River fishing

I haven't fished a river or a canal since I was 13 or so( the Ribble) when the only fish I caught was a chub. I thought it was enormous but probably it was only a pound or so.

I intend trying the rivers and canals on my cards, the Ribble, the Dane, the Dee, the Alyn, the Mersey and the Bollin. The canals are standard width .I thought of using my Middy 4gs 11 ft micro muscle but have now decided to buy a new rod. I am undecided however on which one and what length.

I have short listed 3; a Korum 12 ft 1.75tc barbel rod, a Fox Royale 11 or 12 ft 1.75 tc barbel rod or a Freesprit Barbel tamer 11 ft 1.5 to .

I want the rod to be suitable for all river fish and not just barbel and would like to use it on stillwaters as well for carp, bream and tench.I think I like a through action rod( I think the Middy, my Drennan 10 ft puddle chucker and my Korum 10ft feeder are through action as opposed to a stiff butt section! is my phraseology correct?

I plan to use either my Shimano St 6000 free spool reel or a Daiwa 3012 Tdm but would buy a new one if advised. The river most likely to attract my efforts will be the Dane and it is not a very wide or deep river and access can be awkward hence my leaning to an 11ft rod.

My shortlist runs from £45 to £109 . If I like it I can always add to my collection and Xmas is coming!!!

Your esteemed views, as always will be greatly appreciated and I am still noting advice previously given!

---------- Post added at 01:47 ---------- Previous post was at 00:41 ----------

mikench said:

I haven't fished a river or a canal since I was 13 or so( the Ribble) when the only fish I caught was a chub. I thought it was enormous but probably it was only a pound or so.

I intend trying the rivers and canals on my cards, the Ribble, the Dane, the Dee, the Alyn, the Mersey and the Bollin. The canals are standard width .I thought of using my Middy 4gs 11 ft micro muscle but have now decided to buy a new rod. I am undecided however on which one and what length.

I have short listed 3; a Korum 12 ft 1.75tc barbel rod, a Fox Royale 11 or 12 ft 1.75 tc barbel rod or a Freesprit Barbel tamer 11 ft 1.5 to .

I want the rod to be suitable for all river fish and not just barbel and would like to use it on stillwaters as well for carp, bream and tench.I think I like a through action rod( I think the Middy, my Drennan 10 ft puddle chucker and my Korum 10ft feeder are through action as opposed to a stiff butt section! is my phraseology correct?

I plan to use either my Shimano St 6000 free spool reel or a Daiwa 3012 Tdm but would buy a new one if advised. The river most likely to attract my efforts will be the Dane and it is not a very wide or deep river and access can be awkward hence my leaning to an 11ft rod.

My shortlist runs from £45 to £109 . If I like it I can always add to my collection and Xmas is coming!!!

Your esteemed views, as always will be greatly appreciated and I am still noting advice previously given!

Click to expand...

On further reflection I should add a Diawa Theory barbel rod to the list at12ft 1.75tc

I suspect that assumptions could be made based on your shortlist. However, you haven't mentioned the methods you are intending to use.
For general river fishing, a barbel rod, even a light one, probably wouldn't be my choice. Fine for barbel and big chub, not so much fun for anything smaller.

In your shoes, I'd be looking to buy more general rods, probably a float rod and a quiver rod, old style match and feeder rods. Don't get hung up on through actions, they aren't necessarily the best option for a river rod.

Initially light feeders or ledgering. I have a couple of float rods which I will try and use for trotting( I have never done it) initially before buying a float rod just for this purpose. It would be so easy to just go and buy 4 or 5 variants but I want to be sensible and recognise that river fishing may not be for me!

If I can hedge my bets and still have a rod suitable for stillwaters that seems to make sense to me.

mikench said:

.... I have a couple of float rods which I will try and use for trotting( I have never done it) initially before buying a float rod just for this purpose....

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As Sam implies - just get on and do it! Try your current rods out and get a feel for how they are inadequate in any way - and what you really need for your target fish and fishing - particularly for long trotting. You never know - you might not like it!
Tight lines:thumbs:

mikench said:

Initially light feeders or ledgering. I have a couple of float rods which I will try and use for trotting( I have never done it) initially before buying a float rod just for this purpose. It would be so easy to just go and buy 4 or 5 variants but I want to be sensible and recognise that river fishing may not be for me!

