Im in the market for a new (shorter) 12/13ft double handed 8/9 salmon/sea trout rod. Do not want to spend mega bucks as this is not my main pursuit/addiction category. I've been looking at Greys GS2, Daiwa Wilderness XT, Airflo Delta Classic but of course the more you search the more variables and choices. I would appreciate any recommendations or advice from the forum?
Thanks, :?: :?:
Be very careful! Modern salmon rods line ratings are not the same as trout rod line ratings. An 8/9 salmon line will be around an AFTM 12-15 (depending on belly length) trout equivalent line. I think that is too heavy for sea trout unless you fish with Hi-D lines and huge flies.
Some older light salmon rods (approx pre 2004) do actually match trout line ratings for overhead casting but need to be upped by one or two line ratings if they are being used for spey casting.
I have a few, this one is 12 '3" built to special order on one of my prototype blanks. It is new and unused. It is fitted with the finest hardware and components available. It will cast a wide range of lines, ( as I recall, trout lines, standard DT's, from 10 to 12, among others, although it will cast a #9 OK as well, but a #9 will be too light for spey casting),I can't remember the exact specifications right now, but if you want it you can have it if you pay the transport costs and a small forum donation, 20 quid would be fine, ( of course the rod would normally cost a very great deal more, but I never sold any, most of the few prototypes I had of this model were given to various people who were all very happy with them). ;
(http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/2772/salmonrod.png) (http://img534.imageshack.us/i/salmonrod.png/)
There are no markings whatever on the rod ( I couldn't be bothered with them). There is no guarantee or anything like that, and if you damage it I can not offer replacements or repair. It is a very nice rod and it would be nice to know somebody is getting some benefit from it, it is no use standing in a rack.
(http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/1795/rodbutt.png) (http://img204.imageshack.us/i/rodbutt.png/)
it has a lock down reel seat with the lower reel foot under the cork.
As you can see it is three piece, section length 1.25 metres. I can only send this per carrier, either DHL or UPS and I don't know what it would cost, but it can't be all that much to the UK. The rod weighs 315 grams. ( Which is roughly 11 ounces).
I would stick it in whatever rod bag fits, ( I bought a grab bag full of them from a defunct tackle shop quite a while ago), pack it in cardboard and send it off to you at your own risk. If you want it in a tube I could probably put it in a length of drainpipe tube if you prefer, but I would have to go and buy that, I have none left.
TL
MC
As far as I can tell transport per DHL should be about 20 Euros;
http://www.dhl.de/de/paket/privatkunden/international/paket.html (http://www.dhl.de/de/paket/privatkunden/international/paket.html)
TL
MC
Just another point in regard to using trout lines on salmon rods, make sure that the core breaking strain of the line is sufficient for your purposes. Some trout lines will break at fairly low strains although you should not really have any problems with heavier lines #8 ...12 upwards. Salmon lines have generally stronger cores;
http://www.speypages.com/speyclave/showthread.php?t=17551 (http://www.speypages.com/speyclave/showthread.php?t=17551)
http://www.flyfishusa.com/lines/choose-line-home.html (http://www.flyfishusa.com/lines/choose-line-home.html)
TL
MC
that's a very generous off Mike and looks like a nice rod :D
Everybody who got one was very happy with it, and all are still in use without any mishaps as yet. There were ten of that model produced from two mandrels to the same specifications. The rod was originally a design commission for a well known company, but they annoyed me more than somewhat with a few things and so I told them to bugger off, and refused to give them the blank design specs, mandrels, or my other sources, despite them offering more money. My original mandrels were destroyed. I just did not want to go into producing and selling rods myself.
Money isn't everything and I never did want to sell anything at all to do with fishing anyway. I also think if you try to turn a passion into money it can go badly wrong I have seen it happen to a few people. Whatever, I never sold any of the rods I designed and built, ( or had built by specialists in this case), I still have a few.
This particular rod is very good indeed, even if I do say so myself.
TL
MC
Mike,
A very generous offer and much appreciated, thank you I will get back you
Mike, having given it careful though (for all of about two minutes) then I would like to take you up on your very kind and generous offer.
I can PM you details (if you are open to PMs) or you can PM me your email address if you prefer to arrange payment for courier, not sure if you have Paypal account etc.
Listen thank you once again, appreciated and hope to be able to return the gesture one day.
Colin
Quote from: 13Fisher1 on July 27, 2012, 02:39:31 PM
Mike, having given it careful though (for all of about two minutes) then I would like to take you up on your very kind and generous offer.
I can PM you details (if you are open to PMs) or you can PM me your email address if you prefer to arrange payment for courier, not sure if you have Paypal account etc.
Listen thank you once again, appreciated and hope to be able to return the gesture one day.
Colin
My pleasure, have e-mailed you.
TL
MC
So, the rod arrived safely and it only took a few days which is useful to know. Hope you enjoy it.
TL
MC
Hi Mike,
Yes Mike as per my email I received your rod yesterday via DHL, it's a great looking rod, really
impressed with quality of fittings and appearance. Cannot wait to give
it an outing as I'm sure that it performs as well as it looks and feels.
Thank you for the line also, you are so very kind and I appreciate your
generosity. I f ever I can return your kindness I will be only to glad
to do so.
I will of course make a donation to the forum as you suggested.
