Long Float rod advice

matthew collier · Aug 30, 2010

Hi

I was unsure whether to post this thread here or under the general coarse fish forum. But it is sort of barbel related.

I am thinking of strett pegging (quite a popular subject at the moment i think) for Perch this Autumn with a nice fat lob worm. Question is which rod?

As you can only use the method effectively at about a rods length then obviously it is advantageous to use a long rod. I read somewhere that Martin Bowler has had a lot of success using a 17ft rod for Perch. To complicate matters, the water in question as well as holding Perch over 4lb (what I'm after

) also holds large Barbel and Chub so the rod needs to have the backbone to at least allow me a chance of landing a double figure Barbel or 6lb+Chub.

I found a great internet site which reviewed a number of rods and I narrowed the choice down to a ABU Suveran match 16/18ft, Browning Syntec Carp Match 16ft, Maver Destiny 15/17ft. Unfortuntely when I came to trying to find these rods I realised that the article was probably quite old as it seems these rods are no longer made . Can anyone recommend a rod similar to these or suggest any others that could do the job?

Thanks for any advice

Tight lines
Matt

Tee-Cee · Aug 30, 2010

Cannot begin to imagine what it must be like to wield a 17' rod(with reel).....casting must be interesting let alone landing a fish!!

Trying to imagine where such a tool could be used...and perhaps thats why they are not made anymore(?)..

(I know they use this sort of thing for salmon fishing but its probably a different animal altogether?....although they do land some massive fish on rods of this length!

It'll be interesting to read any other replies...

peter crabtree · Aug 30, 2010

Preston do a sentient 17ft float rod, I haven't tried one but it felt superb in the shop.

johnnyfby · Aug 30, 2010

Daiwa spectron/connoisseur 17/20 is a fantastic well balanced rod. Reel lines from 3-10lbs. I have been using a 14foot daiwa spectron power rod for my barbel fishing and i think its brilliant using 8lb straight through and landing barbel to 11lb so far.

Jon

matthew collier · Aug 31, 2010

Thanks for your replies guys. I think I'll check out the daiwa spectron power rods but will look at the preston one too.

Cheers

Matt

Paul C · Aug 31, 2010

I have found the 1 length rods tend to be balanced better as oppose to the multi length ones.

Most dual length rods have felt very top heavy at the longer length, so if you go for one, try to make sure the minimum length is the one you are most likely to use.

Using a 17 ft rod is fine if it's balanced well.

chav professor · Sep 7, 2010

My tackle shop (breakaway tackle, ipswich) had 18 and 20ft John allerton Match rods by Tricast for £100!!!!

They may have one left - they are beautifully ballanced and handle fish well.

I use it for long trotting for chub and caught an 18lb carp last year on 4lb line. This is a rod i have complete confidence in for a variety of fishing situations!!!

Poshpaul (Angling Trust and PaSC) · Sep 7, 2010

I have a 16/18 ft Abu Suveran. It retailed at over £200..i got mine for £100 and its been out of the bag...once! It was just OK at 16ft but I find it unwieldy at 18ft. One thing that I do dislike is the shortness of the handle. Perhaps I need to blow the dust off it and give it another go!

So be careful - do as I say rather than I did ---try before you buy!!!

The fishing coach · Sep 7, 2010

I have a Browning Syntec 18-20 ft match rod which I inherited from a friend about ten years ago. Its a monster at 18ft, impossible to use at 20 and I have never even tried to fish with it. He bought it for use with lines up to six pounds but I think it would be very uncomfotable to play even small fish on.

It is hanging in the corner of my tackle store and if Mathew would care to collect it from near Newbury, Berkshire. He is welcome to it!

Matthew Nightingale (ACA) · Sep 8, 2010

Shakespeare do a series of double length float rods (13/17 foot, 14/18 foot etc.) rated to 6 lb; called LXL I think? Supposed to be good.

Ian Morgan · Sep 8, 2010

There was a tackle shop that advertised in the angling mags regularly (?Fisherman's Friend) that always had a selection of long rods at (claimed) knock down prices. About 2 years ago bought a 17ft 3in Daiwa rod for £100 (simply based on fact I trust Daiwa as a brand).

For trotting it can be hard work but is by no means unusable. Not sure if it would handle a barbel, but did manage a big brownie about 3-4lb in fast water on the Tummel, which is quite a wild river. Having said that, I would always prefer to wade to get the extra control rather than use a longer rod.

HOWEVER, I do use it on still waters with a centrepin with the float under the rod tip - almost like a 6m pole (plus reel) and have no problems using it with either a pair of rod rests or one rest and the butt on my knee (so to speak!).

