New Rod

[Leon Roskilly]

I love my new Preston Innovations 13ft Excel match rod, but sometimes fishing a tidal stretch, I could do with an extra foot or two, so I started looking on ebay for a bargain 17 ft rod.

 

After a couple of failed bids on Preston Innovation Dream rods 15/17ft, I came across a brand new Garbolina 17ft rod which I 'won' for just £93.

 

Of course once it arrived I had a massive need to use it, but couldn't get out and had to make do with playing with it in the garden imagining...............

 

No, just not good enough!

 

So in disguise I slunk to my nearby carp hole for a couple of hours, just to get the feel for the rod.

 

 

 

I selected a swim next to a bushy willow hanging out over the water with branches trailing into the lake, and baited up just at the end of the bush.

 

Now most of the fish in there are pasties, around the 2-3lb mark but I hooked into 5lber on the first cast.

 

 

Damn! Seemed a waste of good fishing time playing it for what seemed ages!

 

 

The next fish was a little smaller, then I started to get the usual sized fish, which were still taking a while to bring to the net.

 

Still I was getting a good feel for the rod's playing abilities (married to my AN centrepin).

 

 

Finally I found the rudd, near the surface, close in, just away from the baited area where all the fizzing was happening.

 

With their quick bites, and pretty looks I was beginning to enjoy myself.

 

 

The float dipped slightly, I struck, and an unstoppable freight-train headed out to my left past the end of the bush and down the lake.

 

Boy, was I glad of those extra few feet allowing me to just clear the end of the bush with the rod tip.

 

Lot's of line went spooling off the pin before the train came to a halt, then it was a long steady battle with the usual sudden rushes before I had the fish back into my swim.

 

And quite a while longer before a low double carp came to the net.

 

So, I'm really happy with the ability of the rod to handle larger fish (and my ability to comfortably bring them to the net with such a long rod).

 

 

But I'm still aching to get down to the river to target the roach, and maybe find a good chub or two.

[Rusty]

Sounds like a great deal Leon glad that you're happy with it. Aren't they about twice that much elsewhere?

 

You've inspired me to get out this evening, was pondering whether the 40 mile round trip was worth it for three hours fishing but of course it is.

[Leon Roskilly]

Sounds like a great deal Leon glad that you're happy with it. Aren't they about twice that much elsewhere?

 

 

Yes, the RRP is £215, but you can get them for around £170 generally.

 

 

Good luck with the session

[Sportsman]

Strange that you feel you have to be so apologetic about visiting a commercial fishery, especially when it provided you with decent fishing and evidently some enjoyment.

[Leon Roskilly]

Strange that you feel you have to be so apologetic about visiting a commercial fishery, especially when it provided you with decent fishing and evidently some enjoyment.

 

 

I feel like a serious golfer visiting a crazy golf course when I go there!

 

 

It's useful when I want to try something out, and it's a bit of fun, but a whole world different to what I really enjoy.

Edited September 10, 2010 by Leon Roskilly

[Sportsman]

It's funny.

On the flyfishing forums there was a character who was always slating commercial rainbow fisheries, calling them muddy puddles and referring to the fish as pellet pigs.

He even had is own website devoted to fishing for wild brown trout (not a major challenge on most of the lochs up here.

He lives not too far from me and I happened to run into him out fishing, on a commercial rainbow fishery (well, we all like to get a bend in our rod sometimes eh )

As I remember, he wasn't very good and struggled a bit. The problem was he was used to fishing for uneducated starving Brownies, which TBH had never seen an anglers fly and would take anything remotely resembling food. He lacked the range of skills needed to catch educated "pellet pigs" in what was predominately a C&R fishery where the fish had seen it all.

[Leon Roskilly]

Sounds like a great deal Leon glad that you're happy with it. Aren't they about twice that much elsewhere?

 

 

The same seller has another one up for sale

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BRAND-NEW-GARBOLINO-...=item4152a26b31

[Rusty]

The same seller has another one up for sale

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BRAND-NEW-GARBOLINO-...=item4152a26b31

 

Tempting if it goes for a similar amount but I do sometimes get myself in a mess with 'only' 15ft. The session went well btw.

[Leon Roskilly]

I do sometimes get myself in a mess with 'only' 15ft. The session went well btw.

 

 

I couldn't imagine bringing a largish fish to the net, or swinging a smaller fish to hand on such a long rod if using anything but a centrepin.

 

With a pin, it's just a case of letting the line unspool by relaxing the thumb controlling the spool as the rod is lifted so that you maintain control whilst letting off enough line to reach the net/hand.

[watatoad]

Strange that you feel you have to be so apologetic about visiting a commercial fishery, especially when it provided you with decent fishing and evidently some enjoyment.

 

Sounds like a great rod glad you enjoyed it. I don't like commercials, but if it gives you pleasure and fun go for it nobody should ever knock anyone for enjoying themselves, so here I echo Sportsman you had a great time and that is what fishing is all about. May your rod and reel bring you many great fishing times.