Rods

Rods for Coarse & Match Fishing

Most rods are made using blanks which incorporate a high quality Carbon fibre construction, meaning they are super lightweight, perfect for casting and playing fish, and are durable enough to stand the test of time. There are a few different things to really look out for when choosing a Course and Match fishing rod, some of which we have described below.

Taper

The action of a rod is mainly dictated by the amount of fibre used in its construction. The tip section is always more flexible than the section which holds the reel, known as the butt section, with different types of rods having different levels of flexibility.This is known as the Taper or 'Action' of a Rod. Rods with a fast Taper will be stiff in the tip section, bending mostly in this area, whilst a medium will bend through to the mid section, and a slow Taper rod will bend right through to the butt. As a general rule, slow taper rods are better for using float fishing tactics and softer baits, as they are smoother on the cast and are also better for playing fish as the through action of the rod helps to cushion head shakes and lunges during the fight. Faster tapered rods tend to be much more sensitive in the tip making them much better for ledgering and feeder fishing where the rod is used visually for bite indication.

Test Curve

The Test Curve of a rod is the amount of weight required to bring the rod tip to a 90-degree angle to the butt as the rod is held upright, is very important when choosing a rod as this is the main factor apart from length which most manufacturers use to state the strength of their rods. The basic rule is that the further you need to cast, the heavier the test curve of the Rod needs to be. In fact with some Rods, particularly the lighter ones such as float and feeder rods, companies will use the casting weight of the rod instead of the test curve, with this referencing the amount of weight the rod is designed to cast.

Length

Length is another super important factor when looking at buying a rod. The length needs to be firstly, suited to the type of venues you are fishing and secondly needs to optimal for casting out whatever set up you are going to be using, whether it be Float fishing, or ledgering. If the venues you are fishing are quite overgrown or are limited for space, you are going to want to use a shorter rod, whereas if you are fishing large open venues where you need to cast distance, then a longer rod will suit you better.