HOW much?

There are bargains out there! | 22/4/2019

I've never bought into the intellectually lazy meme that "you get what you pay for..."

I've lost count of the number of times I've landed some piece of gear that has punched way above its pecuniary weight...

So it was that I recently took delivery of a couple of 11', 2.75lb carbon carp rods. Nothing too startling about that, spec-wise, so here's some more...

They're wonderfully slim, with a shrink-wrap abbreviated grip that appeals to me immensely from my own rod-building days (it's how I would build a carp rod now); they're light, powerful, and have a gorgeous parabolic action.

All in all, two cracking rods. But this post is about the idea of value for money; here, they punch way above their (negligible) weight...

They're four piece "travel" rods. That's a huge deal for me.

This design feature doesn't compromise their action at all, and as I say, they're wonderfully light and slim. They pack down to just 88cm/34", which means that  - using an approach similar to that used by this hunting backpack (my carp rucksack also has tunnels between the main compartment and side pockets, so I've attached a pouch to the bottom of the bag which the rod butts slide into) - the rods barely reach the top of the bag while in transit, meaning that carrying them on public transport is a doddle.

If I was being really picky, I'd acknowledge that the epoxy seal on some of the whippings wasn't perfectly even; and as it turns out, one rod is about half an inch longer than the other; but these are cosmetic trivialities that you have to look for, and which do not diminish the appeal of the rods at all.

But the clincher is the price.

And here it is.

Less than £21 each! I can honestly say that I'd happily have paid three times as much just for the blanks.

Now it is no surprise that these are not powerful rods: they're relatively short, and soft in the butt, so you won't be casting 100+ yards no matter what you do. 

But from testing I know that 80+ yards with a 21/2 oz lead is comfortably achievable (and that's with 15lb Daiwa Sensor: thinner line - I've got some 12.8lb Rovex on order, which is closer in diameter to Sensor 8lb line - will improve casting distance to a worthwhile extent), and although I haven't had a fish on them yet, I know they'll be great to play a fish on...  


Categories: Fishing