20ft rod

[John Weddup]

Hi all

 

I really enjoy my long rod stick fishing.

 

I have a normark crusader 15/20ft. I use it too great affect espescially at 20ft in larger rivers. With good flow and a reasonable wind I can hold back at some considerable distance out.

 

In bad conditions I can fish a heavy pole float off the end and also catch well. I find it so versatile in a flowing river compared with a pole.

 

The question is what is the lightest best 20ft rod for silver fish fishing. Not a compromise with a dolly but that adds 2ft but upsets the balance but a proper long rod. Of course there may not be such a beast.

 

I do not care about cost as the pleasure of catching on the float on a big river far outweighs such meanlingless things as money.

 

Any thought or experience welcome

 

regards

 

john

[James P]

Hi John,

 

I've tested a few 20ft rods when I was looking at getting one myself, and in my honest opinion the only one that stood out was the Daiwa Spectron 17-20ft.

 

At 20ft it's light, as stiff as you'll need and has a beautiful soft tip to cushion any hooklength when roach fishing. It's also very crisp on the strike for hitting fast bites.

 

I also looked at a Maver Reactorlite, Shimano and Daiwa Matchwinner equivalent but the Spectron was superb.

 

Regards

 

James

[John Weddup]

Hi James

 

thanks for reply

 

I had wondered if the spectron was the rod to have.

 

I am always a little nervous of dual length rods. They seem to be balanced for the shorter length and therefore all wrong when extended. How does the extra length work with the spectron is it an add in section?.

 

I have googled and struggle to find long rods espescially light silver fish ones. Infact there is a normark same as mine on ebay now with buy it now price of £150.

I guess if there are no other options I need to compare the daiwa with my normark.

 

thanks for help

 

john

[James P]

Hi James

 

thanks for reply

 

I had wondered if the spectron was the rod to have.

 

I am always a little nervous of dual length rods. They seem to be balanced for the shorter length and therefore all wrong when extended. How does the extra length work with the spectron is it an add in section?.

 

I have googled and struggle to find long rods espescially light silver fish ones. Infact there is a normark same as mine on ebay now with buy it now price of £150.

I guess if there are no other options I need to compare the daiwa with my normark.

 

thanks for help

 

john

 

Hi John,

 

the rod was almost as good at 20ft as it was at 17ft - I only noticed a little difference in balance due to the extra length. I could certainly hold it all day and not grumble one bit.

 

The section above the butt is parallel and can be used for 20ft or left out for 17ft.

 

In my opinion Daiwa have never made a bad high end rod, and I think you'd find it perfect for what you want.

 

James

[Dick Dastardly]

John when I lived in Germany the local match anglers used "Big Bertha" 8m telescopic rods to great effect on the Wasser (a large powerfull river) They could trot a flot fished bait held back far more effectively and further out than we could on standard match rods. The origins of "Bolognaise" style I suppose.

 

So effective was it that several of us Brits brought good quality (the early Shimano EX and AX's) 10m poles and whipped rings and a reel seat on them.I won a couple of big open matchs on the Bristol Avon in the 80's whilst back in the UK on a course using the method when the river was up.Lots took the pi$$ untill the weigh in! Only consistant sucsess I ever had on the open circuit back here!

[John Weddup]

thanks Budgie

 

I might look at bolognese rods or making something similar.

 

You have explained better than me what I am trying to acheive. Its easy to control a stick float with favourable wind and flow with a 15ft rod on a wide river when you trot through at high speed.

 

When you hold back hard or just letting it go through really slow thats when the long rod is needed. This is when I catch more fish or better quality. On those days the leger just does not work they want it moving however slow.

 

Thanks for help

 

regards

 

John