which rod?

[highlander2504]

I am looking to buy a new, general purpose trout rod. I tend to fish lochs from a boat, float tube or from the bank. My budget is around the £250 mark. I have an idea of which rod I want but would like to hear which rod other members would buy.

[rannoch raider]

That's a really difficult question. I have really only used one rod for around 25 years now. I'm getting another tomorrow of the same model but one weight heavier. If I had £250 I'd be using a small portion of it to pay for the second rod and perhaps  new lines.
You will probably find that there are many on here who have limited knowledge of rods as they've found what suits them and stuck with it for a while.
Maybe it would be best to think what you want from the rod, where you will fish it, line weights, floating or sinking lines, smaller wild fish or 3lb stockie rainbows, small flies or bigger lures? When you've got a clear picture of your priorities you can narrow the choice a little then go somewhere that can offer you a chance to cast it if possible . I think Glasgow AC has a casting pool where you can do this ? Choice of rod can be a very personal thing but one thing is for sure you will certainly find what you are after well within your budget of £250 so don't be worried that you will be missing out unless you spend upwards of 5 - 600 quid because you won't be.

Hope this helps.

[highlander2504]

Thanks raider. I do know what I want from the rod. 99% of my fishing is for wild brownies in hill lochs. I usually always use a floating line and am looking for a 10 or 10'6 foot rod with a 6 weight line.
I was just curious as to which rod other members would choose.

[Lochan_load]

I've got a sharpes 'plus 3' rod (nearly sold it to Roobarb last year  :lol: but had a day with it and decided it's a cracking rod)  it's a 10'3" 6wt, really nice to cast and I use it for all sorts of fishing from the boat, three wets to large pike type lures and it can cope with them all, I like the length for the boat as well, reckon you would get one for around your budget

[highlander2504]

It's the sharpes plus 3 I am going to go for. Have used  a sharpes Gordon for years and its the best rod that I've owned.

[Lochan_load]

It's a nice rod, I was selling mine last year and the ad is still at the bottom of page 2 of the  for sale section if you want a look at pictures

[Lochan_load]

I don't know all the jargon but the plus three is much more supple than my other rods, flexes further down the rod so needs a slower casting action, never used a Gordon though so can't compare

[Wildfisher]

If I had only one rod it would be a 9 foot 5 weight.   

[Lochan_load]

I use a 9' 5wt for everything else, my sharpes for on the boat. 

[rannoch raider]

10 Ft  Hardy Ultralite 6 weight for everything for the past 25 'ish' years but getting the wee upgrade I promised myself 24 years ago 'ish',  same rod in a 7 weight . I've also got an 8' 6" Orvis Trident TL Tip Flex 9.5 which is a 5 weight for rivers which is great and a wee 8ft Greys Grx 3 weight which is great fun with a fish on but is a bit of a spineless swishy twig when trying to make an accurate or tightly controlled cast with any more than twenty foot of line out.
I've got a 9ft Shakespeare 7 / 8 weight cheapo that gets used for the saltwater. It does just fine! Oh, and an old Daiwa 11FT 6 that has seen some action (not very much !) in the days where there was a sea trout or two to be had from Lomond. It's been retired for a while.