Avon Rod

[RPM]

Hi all.

 

I am starting to think about the new season coming up and want to invest in a decent Avon/Barbel rod for the trent around Newark and having never purchased one of these previously, wondered if anyone had some thoughts on rods up to about £100. It will ideally suit my Baitrunner Aero GTE6000C reel with both 8lb and 12lb lines.

 

Over to you knowledgable folks....

[Kappa]

Hi all.

 

I am starting to think about the new season coming up and want to invest in a decent Avon/Barbel rod for the trent around Newark and having never purchased one of these previously, wondered if anyone had some thoughts on rods up to about £100. It will ideally suit my Baitrunner Aero GTE6000C reel with both 8lb and 12lb lines.

 

Over to you knowledgable folks....

 

What are you hoping/expecting to catch? Are you planning to lob 3oz leds 50 yards etc etc? I'd imagine the Trent frequently requires long casts but I've never fished it so I don't know!

 

I favour lighter true avon style rods but you may find these are not up to the job!

 

Rich

[DavyR]

From what I've heard of the Trent and its hefty barbel, anything under 1.75 lb tc is regarded as being seriously undergunned. Something like this, maybe?

 

http://www.climaxtackle.com/fox_barbel/duo...l_xtra_rods.htm

[Will Wilkinson]

From what I've heard of the Trent and its hefty barbel, anything under 1.75 lb tc is regarded as being seriously undergunned. Something like this, maybe?

 

http://www.climaxtackle.com/fox_barbel/duo...l_xtra_rods.htm

 

I have the Drennan power barbel 1.75/2lb test and the Drennan Super Specialist Duo 1.25lb test or quivertip top with 4 interchangeable quivers, both of which are great rods. For Trent barbel I'd go for the power barbel, it also makes a nice bream or light carp rod.

 

Will

[RPM]

What are you hoping/expecting to catch? Are you planning to lob 3oz leds 50 yards etc etc? I'd imagine the Trent frequently requires long casts but I've never fished it so I don't know!

 

I favour lighter true avon style rods but you may find these are not up to the job!

 

Rich

 

I first targeted barbel last year and initially tried my heavy quiver but the stretches fished just pulled the tip round with the 4oz tip on. Then I tried my 2.5lb Carp rod which was a bit overkill but did the job so I was hoping to get somewhere in the middle. Also, dont forget that the Trent can also produce the odd monstrous carp here and there.

 

I certainly wont be lobbing a huge lead out for X-yards as the river is maximum 25 metres across and in some places much narrower than that where I fish. Sometimes I will be casting only 5-10 metres but the flow can be so quick that I need a decent lead and a stiff tip to hold.

[Kappa]

I first targeted barbel last year and initially tried my heavy quiver but the stretches fished just pulled the tip round with the 4oz tip on. Then I tried my 2.5lb Carp rod which was a bit overkill but did the job so I was hoping to get somewhere in the middle. Also, dont forget that the Trent can also produce the odd monstrous carp here and there.

 

I certainly wont be lobbing a huge lead out for X-yards as the river is maximum 25 metres across and in some places much narrower than that where I fish. Sometimes I will be casting only 5-10 metres but the flow can be so quick that I need a decent lead and a stiff tip to hold.

 

Sounds like one of those twin top rods would be just the job for you! By twin top I mean similar to what those have said above, a rod with say a 1.5 and 2lb test curve tip section. I guess you'd find this would cover most situations! There are loads of this sort of rod on the market! I guess the next question is how much do you want to spend?

 

Rich

[RPM]

Nothing more than 100notes really and it must marry pretty well with the Baitrunner mentioned earlier in the thread.

[bingo]

The original Avon rods were really only suitable for lines up to 6lb. Great for trotting for chub and smaller barbel etc. But the barbel have got bigger and the end tackle heavier so now they're a bit under-gunned for the type of fishing you describe. Plus the manufacturers saw a market opening up for 'barbel' rods......... they sucked me in!

 

It sounds like 1.75 tc to 2.00 'avon style' rod would be ideal. I have a Greys Prodigy barbel 1.75 which has the option of the solid 'avon style' tip and a seperate changeable quiver tip sections. To be honest, if you have a feeder rod already then they're not worth having imo. I only use the solid top. Great rod though, I really like it (£110 ish but can be found cheaper)

 

Best go for rods that are often sold as 'specimen' rods. These range from 1lb tc up to 2.25lbs. Again, Greys do a nice one. One rod with two tips (1.5 and 2).

 

Linky

[RPM]

The original Avon rods were really only suitable for lines up to 6lb. Great for trotting for chub and smaller barbel etc. But the barbel have got bigger and the end tackle heavier so now they're a bit under-gunned for the type of fishing you describe. Plus the manufacturers saw a market opening up for 'barbel' rods......... they sucked me in!

 

It sounds like 1.75 tc to 2.00 'avon style' rod would be ideal. I have a Greys Prodigy barbel 1.75 which has the option of the solid 'avon style' tip and a seperate changeable quiver tip sections. To be honest, if you have a feeder rod already then they're not worth having imo. I only use the solid top. Great rod though, I really like it (£110 ish but can be found cheaper)

 

Best go for rods that are often sold as 'specimen' rods. These range from 1lb tc up to 2.25lbs. Again, Greys do a nice one. One rod with two tips (1.5 and 2).

 

Linky

 

This looks fantastic and the reviews are good also.

 

http://www.leslies-fishing.co.uk/acatalog/Greysbarbrod.html

 

Question is, do I go for the 2 or 3 piece. What are the advantages of both?

[DavyR]

Question is, do I go for the 2 or 3 piece. What are the advantages of both?

 

The only advantage (AFAIK) of the 3 piece is that it takes up less space in the back of the car. All my rods are 12' 2 piece jobs, and I carry them ready made-up (but with quick-change options for leads/feeders/hooklengths). It *is* possible to carry a 3 piece rod ready made-up, but it's considerably more fiddly and prone to tangles.

 

It always used to be the case that 2 piece rods had better actions than 3 piece ones, but I expect that no longer applies with modern rodmaking technologies (?)

 

Opinions differ as to whether you ever need a quiver tip for barbel fishing, but the consensus seems to be "not often". Most people I know who have the Greys Prodigy Barbel rods have never used the quiver top!