Are you a rod snob? I personally like Hardy rods, but i also have a couple of cheaper rods, for chucking out lures.

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All that glitters, will catch anglers.

Rod snob? No-no. I too have a few Hardys but only because I have become accustomed to a certain quality of finish. I want to buy and go and not be bothered 4-5 years down the line with tending to cosmetic problems. Loose rings, whippings coming adrift or ill fitting joints etc.

I find I have to generally pay more for that peace of mind-so be it. I've only bought one new in 30 yrs though. Wouldn't pay their silly prices. Oh and I don't care a jot what the next man is using, all the same to me. Well, unless it's one of them Winstons then I want a go

Chris.

Hardy Rods I have few; and Greys I also have some to! A custom Cane I have but two, Orvis one; and one Sage will do! Then a 7ft Fladen, that's a cracker to! My reels are Hardy - Orvis and a Danielson to, with a few older reels, just a few to see me through. A rod snob, Me? I don't know if that's true? I'm becoming a tackle tart; and that's for sure!

Hope you like my tackle poem!

Must admit to being a slight rod and reel snob !!! But fortunately have never been bitten by the Hardy bug

Yes but there is always something better I would like and will try to justify

Tackle tends to be far better than my talent unfortunately.
Hardy, Orvis, Sage, Loomis rods, although can’t wait to get back after river Pike on my Vision GT4 SW and that’s not too rod Snobby,
Hardy, Orvis Lamason and Abel reels. Have to admit it’s as much about Quality as Snobbery bit Like M&S Food once you can afford it why not life is too short

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Allan
Only dead fish go with the flow.

Not a snob and not a tackle tart but somehow I seem to have acquired a number of rods. The downstairs rod cabinet has 24 hanging up, mostly built cane, some carbon and a couple glass. Upstairs, Lord alone knows how many hanging up and then there's the Medieval rod in hazel and blackthorn that has to lay flat...

richard

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Who resides on the right bank of the Derbyshire Wye and is lulled to sleep each night by the mutterings of a weir, dreaming that "When the rivers and their inhabitants come first, we ALL win..."

Well I only have one rod bought for 30 quid off ebay. A diawa whisker 4/6 8.6" that I do all my fly fishing with. It gives me much pleasure when im fishing next to a tackle tart with three rods and I can pull just as many fish as he can with a set up that costs a fraction of maybe just one of his. I could have a top of the range hardy and matching reel but if I can cast A near full line and fish with a rod that I have acquired for next to nothing why bother? I know the quality and cutting edge tec that you get with these premium rods is amazing but my little rod has never let me down so far. I've landed fish up to 11lb, attemptedto cast in gale force winds, dropped it, had it stuck in trees and so on. In my opinion fly choice is key to success the rod is just a tool to get it out on the water. If your technique is good enough you can cast a fly line with your bare hands! Honesty look on YouTube

Absolutely! You also save time because you are not having to decide which rod to use. For years I used just one rod on rivers that also cost £30. I still have it and use it at least a dozen times a season. I stopped using it for a while when I bought carbon rods. Then after a few years I took it out to use for old times sake. In less then five minutes it all came back to me why at one time this rod was almost a part of me. I work in an office. My hands are a soft as a gynaecologist's except for one callus along the leading edge of my right index finger. This is caused by the way I hold a fly rod. The old rod has a piece worn away on the corks where my finger fits. The handle and my hand fit together perfectly. They have morphed together and are literally made for each other. If the rods had to to go, this one would be the last one I'd part with.

richard

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Who resides on the right bank of the Derbyshire Wye and is lulled to sleep each night by the mutterings of a weir, dreaming that "When the rivers and their inhabitants come first, we ALL win..."

I have three rods. One Grey G series 5/6#, one Bloke 7/8# and one 3# I swapped from Mr T for a few bits and bobs.
Reels I have two Grey GRX as they came with a shed load of spare spools and one little thing for the 3#.

The right casting technique can be applied to any rod and you can cast a line just fine within 3 casts to suss out the action so that you can adjust the thumb pressure and dampening at the right time.

A reel is merely there to hold the line. Sack drag actions and how pretty they look I use my reel to hold the line and to wind the line back in again when I am moving swims or at the end of the day. Never played a fish off the reel since started and doubt I ever will.

I use the Bloke rod for 99.9% of my fishing. I say that amount as I am going to give the 3# a blast on the river this weekend for a dabble.

Not me!! Personally I use shakespeare odyssey rods and lureflash reels,mainly down to financial circumstances I guess but I genuinely love the action on the odyssey rods and can fish all day with them.

In an ideal world I'd like to be able to have more of a choice about which tackle I buy but for now I'm happy to have cheaper gear which is functional and gets the job done and have cash left over to go fishing regularly.

I've used shakespeare rods/reels/general kit for sea, course and fly fishing and am more than happy with the majority of it,some of the cheaper stuff is c**p but they're easily avoided!!

Chris

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Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it