Shakespeare Pike Fly Rods & Lines

Looks like we have another company supplying good kit. The rod looks very much like my Greys rod, and if it has a stiff action too, then I can safely say it will have a few customers.

One thing that is a little dissapointing though is the price of the fly lines. We already have enough ?40+ lines on the market....i was hoping they were going to introduce something a little more pocket friendly. The abuse Pike lines get, especially when boat fishing, renders expensive lines useless in under a year. The Toothy Critter lines are about the best i have come across when it comes to price and durability.

just what im lookinf for 3 feet when packed up just the right size to tie it on my bike and go fishing.

Nicky, I keep my Greys rod in the car..its only about 2 foot 3 inches long (9 feet 4 piece). I think the Shakespeare rod is about the cheapest 4 piece u will get

Rob,
It's funny you know, when I last spoke with Barrie, he told me the lines would be in the ?22-?25 bracket. Perhaps he's got it wrong [let's hope so], unfortunately he doesn't make to many mistakes. I am going to try to prise the new rod out of his hand when he gets backfrom OZ. Shame the lines don't come in a slow or medium sink as well.

Colin

Barrie is right. The Shakespeare pike fly lines DO have a RRP of ?45.00. However, I've just done a search on the web and found them advertised at Swifty's at ?36.00. They may be cheaper elsewhere.

<a href=http://www.anglinguk.net/hostV4/Swiftys/>Swifty's</A>

I know we have to pay for quality, but I can't understand why these lines are being released in the UK. If I was paying ?45 for a line and my choice was between Cortland, Rio, Wulff and Shakespeare, I know what one I would chose!

We lack good quality medium priced lines here in the UK...the only one I know of being the Toothy Critter range of lines. (The Neutral line being the beez kneez)

I nipped into my local dealer yesterday to enquire about the rod..and lo and behold, he produced one. Looks nice, still a bit too "Factory Finished" for my liking (heavy varnish on the whipping etc) but at least it has a matt blank. It felt a bit "light" compared to my Greys rods, but the action seemed fine, being medium to tip actioned. Its got quite a thick butt, and the handle is nice, with a small fighting butt.

If I had one major crit, it would be that the two stripping rings are far too small, especially if u were using a weight forward 10/11 weight line.

Why do UK rod manufacturers insist on throwing 10 foot rods at us every time when 9 foot is more efficient from a leverage perspective, are more manageable and should be fractionally less expensive to produce. First Masterline and now Shakespeare. I also noticed that the blanks for all of the ten footers including Steve Parton's range are sourced in the far east. I would hazard a guess that the majority of the bottom end of the market are the same blank with different cosmetics. Rods like these would sit on the shelves forever in the US. I would have also liked to have seen a less expensive line like a shooting head 10 weight floater with class. I currently use a Cortland 444 XLR Rocket Taper which is as good as it's going to get, but reality says that it's only one half of a double taper line with 30yds of inexpensive backing bonded on. Now how expensive should it be to produce a line like that.

Gerry, I certainly agree with your sentiments on 10 foot rods. I use a 9 now, after starting with a 10 foot 3 inch beast. 10 feet and a heavy line is just not workable and makes what should be a pleasurable experience into a full blown workout.

As for the rods comming from the far east, you can bet ya bottom dollar that there are many rods floating about out there with the same blank but different makers stamps on them. I looked at the Sparton rods, and immediatly put it back on the rack without even waggling it. It was heavy, the eyes were far too small and the finish was, well, pretty bad. The Shakespere rods are better finished.

I was speaking to a nice chap from Scientific Anglers, who make loads of different lines, and he was saying that to make a shooting taper, they actually make a full 35 yard line, but then remove the centre section. Apparently, it cant be made in a oner for some technical reason...soooo..to make two shooting tapers they have a third of the line being binned. Still, I think there is a bit of a market gap for saltwater and Pike fly lines in the ?20 bracket.

At the moment, I am buying Shakespere Glider Salmon fly lines and making my own shooting heads. You can pick up 10/11 weights cheap on the internet.