Rod advice please

[granters]

Right lads and lassies. I've narrowed it down to Guideline LPXE or Scierra HM3 for my new 9/10 ,14 footer. Had a wee go with both the other day but can't make my mind up. Anyone use these? And can they handle a fairly heavy sinking line as i'll maybe add one of these when i get used to the intermediate. Would appreciate opinion on both. I know at the end of the day it's down to me but every little helps

[jimthefish]

Go for the LPXe. You wont be disappointed. I love mine and for the money, you'll be hard pushed to find a better rod.

As for sinking lines, I teamed mine up with a Guideline S1/S2( roughly equivalent to a Wet2) Power Taper in 10/11 format and it works a treat.

[beanieboy]

Both the LPXe and HM3 are fast action rods - another contender may be the Vision GT4 Catapult - available in 13' & 15'. Have a throw with a Bloke if you can - not as fast as the rest [at least the 5 piece isn't] but a very nice blank indeed. The 3 and 4 piece versions are faster and may be of interest if you prefer a faster rod. One of the highest rated fast action rods is a stablemate of the LPXe, ie the LeCie 14' 8" fast action [there is also a medium action in the same length] - these are more expensive than the LPXe but like the LPXe, are superb.

[easky]

I just got a LPXe 14fter at Christmas myself and am very happy with it. Saying that I am yet to actually fish with it but I was very pleased with it when testing it out. As the other guys have said its good value for money

E

[granters]

Looks like the LPXE then chaps! I looked at a few Bloke rods on the internet but i've not had the chance to pick one up. The price for the LPXE is certainly a big plus too. Cheers everyone. I'll let you know what i eventually buy, and blame you all if i hate it ;D

[granters]

Very interesting reply. I will be fishing consistently throughout the year. Last season i was using a 13footer but found it a bit limiting on the larger rivers. I tried out a 14 footer one day and found it both much easier to cast and it gave me more line control in the water. I will be spey casting and overhead but i'm not too bad now, with more room for improvement. I mainly fish medium sized rivers (Awe, Orchy etc) where i can cover the water well with a 14footer. I've always got the trusty Sharpes 7weight for smaller rivers, i much prefer this to the 13foot double hander. I'm not sure I could handle 15feet just yet, I think that's for next season so 14 seems ideal for my needs. I will mainly be fishing intermediates this season, nothing too heavy

[jimthefish]

graham said:

Your choice of rod really depends on a number of factors.
1. Size of rivers you intend to fish - medium or larger rivers would really require a 15ft rod as an all-rounder, while on smaller rivers 13ft can be more than enough.
2. What time of the year will you be doing most of your fishing - if you are doing a lot of fishing at the beginning or end of the season, you want a rod capable of handling large flies and sinking lines. For more summer fishing you can go for something a bit more delicate with presentation in mind for lower water conditions.
3. Are you going to be Speycasting or overhead casting?

No one rod will cover every situation really well, there has to be some compromises somewhere. If you are doing a lot of sunk line fishing, I would go for a more robust rod; there is really nothing which comes close to rods built on B&W blanks for this type of work in my opinion. The downside with these types of rods is that they can be a bit on the stiff side for the more delicate work. You will tend to loose a few more fresh grilse on these rods for instance. For lighter work, the LPXe has an excellent blank, my one gripe with this rod is that the handle is a little too short but you will get used to it. The LPXe has quite a fast action and so will take a little more time to get used to if you are a novice Speycaster as the timing has to be more precise. I would also be wary of using heavy flies on this as it has quite a thin walled blank and I don’t think these rods carry an unconditional guarantee. An excellent compromise is the Bloke XL50 5 piece 10/11; this can easily cope with sunk line work while having a more forgiving tip than the B&W rods and so is a bit better for low water work. It is also a very easy rod to learn to Speycast with as the action is quite forgiving, none the less it is capable of putting out a very long line.

