Skewed assessments of fishing gear

When basking in the glow of landing a good fish I often get round to thinking about the rod and reel I've used to land it. Invariably it'll be a feeling of great fondness. However, just how objective are we being? When I've had a good think about the rods and reels I'm particularly fond of and rate very highly, even those long gone, I realised that it may just be because I've had good fish using them rather them necessarily being exceptional bit of kit.

I've got or had rods and reels that everyone else rave about. I've got or had rods and reels that no one else rates. Whether I like, love or loathe them invariably seems to depend on the results I've had with them.

What says the forum?

As far as rods go you should be able to quantify their physical make up - test curve , action , whatever the word for "pick up" is and that should completely describe the rod and how fit for purpose it is, but of course fishing is our favorite hobby so the rod becomes associated with all our triumphs like the "lucky" shirt you had when you were a teenager.

Martin Bowler said it best in catching the impossible , to paraphrase , " its not a fishing rod its a magic wand".

I must admit I love my feeder rod with a through action and am not so fond of my sons which seems to have all its bend in the tip , mainly its because i think mine looks better when you have a big fish on.

A few years ago I bought an ABU Suveran 13ft waggler, after reading rave reviews etc, I just really fancied one. However, after a just few trips it's virtually consigned to the garage and instead I always tend to pick up my Tommy Pickering Connoisseur Z waggler rod. It's not because I've had better days fishing with it or caught anything really memorable, I just like it very much and prefer to use it.
Unfortunately I've got the "need to replace" bug again and have just bought a Tourney Pro. We'll just have to see how I get on with this one.

I never think about the gear i've used when i've caught a big fish don't know why. As long as it feels good and does the job well i'm happy. I think i do the opposite and more often than not i'm critical. Sometimes it could be one little thing which is not right which makes me go out and try to find something better. Don't think i'll ever be 100% happy and even if i was something will break or be discontinued and i'll be trawling ebay for it at twice the price it was when new.

Bought a reel the other year that was raved about in reviews in the press and found it to be awful, at least it caught something - me! best reviews are word of mouth on here i think.

Sometimes I think it's just a case of the rod/reel just feeling 'right' in the hand, but I also find myself looking at the rod, both in the play and landing of a fish. I like to see a rod take on the curve of battle, to watch it jag as the fish tries to make the trees or pads and I do allow myself, not so much a smile, but more a beam of satisfaction that it did it's job and, I suppose that I chose the right tool for that job...

I have great affection for old rods such as Bruce & Walker fibreglass Avons that have given me so much pleasure when fishing floating baits, or a Drennan Tench/Bream rod with 1,75lb TC that has proved to be such a good all rounder over the years, or my current favourite the Drennan 14' Ultralight which is a joy to use for roach fishing. None are expensive rods and to be honest I cannot really say exactly what it is, but these and others just have that 'feel' and I never lose the pleasure of taking them from the bag.

Reels; Well, I have a few, but none give me more pleasure than my vintage Shimano Aero GT's which have never let me down despite constant use ( but not abuse!) or my Match Ariels centerpins which have weight and quality that still feels so good in the hand. They just make me smile....

I've no doubt some form of romanticism is involved and I do admit to such, but still it comes down working with quality and probably recognising the beauty of good design, which for me, as an engineer, has always been paramount in my life.

Yes, I think 'glow' is about right, both from battle and the means employed to achieve it......Fondness, without doubt !


ps I watch others throw gear into the bag after a session, but me, well I wipe every thing down carefully, almost as a thank you I suppose, so perhaps it's some form of love...........wouldn't be surprised one bit!

sam vimes said:

When basking in the glow of landing a good fish I often get round to thinking about the rod and reel I've used to land it. Invariably it'll be a feeling of great fondness. However, just how objective are we being? ...
.... Whether I like, love or loathe them invariably seems to depend on the results I've had with them.

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It's a bit like cars innit? No matter what the figures are, - bhp, mpg, mph, consumption, resale value, insurance cost, accessories, etc - there's always something 'less tangible' about whether you rate/like the car or not.
It can be the feeling of smoothness and confidence at speed down a certain road remembered on a beautiful morning - or the way everything 'just fits in nicely' when packing for a fishing trip or holiday.
The 'glow of satisfaction effect' is probably the best way to express how nice something feels - particularly when it performs well or exceeds expectations.

