Shakespeare Fishing

[ColinW]

My 12 ft Shakespeare Match International is still my favourite rod. Not least because it seems to be my luckiest. What other rod designed for catching little roach can subdue double figure carp?

[Dick Dastardly]

Quality glass rods were certainly more versatile.

[Alan Roe]

I still have an original Shakespeare Sigma wand and wouldn't part with it as for the job it was designed to do there was and still is nothing to touch it.

[Guest tigger]

My 12 ft Shakespeare Match International is still my favourite rod. Not least because it seems to be my luckiest. What other rod designed for catching little roach can subdue double figure carp?

 

 

A 12ft Team Normark Microlite.

[ColinW]

I've only been using that rod for about twenty five years, last time two days ago, and yet I still don't know what it's called! The Alzheimer's really is setting in. It's a Shakespeare President Super, where Match International came from I can't imagine!

[tincatinca]

So why since the Days of the "International" range,the "President" match and Sima wands has Shakespeare fallen from grace? Mind you similar could be said about ABU.At the same time we are talking about their "All England" match rods,"Atlantic" lure and beach rods with their Ambassadeur multipliers were must have equipment........who buys ABU rods anymore?

 

Now ABU's quality has dropped drasticly (or is it that all others have improved?) They are no longer as inovative as they were then thats for sure. Kind of understand ABU's decline.But Shakespeare stuff is still the same quality/price range so what went wrong?

 

I think it is like a lot of goods. Market Hype and so called street cred which has sucked many of us in at one time or another. I used to have a couple of Intrepid elites with camatic wind for better line lay which was years before any other manufacturer got to grips with it apart from Mitchell. Even the ABU Cardinal range which were superbly built had crap line lay but they are still going strong today and will outlast most of the more recent alternatives. I have still yet to find a reel that for longevity, is better built than the Cardinal C3, C4 and C5 and that includes the 50 series. Fortunately I have now managed to replace all of the older gear that I had previously sold and very rarely look at modern offerings. A few years ago I bought a Shakespeare 15 foot Aerial power float rod for Tench fishing and I was so impressed with it I bought a couple more although different models. These are now matched up to some original Biomaster 3000s. Talking about the Milbro Enterprise my brother informs me that he still has my old one.along with my old original cork handled John Wilson avons along with a couple of my old 410s and no I can't have them back. He has also got an old President match rod from the early seventies which he swears by.

[tincatinca]

Ah I was a rebel against the mainstream carp "fashion" even back then mate! No matt black for the Carping Che Guvara!

 

Mind you that said,Heavy Duty Stephens banksticks with home made buzzer bars were quite cutting edge back then!

 

Mmmmm definately a touch of the tackle tart . I found some old photos but now they are well hidden

[Dick Dastardly]

I have still yet to find a reel that for longevity, is better built than the Cardinal C3, C4 and C5 and that includes the 50 series.

 

When I tried (unsucsessfully!) to move on from Mitchell 300's I brought 4 of the Cardinal C5's.Cracking reels with a rear drag that actually works buit a crap line lay.Great shame. Trouble is once youve had classic Mitchells you judge all reels line lay by them.

 

The first baitrunners were very poor in that department to and I didnt swith to them untill the 4010,5010,6010,8010 series came out.Got some of the origonal 4500 and newer models of the 6500 but their line lay is also poor.

[Phone]

In the US the purchase of Shakespeare by Pure Fishing has began to put a bit of a downward twist on Shakespeare products. Much more "mass marketed" if that is possible. The quality of the products are still first rate.

 

If you search "Pure Fishing" you will see all the variaty of favorite companies that are now merged under one corporate banner. Sad really.

 

For my part in complete and much intended defiance of the takle tart crowd I ONLY use mis-matched (tip and butt) UglyStik 7'6" rods. I must have a 100 and there is no way to tell which tip goes with which butt.

 

Phone

[tincatinca]

When I tried (unsucsessfully!) to move on from Mitchell 300's I brought 4 of the Cardinal C5's.Cracking reels with a rear drag that actually works buit a crap line lay.Great shame. Trouble is once youve had classic Mitchells you judge all reels line lay by them.

 

The first baitrunners were very poor in that department to and I didnt swith to them untill the 4010,5010,6010,8010 series came out.Got some of the origonal 4500 and newer models of the 6500 but their line lay is also poor.

 

Yes, the line lay on the Mitchells was superb and worked very well as long as they were cleaned regularly and re lubed. It was a pity that the weak bale arm springs let them down. Got caught out on a few occassions with springs breaking on me which is when I moved over to ABUs and put up with line lay until I got some 6010s. I know the line lay is crap on the original baitrunners but they do have an excellent clutch. I would have thought that the 6500s are superb for Cat reels though.