sam vimes
Well-known member
I like trying new gear, it keeps things interesting for me. It doesn't have to be brand new, just new to me. I'm quite happy that a good rod, that happens to suit me and a particular style of fishing well, will allow me to land more and/or bigger fish.
I've got more float rods than many will own in a lifetime. I've probably got more "proper" float rods than two or three of my local shops combined, especially if you discount the plethora of pellet waggler rods they'll stock. Some are at the budget end of the scale, many are not. Most are long discontinued, some are current. There's a good mix of bought brand new, second hand and from end of line sales. Despite this, there are still huge swathes of rods out there that I've never laid a hand on.
I have a bit of a thing for long rods and the bulk are 13 or 15' with a smattering at 11, 12, 14 and 17'. I'm also rather fond of trying oddball designs, stuff that has been ignored, and blind punts on what I hope will be bargains. However, over the last year or so I've been buying the type of rods that have rather more chatter associated with them, even if they are still rather thin on the ground.
Here's a few things I learned over the years.
1) Some will never accept this but pay more cash and you generally do get a better rod. Whether the fractional improvements as you go higher and higher up the price scale matter to you will depend entirely on you. Just because something is double the price does not mean double the performance. It never has and never will. Retail and manufacturing has never worked that way. If doubling the price gives you a third greater performance, you are doing pretty well. If you can't appreciate any difference in a new rod over those you already have, keep your money in your pocket.
2) There are exceptions to the above, but they generally involve manufacturers selling at well below the originally intended price point. Shakespeare Mach 3s are a perfect example. People raved about what a bargain they were at around the £50 mark, conveniently forgetting that they started out in the £120ish bracket.
3) There are a fair number of decent rods that appear in catalogues never to be seen in most shops. They never gain a particular following and disappear with barely a trace. That doesn't mean they are bad rods. Far from it, some can be excellent. Now I'm buying rods that the cognoscenti rave about, I often compare them to stuff I've taken punts on. I'm invariably very impressed with some of the obscure and unloved stuff I've collected.
4) Trust your own judgment. Naturally, experience helps in this regard, but that's not to say that a beginner can't feel what might be right for them. If you think it's right for you, it probably is. It matters not a jot what anyone else thinks about your choice. If or when you find it has limitations, it may be time to think about a replacement, provided you can justify the expense.
5) Be wary of people like me on the internet. Some may genuinely have a lot of experience of many different rods. Some won't have, or are simply following the herd or the opinion of someone else. Some really know their onions when it comes to kit, some don't. Some have agendas and many have a certain bias. I can happily acknowledge that I'll not be buying Shakespeare kit any time soon. If you are going to take the advice of strangers on the net, try to learn who those with opinions of value might be. Even then, appreciate that what makes a good rod for them may not suit you. We all fish different venues, in different styles, and develop different tastes and peculiarities.
6) Whilst it's nice to be able to trust your friendly local tackle dealer, be a little wary. Some will undoubtedly have excellent knowledge of their market. However, many are limited in the brands they have real experience of. Some will push things that offer them the biggest profit. Some don't fish half as much as you might think they will. Those that do are often incredibly loyal to certain brands. Some fish, but only on limited venues or with specific styles. There's more than the odd one that doesn't actually fish at all. Their advice may not be quite as valuable as you might presume it to be.
7) No matter what anyone tells you, there is no one size fits all perfect rod. There's not a brand out there that consistently gets things spot on. However, saying that, there aren't many truly dismal rods out there any longer.
8) Don't get too hung up on bare weight figures. Light does not automatically mean good. Heavy (relatively) does not automatically mean bad. Whilst it can make or break what actually walks out of a tackle shop, it doesn't translate to performance on the bank. Heavier rods can actually feel lighter in use than a badly balanced light rod.
9) Old doesn't make a rod bad and new doesn't make it better than models that have gone before.
I've got more float rods than many will own in a lifetime. I've probably got more "proper" float rods than two or three of my local shops combined, especially if you discount the plethora of pellet waggler rods they'll stock. Some are at the budget end of the scale, many are not. Most are long discontinued, some are current. There's a good mix of bought brand new, second hand and from end of line sales. Despite this, there are still huge swathes of rods out there that I've never laid a hand on.
I have a bit of a thing for long rods and the bulk are 13 or 15' with a smattering at 11, 12, 14 and 17'. I'm also rather fond of trying oddball designs, stuff that has been ignored, and blind punts on what I hope will be bargains. However, over the last year or so I've been buying the type of rods that have rather more chatter associated with them, even if they are still rather thin on the ground.
Here's a few things I learned over the years.
1) Some will never accept this but pay more cash and you generally do get a better rod. Whether the fractional improvements as you go higher and higher up the price scale matter to you will depend entirely on you. Just because something is double the price does not mean double the performance. It never has and never will. Retail and manufacturing has never worked that way. If doubling the price gives you a third greater performance, you are doing pretty well. If you can't appreciate any difference in a new rod over those you already have, keep your money in your pocket.
2) There are exceptions to the above, but they generally involve manufacturers selling at well below the originally intended price point. Shakespeare Mach 3s are a perfect example. People raved about what a bargain they were at around the £50 mark, conveniently forgetting that they started out in the £120ish bracket.
3) There are a fair number of decent rods that appear in catalogues never to be seen in most shops. They never gain a particular following and disappear with barely a trace. That doesn't mean they are bad rods. Far from it, some can be excellent. Now I'm buying rods that the cognoscenti rave about, I often compare them to stuff I've taken punts on. I'm invariably very impressed with some of the obscure and unloved stuff I've collected.
4) Trust your own judgment. Naturally, experience helps in this regard, but that's not to say that a beginner can't feel what might be right for them. If you think it's right for you, it probably is. It matters not a jot what anyone else thinks about your choice. If or when you find it has limitations, it may be time to think about a replacement, provided you can justify the expense.
5) Be wary of people like me on the internet. Some may genuinely have a lot of experience of many different rods. Some won't have, or are simply following the herd or the opinion of someone else. Some really know their onions when it comes to kit, some don't. Some have agendas and many have a certain bias. I can happily acknowledge that I'll not be buying Shakespeare kit any time soon. If you are going to take the advice of strangers on the net, try to learn who those with opinions of value might be. Even then, appreciate that what makes a good rod for them may not suit you. We all fish different venues, in different styles, and develop different tastes and peculiarities.
6) Whilst it's nice to be able to trust your friendly local tackle dealer, be a little wary. Some will undoubtedly have excellent knowledge of their market. However, many are limited in the brands they have real experience of. Some will push things that offer them the biggest profit. Some don't fish half as much as you might think they will. Those that do are often incredibly loyal to certain brands. Some fish, but only on limited venues or with specific styles. There's more than the odd one that doesn't actually fish at all. Their advice may not be quite as valuable as you might presume it to be.
7) No matter what anyone tells you, there is no one size fits all perfect rod. There's not a brand out there that consistently gets things spot on. However, saying that, there aren't many truly dismal rods out there any longer.
8) Don't get too hung up on bare weight figures. Light does not automatically mean good. Heavy (relatively) does not automatically mean bad. Whilst it can make or break what actually walks out of a tackle shop, it doesn't translate to performance on the bank. Heavier rods can actually feel lighter in use than a badly balanced light rod.
9) Old doesn't make a rod bad and new doesn't make it better than models that have gone before.