Multi Species Rod

[Rod & Annette]

Thanks to the forum over the last few months for recommendations, my wallet has a hole burning in it again for just one more rod to add to the quiver. Who doesn't love rods?!?! I'm sorted for specimen rods and float rods for the time being but I'm wanting a rod I can for the majority of the time hold, touch leger, freeline, roll/trundle baits, sightfish etc. that will cope with Barbel but still be fun when playing Chub, Tench etc. I suppose a small water Barbel rod is what I'm looking for. The venues I fish are intimate, not too snaggy and not a lot of weight required to hold bottom if required for that purpose.

I've been looking at the Harrison Avon 1.6, Davis Tackle have these at a good price and also heard that Harrison's GTI 1.75lb is also quite suitable as it is fairly soft. I've contacted Dave Lumb who can build one of these again at a decent price. Both rods are 11ft which I think will be the ideal length for me and the waters I fish. I have been enjoying using softer rods of late so something with a through-ish would be great. I really like Harrison rods, I have seven in the shed but I've little experience of their specialist rods but would be definitely open to suggestions. From searches on this site and others is would appear that Hardy made some fine Avon rods a few years ago but they seem scarce now.

Thanks again.

 

[tigger]

If you can hold back until someone parts with a hardy marksman specialist or supero avon rod I would say it would be worth doing so.
I have never found an avon rod that i've liked, until I got hold of the hardy marksman avon rods. I was using an 11ft supero only yesterday whilst trotting and catching small to average sized chub. I have harrison rods and imo the hardys are infront by a country mile....jmo of course. No doubt others will dissagree and have their own favourites.

 

[108831]

Your right Ian,but that's opinions for you....


Anyway Rod&Annette,the 1lb 6oz Avon specialist is a great rod,it is not a float rod however as it is a through action rod and as has been discussed recently on Mikench's thread on Harrison rods,if you are clumsy the sections are always available,unlike the big name brands which rotate rods for the number of sales,Hardy gave a lifetime guarantee with my Marksman Smuggler,not worth the paper it is written on as it will not get the rod back together if broken,I got my 1-6 Harrison from Davis's several years ago now,never,ever regretted it,not for a second,Hardy,Harrison,all good,I don't know,but I would imagine the Darent Valley 1.25lb and 1.5lb t.c. from Dartford A.C. would be pretty good too,at a fraction of the price would be worth a punt if my lighter action rod is anything to go by(along with several others on site)....

 

[tigger]

Alan, I did say it was my opinion and no doubt others would have their favourites.

I use the 11ft version for trotting as it's lighter and slimmer than the 11ft 6inch rod.

 

[108831]

I know,Ian,that is why I answered you first in my post ,though the new forum has an annoying habit of removing capital letters making it look as though it is one paragraph,i've now edited the post to seperate it,the second part is my opinion,the part about the guarantee and broken sections is fact unfortunately,same as Normarks,great rods still,but disastrous if you are unfortunate enough to break one....

 

[bencarvosso]

I have a pair of 11ft 1.75 gtis which I got for margin tench fishing. They really are a joy to use. I found them softer than I thought they would be but I haven't had any trouble bullying fish in jungle swims.

 

[Molehill]

As another owner of the 11ft Gti at 1.75, I can only add if i had to throw away all my rods except 1, then this I would keep - not a float fishing rod though. Soft through action with a very responsive tip (which is a big plus imo for river ledgering), also handled plenty of good fish. Can't say fairer than that.

 

[S-Kippy]

I would imagine the Darent Valley 1.25lb and 1.5lb t.c. from Dartford A.C. would be pretty good too,at a fraction of the price would be worth a punt if my lighter action rod is anything to go by(along with several others on site)....

Based on the 0.75lb tc DV ( dream of a light rod) I took a punt on the heavier 1.25lb version. Absolute shocker. Its a twin tip and as a quiver rod its fine for chucking a feeder around for carp and might do for chub but, on the whole, seriously average imo.

The Hardy Avon is a thousand times better though I still struggle to find anything to use it for on the waters I have access to. I'll never part with it though.

 

[Phil Adams]

How about one of the Drennan Twin Tip Duos? The 11ft 1.25 or 1.5lb might fit the bill.

 

[peterjg]

I hate buying rods by mail order without seeing them, it seems so wrong! A while back (following Mikench's recommendation) I sent off for a pair of DV 0.75tc rods. They are excellent, I bought them for legering for roach but have caught several different species on them including carp into double figures so they might fit your needs.

 

[S-Kippy]

The DV 0.75tc is a superb small species rod but it just doesn’t have the backbone for barbel or carp. I’ve had accidental carp to over 20lb on my DV but they took for ever to land. I would never use it for barbel,not even schoolie barbel. The Drennan duos are worth a look.

 

[108831]

I've had a few berties to 5/6lb on my Darent Valley 0.75lb tc,definitely not for the faint hearted,but a very funny experience,good fun for chub too,shame the other rods aren't as good though,that's the way it goes however...

 

[steve2]

My 1lb tc Greys specimen rods lost track of the fish I have caught while using them. But where I fish is most probably nothing like where you do, no barbel.

 

[chevin4]

How about one of the Drennan Twin Tip Duos? The 11ft 1.25 or 1.5lb might fit the bill.

I have the 11ft 1 25 Drennan Duos impressed with them so far.

 

[Keith M]

How about one of the Drennan Twin Tip Duos? The 11ft 1.25 or 1.5lb might fit the bill.

I have a 1.5lb/2lb Greys Twin tip (or Multi-tip) rod which comes with two different Avon type tips which I bought when Greys were made by Greys UK just before they moved their production to China, and which I occasionally still use for Tench, Crucians and Chub as well as for fishing for Barbel and Carp (both big and small) and a rod that is great even in floodwater on streams and smallish rivers; and which I sometimes use for touch legering after Barbel and for fishing floating baits after Carp. Both tips have a nice throughish action too.
With the two different tips It covers lines from around 4lb all the way through to around 17lb according to its tag, although the maximum line I’ve used with the heavier tip fitted was around 10 or 11lb.
It is used more by my son nowerdays but I occasionally still use it myself.

It used to come in 1.25lb/1.75lb 1.5lb/2lb and 1.75lb/2.25lb combinations but now is sold in less combinations but it also comes with a few quivertip/Avon combinations as well the last time I looked; so it’s worth having a look if you are after a versatile rod.

Keith

 

[108831]

I used my Normark Bob James barbel rod a couple of times lately,not a barbel rod by today's standards but what a rod,a testimony to Normark quality,still a great tool and at least 25 years old,you don't see many on fleabay,people don't flog em...