I have often thought to myself, whether or not I am using the right rods for the fishing I am doing. I'm comfortable with the Rods I have, but, could I have bought better?
Only you can decide if the rods you have are right for you and the fishing you do. I find that not giving a shiny **** what other people think goes a long way towards giving you peace of mind in that respect.
As to whether you could have bought better, most probably, it's the very thought that drives our never ending consumer economy. The trick is to learn to be happy with what you've got or be prepared to either buy the very best you can find at the outset or go for the never ending upgrade route.
How do you decide which rods to buy for the situations you mostly find yourselves in?
Stupid amounts of time researching through catalogues, websites and tackle shops combined with a good dollop of experience. I know I have my own preferences and I know others are different. Minor differences in something as daft as the length and thickness of a cork handle can change the way a rod feels entirely. I know I can't abide a thick handle on a rod, it would render the best blank in the world unusable for me. Someone else could be quite the opposite.
With Test Curve Rods, does the test curve dictate the distance that rod can cast or how heavy the line is that you can use or do you just buy a rod that could suit all the situations you may find yourself fishing in?
People get far too hung up on test curves. They give some idea of the suitable line ratings and the casting weight they may be capable of chucking, but that's not the full story. Achievable distance has more to do with the individual concerned and the action of the rod. TC ratings give no clue as to the action of the rod and not all 2.75lb rods are equal.
What should we be looking for in a rod and do the manufacturers truly provide us with what we need or just what sells?
Look for something that fits your preferences and your types of fishing. Most manufacturers are only ever going to provide what sells, they won't stay in business long if they don't. However, you can find the most obscure and specific rod if you look hard enough. Failing that, you've always got the custom option. Four different types of rod that I want are barely covered by the majority of manufacturers these days, proper stick float rods, light carp rods (2-2.5lbTC), genuinely powerful real float rods at 13' (not poxy Avons) and short (10' ish) tip action small river/beck trotting rods. There's good reason for that though, apart from me, they'd barely sell them.
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The modern trend of using 2.7lb to 3.5lb rods and big pit reels for Carp; on smallish waters seems totally foreign to me but you see it all the time nowerdays.
You can only presume that some can only justify one set of rods/reels and not multiple set ups for different waters. That theory falls down a bit when it comes to those that never fish anything other than small waters with such gear. I'd guess that such folks are unduly influenced by the various media sources without actually thinking about what they are buying and why.
Especially when we used to catch 20's and 30's on 1lb tc rods and a 2lb tc rod was considered a long range rod back in the 80's. LOL...
Both Yates and Walker caught their 51lb & 44lb records on short 1.5lb (ish) split cane rods
They did indeed, but this way of thinking is part of the whole TC red herring.
I well recall that my first proper carp rod was 1.5lb. I then got what I considered an absolute monster of a rod at 1.75lb. However, if I ever used a lead greater than 1oz, I'd be surprised. I don't suppose Yates or Walker were ever going to try and chuck 3oz leads, with PVA bags, to the horizon. I'm not the biggest fan of such fishing myself, but do accept that high TC rods have little to do with the size of the fish being fished for and everything to do with the methods employed.