If I can hedge my bets and still have a rod suitable for stillwaters that seems to make sense to me.

Click to expand...

Definitely sounds like the barbel rods you've shortlisted would be overkill to me. If you must have a new specialist type rod, a 1.25lb Avon would be more appropriate. Such a rod would certainly double up quite effectively as a stillwater rod.

Tackle Box Darent Valley 11ft 1.25lb Avon/Quiver (Twin Tip) Rod

Thank you gentlemen for your advices. I think I will just get on with it but probably with a new rod because I want one

Mike

l second what's been said already a 1.25 avon rod is essential. Loads to pick from I use a JW Travel version. A nice korum pellet waggler 12ft would double up for Stillwater and river as well.

Well i wouldn't go for the Free Spirit, i do like their rods and have some, but the tamer doesn't seem to have the back bone as other 1.75tc rods do.

As others have said, maybe a 1.25tc and for the money the Darrent Vally would be the one for me, very good rods and you won't be breaking the bank, don't be fooled by the price.

Not a fan of rods with two top sections, or multi tip quiver rods, not all the tips work with the rod blank, you will get flat spots.

Go with what you think is best for you, we are only giving you our opinions.

Good Luck

Do your reservations apply to the Darent Valley rod Ray?

Mike

mikench said:

Do your reservations apply to the Darent Valley rod Ray?

Mike

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The Darrent Valley rods are great rods for the price, and I think the 1.25tc would be right. There are a number of members on FM, Iam one also, who have these rods, and i have yet to find anyone have a bad word to say about them.

Many think that cheap is rubbish, not in this case.

Good luck Mike

Ray Daywalker Clarke said:

Well i wouldn't go for the Free Spirit, i do like their rods and have some, but the tamer doesn't seem to have the back bone as other 1.75tc rods do.

As others have said, maybe a 1.25tc and for the money the Darrent Vally would be the one for me, very good rods and you won't be breaking the bank, don't be fooled by the price.

Not a fan of rods with two top sections, or multi tip quiver rods, not all the tips work with the rod blank, you will get flat spots.

Go with what you think is best for you, we are only giving you our opinions.

Good Luck

Click to expand...

Ray you have just contradicted yourself mate the Darent valley 1.25 test is a multi tip rod ?

trotter2 said:

Ray you have just contradicted yourself mate the Darent valley 1.25 test is a multi tip rod ?

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Sorry i should have said I have the .75tc Daren't valley

Would you recommend the 0.75 tc as opposed to the twin top 1.25 Ray.

I have a 12 ft twin top called an Oakwood which I bought off the Internet and before I knew what I was doing. It was cheap and is probably not up to much!

I only used it twice on a commercial! I might be better off with a better quality twin top for the choice it will give. The Darent Valley rods seem to be highly regarded particularly in the version you have!

Having fished most of the club lengths you list, my recommendation to you would be use a 1.50 lb tc rod. Particularly on the Dane because of its overgrown nature. Anything less doesn't give you the hit and hold facility you need even with the chub before they get in a bush.

The Dane barbel you've no chance of stopping them with anything less. Even 1.50 lb in my view is to light in most barbel swims, which to be frank, are jungle swims and need jungle tactics to stop them dead. And for that it's a rod of 2 - 2.50 lb tc in my view.

Here's a fair priced 1.50 lb twin tip barbel rod https://www.athleteshop.co.uk/shima...-fishing-rod?gclid=CN3qtMrlmM8CFQk8GwoduNoMMg I have two older versions of Shimano barbel rods that have served me well for over 10 years and accounted for many Ribble doubles over that time.

You must be somewhere near me then. Thanks for the advice. I will have a look around for a suitable rod. It will be the Dane first to see how I get on!

Just use what you got at the moment. I've fished most of the rivers you mentioned in the past but i think a 6000 sized reel maybe a bit on the large size. For Barbel, Chub and Pike i use a Daiwa black widow reels in the 4000 size. I've no need for the extra line or weight a 6000 reel holds. Most runs only use about 5 to 15 meters of line. Get a reel that balances with your rod. Whatever reel you buy make sure it has a smooth drag that's easy to adjust whilst fighting with your catch. Also remember you don't have to be a tackle tart to land a fish. The fish haven't a clue or care what you are using