A Posh Rod or a Posh Reel?

[Tigger]

In my case i'd go for the reel and maybe later after saving again try for the rod I desired.

[chavender]

there is a rod that i desire but it only costs £75 a 15ft version of a rod i all ready have the 13ft & 11ft versions ,so if i was too decide on my cheaper option ( ironically the chris lythe reel ) i could afford both and have money too spare ,for me the choice is easy as i'm not too struck with the cane bug and not impressed by labels on rods etc so tend too buy rods by practical looks and function that suites my needs .

[Steve Walker]

Functionally, for the vast majority of situations even mid price rods and reels are well into diminishing returns. I don't think expensive tackle is (usually) about better functionality, though. You get the cheap rubbish, then the perfectly good cheap bargains, then the mid price stuff that is better finished, perhaps more durable and might perform a little better, and from there on up a lot of the increase in cost amounts to either nicer cosmetics or marginal technical improvements - or just buying into a brand. The exception would be specialist or bespoke stuff which is expensive because it doesn't benefit from economies of scale.

 

Looking at what I have, I tend to buy mid price reels and upper mid price rods. The last few rods I bought were £120-£140 each, while most of my fixed spool reels were more like £50.

 

The really high end stuff isn't about function, it is about owning a manufactured object just because it's a fantastic piece of engineering or craftsmanship, and at that level there is usually more scope to express design and skill in something more complex, like a reel, than in a hollow tube of composite. There are exceptions, though, and if I really wanted to spend a ridiculous amount of money on a rod or reel for polishing, looking at and taking out on high days and holidays, I think I would go for one of these:

 

 

 

Probably the Merlin Avon rod, at £1200 - but then I would be wanting a posh 'pin to go with it!

[Anderoo]

I've seen a guy fishing at Wingham (I'm not sure if he would mind me naming him so I won't) fishing with Edward Barder rods sitting on sexy little wooden (split cane? not sure) rod rests. I was so jealous!

[Steve Walker]

Did he have wooden buzzers?

[Dick Dastardly]

Stop being silly Stephen....they were made out of Ivory and Bakerlite!

[Anderoo]

He was using little alarms, I'm not sure what they were though. Very small and discreet. Oh, and lovely little bobbins. The whole set-up was just mouthwatering!

[Steve Walker]

Stop being silly Stephen....they were made out of Ivory and Bakerlite!

 

With valves sticking out of the top?

 

He was using little alarms, I'm not sure what they were though. Very small and discreet. Oh, and lovely little bobbins. The whole set-up was just mouthwatering!

 

Sounds fantastic, though I think I would have to replace the alarms with a rod-wallah to ring a little silver bell or perhaps just cough discreetly should the bobbins move

[Dick Dastardly]

With valves sticking out of the top?

 

 

 

Sounds fantastic, though I think I would have to replace the alarms with a rod-wallah to ring a little silver bell or perhaps just cough discreetly should the bobbins move

 

 

Very good!

[Worms]

Stop being silly Stephen....they were made out of Ivory and Bakerlite!

Now there's a thought!