Hello forum. this is my first post so go easy on me.

i've read this board a few times and know your a helpful bunch.

anyway, my point is, having fished for only a year and a halfish i have come to the stage where i want to get a new rod. The rod i use at the minute was given to me by my next door neighbour after a conversation we had over the fence one day.

he returned an hour later with a rod, reel, fly box and a load of flies which i was over the moon about. it's a diwara 9ft6 and while i was happy to use it while learning to fish i had a go of one of my mates hardy rods and realised how much hard work it is casting with mine.

i've just got a canny cheque for christmas so i have a decent budget but obviously don't want to spend it all so would any of you be able to recommend a decent mid priced rod. i've been looking all night at different stores online but don't really know what is a good one and what is a bad one.

i only fish small still waters as a rule, if any of you are from the north east, Witton Castle Lakes being my favourite.

any advice wiould be greatly appreciated.

Slacky

you can pick up sonik sk3's od ebay for around 60 quid greats rods

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Harbour lights fly fishers

It's very difficult to recommend a rod for someone else as what suits one angler wouldn't suit another.

If you have a tackle shop nearby with facillities to allow you to have a cast with a few rods and reels to see what suits you then that is the way to go.

i was just looking at a one of these but a full kit. Rod, Reel, 3 spools and lines. i think it was £130-140. i am reluctant to buy anything for big money incase i don't like it when they come.

i have a local tackle shop but the owner is a bit of an ******** so i don't want to have to go to him for advice.

You could do a lot lot worse than this,
Greys platinum XD comp special fly rod fly fishing | eBay
I am thinking you are stillwater/reservoir fishing.
Mike

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I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,9 bean rows will I have there and a hive for the honey bee.

Check out gromitt, he's got a tackle shop in Morpeth. My advice would be to try out as many rods as you can, that way you will find the right rod.

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All that glitters, will catch anglers.

Orvis Western 3 has good reviews and of course one of the best warranties.

I'd throw a line through one of these if you can.

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At the vice, if at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried

i've got a western 2 you can have a try of if you like ! not too sure how they compare with the 3 tho also you could have a look on madabouttrout.co.uk , north east based forum, lots of help and advice on there too, bound to be someone close to you with a few rods to try out, definately try something out first though, i've done the buying blind thing and had both outcomes, one was perfect for me, the other wasn't good luck

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just here.....watching !

Cheers for the advice, i'm gonna have to have a look about at a few tackle shops aren't i. i was hoping to get a good deal or a new reel and line and i wasn't sure you could get these in store.

Leeren666, do you know any good fishing tackle shops around county durham. i live in wolsingham btw.

slacky, mick at aldin grange has a certain amount of rods and lines you can try, and he is pretty helpful too, you could have a day on the water there too, thats at bearpark, there's blue teal i think it used to be called but i think that may be known to you another at langley moor, dunno what its called tho, i go to frasers at gateshead but i dont know if you can try the rods there, have a look about and ask if anybody has one you could try ? you may be surprised at the response, just out of random curiosity, are you called matt ?
thanks
lee

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just here.....watching !