Graham,

What you say makes excellent sense and up until last spring when I purchased my 14' LPXe I would have agreed with all of it. Indeed my 16' B&W Norway 9/10 is still my favourite spring/big river rod and I will still use it.
My eyes were opened however by how easy (in comparison) it is to throw the same brass tubes with the 14ftr matched with sinking Guideline Power Tapers. The shorter head involves more stripping prior to the recast which can be a pain but on the other hand it can lead to more fished hooked during the retrieve.
I agree the LPXe has quite a thin walled blank but I have yet to hear of a breakage and so long as you dont hit the blank with a tube, or anything else, it will stand up well to the sunk line and heavy flies.
For late spring/summer fishing it is a delight even on the big rivers. Matched with a 75' Carron a skilled performer will put out 35yds with consistent ease..... and because of its lightness it can be used effectively on small/medium rivers.
One noted angler from Glasgow who works in the tackle trade has a matching pair of 15' Loomis GLX's. Since he got his 14'LPXe they dont see the light of day. He took a 27lb springer from the Tummel on it 2 years ago on sunk line.
Probably like yourself, I have a full arsenal of rods from an 18' Hardy, 18' B&W Norway, 17'6" Powerlite down to a 13' B&W Parabolic lite. I find myself using them less and less ( I must learn how to sell on ebay !) and I think if I could only use one rod for a whole season, it would probably be the 14' LPXe.

Sorry.. I seem to have gone on a bit.

[williegunn]

jimthefish said:

( I must learn how to sell on ebay !)

Jim when you learn you could give Graham a lesson!!

[jimthefish]

graham said:

I thing that is a fine example of pots and kettles there Malcolm. ;D

Jim, I see the point you are making and you could indeed get by with a 14ft rod. You could also get by with just the 13ft rod and some shooting heads if you really wanted, there is not that big a difference between that and the 14ft'er. That is my point, the 15ft rod will give you a wider range of options, whether it is the greater ease of working a longer belly line or a full sinking line, also the longer length will give you better line control. Shooting heads are not to everybody's taste, I admit that I don't use them too often, mainly for stripping Collies. I prefer to use full line whether they are short, medium or long bellies depending on the situation and that is reflected in my choice of rod.

Graham....... for all that I said in my last post, you and I think alike. For sheer fishing pleasure on big waters I still prefer the long bellies on my 15 and 16 footers. As I get older however and if my tendons start to creak, I think there is definitely a place for the longer sunk line shooting heads on the shorter rod particularly in severe adverse winds such as those experienced on the Helmsdale last week.
To go to Granter's original post however and looking at the medium sized rivers he mainly fishes, I think the 14' LPXe will be a great choice for him and will do all that he asks of it.

Malcolm....maybe you could give both Graham and me a lesson on selling on ebay..... I see that you are a seasoned hand at it

[granters]

Thanks to all who gave brilliant advice. I sholud've mentioned that i'm thinking about selling the 13footer as i enjoy using the single hander on the smaller places, just personal preference really. 14feet should provide me with all i need this season as i'm not looking to break casting records or anything. I just concentrate on getting a nice line out. Found this thread very interesting, it's very much appreciated. Cheers

[robmason]

Granters, like you I enjoy using the single handed rod on small rivers, but I think its best to have as much kit as possible to meet all possible fishing scenarios, really as Graham and Jim have demonstrated above.

On the Alness in summer with the usual low water I fish mainly with a 91/2 footer. Dibbling the streamy runs requires a longer rod (15 foot), and if there is a rise and larger flies/ tubes are required out comes the B&W Powerlite 13ft rod. Most of my fishing down here is with the 13 ft rod ( and a 12fter I leave in the car ), and the big chap comes out again for Tweed, Tay etc. Can't have enough choice I say.

[granters]

Absolutly true mate, i agree 100%. It's purely financial constraint that holds the whole bleedin thing back! Unfortunately I'm not in the position to be able to afford several rods just now (pesky rent) so i'll have to make do with the single hander and the 14footer. I've found using the single hander that my casting has improved remarkably. Yes you're somewhat limited but that just adds to the challenge! I love a summers day bounding about with just a box of flies and the single hander. Whether i catch or not is irrelevent. Those days seem a long way off just now, it's just started snowing here