I bought one a few years later,a 13' - by then, it had morphed into a kind of Pale Blue/Grey Match. I thought it was great - the soft tip magnified the feel of the inevitably small fish I caught back then. I think it was about the price you suggest. I can remember standing in the tackle shop torn between the Blue Match and an Abu Mk5, about £6 dearer, which would have cleared out my entire savings. The rod got so much use that I put new rings - the rings were plain - on it. I think I replaced it with a glass Shakespeare International.
Lesser known rods
- Thread starter mikench
- Start date
I bought one a few years later,a 13' - by then, it had morphed into a kind of Pale Blue/Grey Match. I thought it was great - the soft tip magnified the feel of the inevitably small fish I caught back then. I think it was about the price you suggest. I can remember standing in the tackle shop torn between the Blue Match and an Abu Mk5, about £6 dearer, which would have cleared out my entire savings. The rod got so much use that I put new rings - the rings were plain - on it. I think I replaced it with a glass Shakespeare International.
The bad one
Well-known member
I have one stuck in a corner that was given to my father-in-law. I'm sure he'd sell it if an offer was made for it as a piece of nostalgia.
Keith M
Well-known member
I still use a 20 to 25 year old 13ft Diawa Amorphous Whisker Light Float rod (AMW13L) which is a brilliant rod which can still put some of the more modern float rods in the shade.
It weighs only 5½oz, is well balanced and it has a lovely light and crisp tip action and its blank width compares very closely to my more modern 13ft Drennan Acolyte Ultra.
It does have sliding reel fittings but I don’t mind that as they are secure and there are times when I’m using it with a Centrepin where I want to re-position my reel anyway.
It may not be as good as my 13ft Drennan Acolyte Ultra Float rod but it comes fairly near.
Keith
It weighs only 5½oz, is well balanced and it has a lovely light and crisp tip action and its blank width compares very closely to my more modern 13ft Drennan Acolyte Ultra.
It does have sliding reel fittings but I don’t mind that as they are secure and there are times when I’m using it with a Centrepin where I want to re-position my reel anyway.
It may not be as good as my 13ft Drennan Acolyte Ultra Float rod but it comes fairly near.
Keith
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The bad one
Well-known member
My three rods that I'd nominate are my pair of Daiwa Prospecialist 3, 11ft 6in 1lb 8 oz that I bought about 15 years ago second-hand for £35. I've used them, and still do, for barbel fishing, bream and tench fishing up to 50 yards. My Harrison GTI 13 ft float rod that's 26 years old and gets used regularly if I'm float fishing.
Good rods will and should last you a lifetime excluding damage or breakages. Only needing to be superseded if there's a new lighter stronger material entered the market place. And personally I don't believe that has happened since high modular carbon came on the scene.
Good rods will and should last you a lifetime excluding damage or breakages. Only needing to be superseded if there's a new lighter stronger material entered the market place. And personally I don't believe that has happened since high modular carbon came on the scene.
Mark Wintle
Well-known member
Just found there was also a 1965 Edgar Sealey rod that was a Blue Flash.
Thats pretty much my outlook too. They may add a little tweak here or there and not always for the better but unless something radical comes along (Graphene?) then all rod manufacturers are doing nowadays is trying to find a sweet spot with the some old stuff
Its also why I think some of the newer rods in an effort to make them "better" they take it a tad too far to try and reduce things like lightness or slimness and then you start to compromise the integrity of the blank itself.
Its also why its difficult for me to answer the question which rods would I have like to have kept as basically I keep them all till I break them
That sounds more like the one I referred to. Date would have been more in keeping.
The bad one
Well-known member
Philip being a proud Manc, I have great hopes for Graphene not only for rods but a lot of things not yet invented/created.
That's true. When I had the Blue Match, I scraped together enough for an East Anglian Rod Co. 10' leger rod - a bottle green blank with a threaded top ring. Two rods! I felt I could fish anywhere.
About the Blue Match/ Blue Flash - I bet we were talking about different rods. Hard to see how we could have such a different take on the same one
steve2
Well-known member
When I look back at rods I had there are none that I would still use now.