Thank you sincerely once again,
Colin
My pleasure, hope you catch plenty of fish on it. I was quite impressed with DHL's performance. I have not used them before to the UK.
As it is extremely unlikely that I will be doing any more salmon fishing it is pointless retaining a whole slew of such gear. It is better for somebody to get some benefit from it. I will be sorting out a lot of this stuff in the near future, along with a lot of other gear. I will probably offer it here, now that I know I can send it reliably and comparatively cheaply.
TL
MC
Thanks for doing this Mike, as Colin says, very generous of you. Thanks too to Colin for the donation he has made to the forum funding.
Nice one chaps! :D
Quote from: admin on August 03, 2012, 01:33:07 PM
Thanks for doing this Mike, as Colin says, very generous of you. Thanks too to Colin for the donation he has made to the forum funding.
Nice one chaps! :D
My pleasure Fred,
I would rather do it like this than have a lot of hassle. I don't like selling stuff anyway. Also, not everybody would be interested in unknown rods from an unknown maker.
Nice to know that somebody benefits.
TL
MC
Great, now "itching" to try new rod, and one of only TEN made, wondering about taking drive down to R Leven just to give new rod a cast!! I find myself a little wary these days of wading in the Leven maybe due to increasing age and nervousness going in deep as Leven usually requires - wimp I know must be ageing since few yrs go never gave it thought.
Decisions, decisions :P
Quote from: 13Fisher1 on August 03, 2012, 01:51:50 PM
Great, now "itching" to try new rod, and one of only TEN made, wondering about taking drive down to R Leven just to give new rod a cast!! I find myself a little wary these days of wading in the Leven maybe due to increasing age and nervousness going in deep as Leven usually requires - wimp I know must be ageing since few yrs go never gave it thought.
Decisions, decisions :P
The rod you have is actually unique, although the blanks were to identical specs ( which does not necessarily mean they were identical, there are always some differences in blank runs, even from the same mandrel and using the same pre-pregs ), it was the only one fitted with a down-locking reel seat. I think this is only sensible on a lot of rods, up-locks can allow the reel to loosen or even fall off, this simply wont happen on a down locker. The rings are also rather special with a very very smooth and hard insert. They should last a very very long time. I don't think you can buy them anywhere even now.
One of the major objections to the rods by the firm which originally commissioned the design was that the cost of the fittings I envisioned was too high. One of the reasons I told them to bugger off.
A lot of firms produce rods to a certain price and often use very poor quality stuff to do it. All my rods were made for optimum performance, regardless of price.
TL
MC
A few years back I bid for a big trout/sea trout rod at an auction in Montrose,when it got to my self imposed limit I let it go and have since regretted it. It was about 11 foot with a detatchable butt extension to make it a double hander for spey/roll casting,never seen one like it since,would have been ideal for lochs as well as small rivers like the two Esks I fish.
Quote from: 13Fisher1 on August 03, 2012, 01:12:45 PM
Hi Mike,
Yes Mike as per my email I received your rod yesterday via DHL, it's a great looking rod, really
impressed with quality of fittings and appearance. Cannot wait to give
it an outing as I'm sure that it performs as well as it looks and feels.
Thank you for the line also, you are so very kind and I appreciate your
generosity. I f ever I can return your kindness I will be only to glad
to do so.
I will of course make a donation to the forum as you suggested.
Thank you sincerely once again,
Colin
Mike, Planning to "christen" the beautiful rod this season, assuming fish comply!
Didn't get too much time on the water with it last year for various reason but definitely will this season. Particularly now that I have started to gain at least some of the basics of Spey cast thanks to Jim, Malcolm and others giving me their time at the GCC.
Thank you again for our kindness and generosity
My pleasure. Hope you enjoy it and get some good fish on it. Did any of the guys try it with that line? Just interested in what people thought. A lot of trout lines wont work well on salmon rods.
I haven't taken yet down to the GCC but will do in the next week or so. I've been using Teithers 15' Guideline for tuition which he kindly has made available. This was initially due to my own 15' Trion being largely useless as it had a mismatched #10 line originally on it which nobody at GCC could load rod enough to cast. This is resolved by doing a deal with Malcolm who did me a great deal for a Hardy short Spey #11 that he had been unsuccessfully testing on a rod.
I mention all of this because the first lesson was that my 15' line/rod combination was wrong, I had thought it was just my ineptitude at casting. (Which was the other big problem)
Now that this has been discovered and addressed I have been given and started to get to grips with Spey cast basics via Teithers patience and time t GCC and can now practice on my Trion 15'.
I then plan to get your lovely 12.5 rod set up and try to get a line/ rod balance established for this rod probably at the GCC and of course happily will allow the guys to try it. I can try the line you kindly sent, the Hardy 11 short Spey and the original #10 airflow I had. Not sure I will buy any further Airflow line products for various reasons.
I did try it at end of the season on River Leven and your rod got a lot of admiring attention from the
anglers at the Bonhill bridge "meeting point"!!
Anyhow, Mike will sure to sure to let you know and give you fb, thanks again!
Yes, mismatched stuff is a huge problem for many, not least because they don't even realise it! Hard enough learning some things, but impossible if the stuff doesn't work anyway. An excellent reason to take advantage of tips or lessons from experienced anglers.