INDIANANGLER

Cheers Ken.

I'm all mixed up!

I know what short lure rods are like to use.
I have a couple back home.
Shimano Diaflash 7ft 5~20grams.
Total Fishing Gear, The Brawler, 7ft 40~100grms multiplier rod. Shimano Corvalus to match it, 80lb braid, heavy braid I know but no back lashes on the reel.

My 9ft Greys rod is great for UK sea bass, light to cast all day, pokey enough to deal with the bass I've caught.

I've been on an American fishing site called stripersonline.com (striped bass, not strippers!)
I read some articles by a bloke who goes by the name of "High Plains Drifter", he's well into his 50's and totally fit.(would put me to shame!)
He's been fishing in remote beaches in Mexico for Rooster Fish and snappers.
He throws surface poppers 150 meters.
You can watch him on Youtube, both casting and fishing.
Type in Rooster Fish, or long distance lure fishing.
He's been a bit of an inspiration for me.
He recommends long rods for this style of fishing.
At least 11~13ft.
He uses a fixed spool reel and 30lb braid mainline and heavy 4 foot mono leader.
He uses a "Breakaway Cannon" casting device.
They cost about £10 in the UK.

I know what your saying and I totally agree with you about shorter rods for all day easy fishing, using in a boat and "tight swims".
But they won't hurl a lure that far, will they?

I know it's going to have to be a compromise for me!

I read a thing about the Japanese fishing for Dolphin Fish and Sailfish off the rocks.
They throw the same big distances.
Some of these guys use English custom carp rods!
And 4oz poppers!

The mind boggles!!!!!

Thanks for your reply, it's only added to my total confusion!!!!!!!!!
I don't know what to think.
I shall go away and chew the fat.

All the best to everyone, YB.

If distance is your only concern, then buy all means go with a longer rod, but a 7 footer will trow the right lure 50 or 60m (maybe 70 with the wind behind you) with no problems and that's far enough for anywhere on the Cauvery, far enough for barramundi and mangrove jack fishing in the estuaries and far enough for lure fishing off the rocks.
A bit of extra length is helpful if you're using the rod for bait fishing because it keeps the line up and out of the breaking waves.
As you say, everything is a compromise when it comes to travel rods but longer very definatly doesn't mean better.

BTW. I'd be very suprised if anyone is reaching 100 - 150m with a plug. With a lead slug or a Dexter/Raider type spoon maybe, but the density and arodynamics of a plug just don't lend themselves to those sorts of distances.

Hi YB,


I have read all of HPD's exploits and was as confused as you were. So I did the best thing possible. I bought myself a 7 foot three piece rod for travel (12-40lb line rating) and a 11 foot Penn Spinfisher surf spinning rod for when I need that extra distance.

I don't blame Ken for sticking to just a 7 foot rod for everything he's built like an OX you see....and he's a martial arts instructor to boot

Bops

Well thanks from the bottom of my heart guys!

I'm going to look in the Japanese shops for a 3pce 9ft rod.

1~3 0z or 2~4oz rod.

I'll put 40,000 yen away for the rod!
That's a lot of money.
Getting on for £200.

The lure rods out here are light years ahead of the stuff in the UK.
My ultra light rod cost 10,500 yen.
You couldn't buy that type of rod for that money back home.

If you lads want fishing gear from Japan maybe I could buy it for you and send it to you as a present if you sent me the cash.

I'm a stand up guy, I worked in the UK Security Industry, I'm a teacher now, I'm not a criminal, I won't run off with your money!

Reels, rods, lures or line.
Non profit, maybe I could help fellow anglers.

Including you Bops!

All the best, YB.

Yeh but I filed the horns off and I'm trying to cut down on the number of cardboard boxes that I eat in a day.

A 9 foot three piece lure rod that casts 2-4oz. Now you've got my attention.
It might be a bit longer than my ideal but I have been really struggling to find a travel rod that will throw that sort of lure weight (poppers for GT's and the like) and strap onto a backpack. The only thing that I've seen that came close was an Albright rod that came in at something like US $290 + postage + punative UK taxes.

What's the brand of rod and have you got a link to a webpage with it on ?

The 1 - 3oz version of the same rod sounds like it's the rod you've been looking for.

What martial arts are you into Ken?

I worked as a Behaviour Support Worker for disturbed and abused children after working as a security guard.

I had to do control and restraint courses as part of this.
I was doing sometimes 6 restraints a day.
Very stressful and desturbing.
Only £60 a day before tax.
If a kid got hurt in a restraint I would've been hung out to dry by the school and the agency.
Not good.

Loads of K1 and Pride on the telly over here.
Even at 8pm.

Incredible for us UK guys to see it.
Boxing is on late at night back home!!!!

4.20am over here now.
Got to go to bed.

YB.

I started off with Aikido. Did that to black belt level and started ju-jitsu which also went to blackbelt. I've also done some Muay Thai, a bit of Wing Chun and Choy Lay Fut and others and spent 4 years regularly cross training with the local unviversity Ninjustu club. Whilst there, I used to try to find the time to spar/grapple with a Japanise lad who was 4th dan Judo and 5th dan in Sambo (Usually called Sombo in the UK because of the whole PC thing). I was astonished at some of the things that I was getting to work on him as I transfered accedemic dojo skills into live fighting. We both learned a lot and had a great laugh.

One of my Ju-Jitsu teachers was a guy called Hodgson who was chief prison officer at Strangeways. Lots of restraint and control techniques got taught allong with the nasty little digs that make them work.
Not that I envy you your job. I used to train with a murder squad copper who restrained a suspect witth a swan neck wrist lock. (this is suposedly just about the safest lock to use if you don't want to injure the bad guy) and he still managed to end up with the guy's broken radius and ulna sticking out the front of his arm.
Not the sort of thing that would go down well if you're restraining kids.


BTW. No Pride but lots of UFC and Cage Rage is available in the UK on satalite. It's kinda cool to have the lads in the club talk about seing something and then show them how it's done, three or four variations and then a counter. They look at you in a very strange way when you do that.

"Why are all martial arts instructors built like oxen"

When you eat like a horse, drink like a fish and entertain yourself by throwing bodies about and then wrestling people to submission, it goes with the teratory.

Thanks flyfisher.

Ugly Sticks sure are strong and cheap.

In the smaller sizes 2pce would be good for me, 3pce in the larger.
However they are 1pce. Boo hoo!

Ugly sticks are a bit heavy to hold, but they are bloody strong rods!!!
Thank you for your input, but I need something more portable.

Where I work the Japanese English teacher said that her dad wants to take me fishing in September or October. Off the rocks and sea defences.

I want to get this mysterious "heavy rod" by then.
I can take 3 rods with me then.
My ultra light 6ft rod for 2grm jigs. I'll get a bit of bait hopefully by fishing under my feet..
My 9ft 15~35 grm rod to chuck plugs about with.
And the "heavy spin rod" to float fish a big bait or throw a big lure or chuck some feathers etc..

Thank you again, YB.

Hi,

Check out Albright rods, on sale at

http://www.sealevelflyfish.com/teaser_r ... ackle.html


tight lines

Makarand

Those prices are a bit keen. My only problem is that despite looking at several websites, I can't confirm whether the surfcasting rods are ringged for fixed spool or multi.

Hi Ken,

Should be easy

ESC104 - casting rod

ESS104 - spinning rod


tight lines

Makarand