The real test would be to ask the missus whether she rates the car or not - her criteria would be quite different - 'it always smells of diesel' / 'it always looks tatty' / 'it always takes ages to get warm inside' / 'the internal mirror shakes so much I can't use it for my makeup' / 'I feel embarassed being seen in it' / etc.
Perhaps we should ask the missus if a rod is any good? - who cares?mg:

Like TC I also its about how it feels in your hand.

Somehow I want my rods to become an extension of my arm, especially when playing a fish.

My two deadbait rods are circa 1960's but they just feel superb wether it be a decent one or a jack AND they are far lighter than the modern 'carbon' equivalents on sale today.

To me, its a good guide to how comfortable and angler feels with his rod when he doesn't keep looking up at it when he has hooked a decent fish.



Perhaps its like kissing the right girl.....some are like kissing a brass doorknob but the right one is like an angel from heaven

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I am more likely to note when equipment fails to work or work as well as intended. Eg. that rod that felt under-gunned when i hooked that decent barbel (later lost) or those hooks that straightened out. If something does the job OK its harder to think "was it better or about the same" as some other piece of equipment that also worked. Then we are into the realms of "best value" or "best looking"...or even the "best brand label" if so inclined.

Perhaps it could be summed up by the old double entendre that used to be printed on Shakespeare Tackle T shirts....

" Happiness is a rod in your hand". For younger anglers just don't say the H in Happiness.

TC sums it up well for me. It is more about the pleasure of use, than the raw numbers of the results.

For me also the added bonus is when you bag a specimen of the species for which that rod purports to be designed for. By that I mean that catching a 6lb Tench on a 2.75 lb TC carp rod, generates a fraction of the enjoyment of catching the same fish on a specimen float rod or similar.

TC admits to admiration of the curve a rod takes on when fighting a decent fish. Most of us are probably guilty of that. I know that I am!

Its very much about personal feel and you only get that after having used the rod for a bit and seen/felt what it can really do. I own a pair of rods that I thought were lovely in the shop and they still are very nice waggled but they're downright horrible with a fish on.

I used a Daiwa GF53 Float rod for 25 odd years convinced that it was as good as any modern offering....then I had a waggle of a Carbonactive Sentient. Of course I knew the Daiwa inside out and it was as near to an extension of my arm as I've ever got from any rod but as good as the Preston ? Nah.

I do a lot of homework before I buy any rod so generally speaking I've not bought too many pups over the years. I also enjoy owning & using nice gear but I'm pretty objective about gear. It has to be fit for purpose AND feel nice before I start getting alll dreamy about it. If it doesn't then it gets moved on or shedded irrespective of what it is or how much I paid for it.

I fully accept many of the points, some kit is simply better than other kit. I also accept that what suits one may not suit another, one man's meat and all that. Bye-catches of large fish on inappropriate gear can be impressive whilst not necessarily boosting your opinion of the gear used.

What I'm getting at is that little bit extra that makes me think fondly, perhaps even wax lyrical about something, and definitely reach for it first despite having plenty of different options. Some of those options may even be considered by others, or even by me, to be better. However, the differentiator, for me, is invariably down to what I've managed to achieve with the kit concerned. Even that's all relative to the individual angler. I'm not necessarily talking about huge specimens or enormous bags of fish.

Perhaps it's just an affliction of those with too much gear? Though when I see folks waxing lyrical about all sorts of different gear, whether it's highly regarded or not, I have my doubts.

john step said:

Perhaps it could be summed up by the old double entendre that used to be printed on Shakespeare Tackle T shirts....

" Happiness is a rod in your hand". For younger anglers just don't say the H in Happiness.

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John,
I'm ashamed of you - 10 minutes on the naughty step for corrupting the young! mg:

I love my drennan stick float almost twenty years old and the old abu closed faced reel,it is all about confidence in my opinion.I take this even down to the float and hook!!

What I look for in a rod is the right balance/feel/ability to do the job required,as was said earlier I don't think about the tackle I use when ive caught a good fish,mainly because if it needed thinking about I would have made a big mistake when I bought the stuff,ive always been meticulous when buying what I consider the best gear for the job...doesn't mean that I was right,but the tackle suits my needs,there are certain rods I have that really feel like an extension of my arm,one being a 12ft normark titan 2000,thats actually fishing with it and playing fish too,i havn't used it since last winter,but.......:wh