Stret-pegging utilises rod rests?? - if so, the issue about weight/unwieldiness will be much less of an issue compared to trotting.

Ian

slime monster · Sep 8, 2010

I sometimes used a 15 footer in matches , I don't think I would want to handle anything longer over a period of time trotting a river.

tonybalony · Sep 25, 2010

I have used a Leeda Assassin II 15/17 ft for a couple of seasons now. I tend to use it at 15ft mostly but it has managed Tench to over 8lb and similar sized Carp. It is rated for 3-8lb lines and is available for around £60 so not a massive amount to pay to try one out. I think a Barbel might be a challenge too far!!

flightliner · Sep 27, 2010

tonybalony said:
I have used a Leeda Assassin II 15/17 ft for a couple of seasons now. I tend to use it at 15ft mostly but it has managed Tench to over 8lb and similar sized Carp. It is rated for 3-8lb lines and is available for around £60 so not a massive amount to pay to try one out. I think a Barbel might be a challenge too far!!

Tony-- I wasnt going to reply on this thread until I saw your post-- Four years ago now I purchased the same Assassin as you from climax tackle nr Sheffield for £45 and have used it extensively for float fishing for barbel in its fifteen foot mode--- its an absolute cracker of a rod and it puts more expensive rods to shame, over the period its been in my posession I have had many multiple catches of barbel along with several doubles to over twelve lbs and they were no problem whatsoever. To show its versatility I used it the other day on the trent while fishing for roach with the avon float and big baits-- In a mad two and threequarter hour period I had a cracking 16lb of quality redfins up to a lb in weight. Maybe a little cumbersome at 17foot but it still manages barbel if reqd. In answer to the original question re using it for strett pegging for big perch I think it would be perfect and if any unwelcome fish like carp/tench whatever came along they would be no trouble for it.
I have been so impresseed with this rod that I actually took the trouble to e-mail LEEDA to say so and had a reply from one of their managers thanking me for saying so.
If I had any complaint about the rod it would be the butt being to fat but for the price I can live with it. Everything else is spot on!

Windy · Sep 27, 2010

Ditto Leeda Assassin Mk1 and Mk11...
For most of my silverfish fishing I use a Browning 15 footer, but when the tip section bust and couldn't be replaced I bought an original 15 / 17 ft Assassin as a cheap stop gap replacement. Surprisingly very good, not as featherweight in the hand as the Browning (which is an amazing rod) but effective with heavier weight lines. NOT to be used with the 2 foot extension piece, it is just a straight non-tapering lump of nowt which gives extra length but ruins the feel and makes the rod tip heavy.
Then I bust the top of the Assassin and got an Assassin II.... in the heavier line weight Again, same reaction, useful piece of kit but no featherweight and ditch the 2 foot extension.

Then care of fleabay I got a new top section for my Browning and for the Assassin I.... so I now have three 15 footers when I only really need one !

Could sell on the Assassin I but its only worth £25 odd second hand if that (tho in perfect as new condition) and remains as a back up to the Browning going pop again.

The Assassin II makes an ideal heavier weight tool complementing the Browning on those rare occasions I need the extra line strength.

Gav Barbus · Sep 29, 2010

Also got the asssasin rod a good egg capable of the job in hand ie perch,also had double figure carp and small barbs no problem.I think float fishing for tench its smashing as well.
Make sure you have an extendable landing net handle though.

The Sogster · Sep 29, 2010

I too have an assasin, can't disagree with any of the posts above. Not the slimmest or the lightest of blanks but excellent for margin fishing for tench, carp and barbel with medium weight lines (5lb - 7lb).
I have had fish to around 12lb on this rod and find it quite pleasing to use. I wouldn't want to hold it all day though.

Windy · Sep 29, 2010

Definitely definitely definitely ditch the two foot extension piece on any of these 15 / 17 foot rods.

The extension piece is just a straight piece of paralell sided tube which - if you follow the physics of it - does nothing to enhance the parabola of a properly angled series of angled wall tubes converging to a point.

To the contrary, ends up messing up the action of the whole thing.

Plus which I can't actually envisage any real world circumstances in which I would need a 17 footer over and above a 15.... *

*Irish Loch dapping and / or heavy long Salmon Spey casting aside, that is...

Long Float rod advice

matthew collier

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Tee-Cee

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peter crabtree

AKA Simon, 1953 - 2022 (RIP)

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matthew collier

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The fishing coach

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slime monster

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flightliner

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