Last year I decided to join club competitions after not fishing any matches for more than twenty years. I'm using most of the gear I used long, long ago and am considered an 'antiques connoisseur'. Actually I am, to an extend
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I bought a second hand Spro pole because I didn't have anything over 10 meters and got it at less than 100 quid. No kits, just the pole, but a decent one. Reasonably stiff and weighing a lot less than my older stuff. The seller told me the rod has been in the shed and never on the banks. Looking at the pole I believe him.
I also bought a second 11' feeder, although I still take the antique Shakespeare with me. The latter is a bit softer and I like it a lot.
On the second hand market everything which was top notch ten or twenty years ago can be had for next to nothing. So I got a Matchcraft platform with big detachable wheels (so it can double as a trolley) and a heavy duty feeder stand. These are still manufactured but you can now find stuff like that very cheap.
When I fished matches in the past I always ended up in the middle, or just a bit better. Since I returned to the game I still end around the middle so my ambition is to get one or two positions higher and this will keep me occupied for some time. First priority still is having an nice day of fishing while not embarassing myself too much.