Generally speaking, you'll pay a premium for brands, the bigger and more established the brand the bigger the premium. If you make your selections carefully, you might be able to get damned good kit from brands perceived to be somehow inferior or less established. Just the same as any other type of goods. Some well established brand names seem to appear on budget kit. Don't automatically assume that the name used is in any way connected to the original brand. There's always a chance that the name has been bought and stuck on random budget gear out of an unconnected factory. However, that doesn't always mean that such a product will be junk.

Fortunately for all, the standard of the vast majority of fishing gear, at all price points, has never been as high as it currently is. The chances of buying unuseable rubbish is now quite remote. I wish I could have said the same in the eighties.

The next imponderable is the ability of an individual to discern minor quality differentials. Throw in the fact that a law of diminishing returns is undoubtable. A fifty quid rod is not going to be twice as good as a twenty five quid one. A two hundred quid rod is not going to be four times as good as a fifty quid rod. Modern anufacturing and retail simply does not work that way.

Shop smart, don't over reach financially, buy what you like and be happy.

 

[wanderer]

Unless you have owned these rods don't judge them, I have had rods in all price brackets over the years and there is a difference. Iowned a couple of Daiwa Longbows at a hundred quid each, they were discontinued because anglers did not like them, I still think for me they were superb and I am very fussy, nothing to do with price, pure feel right, but that feel right is more evident in Harrison, Century, Greys, if you haven't owned these rods, you will never know. As Peter said about the Sage fly rods, they are continually loaded and a cheap rod will become sloppy with use, it is the same with the action of other rods, as they are under load, there actions vary and do unpredictable things, you don't know how much pressure you can apply without pulling a hook, where the best fighting bend is achieved, or the rods limits, I have busted loads, 3 in a season some years ago, you do get what you pay for but the right tool for the job must be chosen, whatever the price bracket.

---------- Post added at 00:24 ---------- Previous post was Yesterday at 23:24 ----------

A car comparison is probably a good anology, I own two high powered Volvos, one is an Ex Police v70, fully Rica tuned T5, 300 plus horsepower, acceleration that could only be matched by very high powered sports cars, it handles well, does speed brilliantly, try it in the hot hatches and you will feel the difference, traction control, stability contrl and and cornering that keeps the cabin upright, a car that will do 180 MPH AND WEIGHS OVER TWO TON, IT HOLDS LOADS OF FISHING GEAR, HENCE THE PURCHASE, PURE PRACTIBILITY.