At the time they were what would have been considered very good Spanish Reed, Cane, Fibre Glass rods or in the case of the Apollo Taperflash and tank aeriels steel rods. But none were as good as what I now use.
At the time they were what would have been considered very good Spanish Reed, Cane, Fibre Glass rods or in the case of the Apollo Taperflash and tank aeriels steel rods. But none were as good as what I now use.
I use plenty of old rods. I wouldn't go back to pre-carbon materials, but for the kinds of fishing I like, and the kind of rods I like, I've got very little interest in contemporary models. That's just my take, but there are others who'd agree that the late 90's were a high point in the market for light tackle float rods. I spent an afternoon in an Angling Direct recently, and I saw nothing that I'd swap for the Shimano, Daiwa and Tri-cast rods I bought more than 15 years ago - some more than 20 years ago. There may well be superior models for branches of fishing I don't do - carp, predator, commercial carp, for instance - and I wouldn't argue with people who do them. But a "new" rod for me usually means searching ebay for a little-used old one. Although I did get particularly lucky lately via FM, courtesy of Sam Vimes.
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mikench
Well-known member
What was it Kev?
A beautiful Shimano Technium Diaflash Specimen 15', for floatfishing for barbel. Back into the future, or possibly forward into...??
not really lesser known - but I would still rate my late 80s Tri-Cast aristocrat 13 footers.
Already mentioned on here - but the early to mid-80s DAM quickstick in 12ft would still be perfectly usable today - and was years ahead at the time.
Already mentioned on here - but the early to mid-80s DAM quickstick in 12ft would still be perfectly usable today - and was years ahead at the time.
steve2
Well-known member
Thinking about old rods I suppose all my float rods are old I can't remember the last time I bought one. I think the last one I remember buying was a Drennen Ultralite waggler at least 15years ago. I do still have and use my first ever carbon fly rod bought from Woolworth about 25 or more years ago.
I have a very vague memory that as a kid I read somewhere, it may have been a ladybird book, about rods made from tubular metal.
This was pre-carbon days ad Fiberglass was the “new” material. I am sure I read it in this book about rod materials and it mentioned split cane and metal but then went on about fiberglass being far superior to either. I was just starting out in angling so I remember making a mental note to get a fiberglass rod and not a cane or metal one.
Thing is I can’t say I have ever come across a purpose made fishing rod made out of metal. Did anyone else recall reading it and is this true or am I hallucinating ?
This was pre-carbon days ad Fiberglass was the “new” material. I am sure I read it in this book about rod materials and it mentioned split cane and metal but then went on about fiberglass being far superior to either. I was just starting out in angling so I remember making a mental note to get a fiberglass rod and not a cane or metal one.
Thing is I can’t say I have ever come across a purpose made fishing rod made out of metal. Did anyone else recall reading it and is this true or am I hallucinating ?
sam vimes
Well-known member
Philip, try searching for "Apollo Taperflash" and all will be revealed.
Well before my time, but, living where I do, there was often the odd tank aerial rod (metal or fibreglass) to be seen.
Well before my time, but, living where I do, there was often the odd tank aerial rod (metal or fibreglass) to be seen.
I was aware of tank aerials but more talking about purpose made metal rods ... yes good shout on the taper flash, come to think of it thats been mentioned on FM a few times too.
Where there others or was it a one off ?
Where there others or was it a one off ?
David Rogers 3
Well-known member
My Grandad had one (a 12 footer) - it weighed a ton and felt very tip-heavy. They were also prone to breakage, due to rusting from the inside out...
Had a few of the mentioned rods in the posts, Inc the Bruce and walker rods which were top drawer stuff in the day. But not compared to modern rods I would not try to deceive myself.
Only rod I have which has not been mentioned which is still up there with good modern rods is the Silstar diaflex and maybe a traverse float in the shorter length versions.
Only rod I have which has not been mentioned which is still up there with good modern rods is the Silstar diaflex and maybe a traverse float in the shorter length versions.
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