Give KP Spares a call, in Redditch area, he has everything. Kpspares.co.uk
That's a shame he normally has everything.
......Have you any ideas/connections to help this young man out please? Thank you. I know you’re only a young ‘un Silverfisher
But it’s more about what can be done at a price point than age. the model is only about 12 years old and weights for float rods have barely moved in over 30 years
That’s an interesting read. So the Shakespeare is indeed a whole chunk heavier than most other rods of such lengths. So I was off on the age point a bit but at least right that most rods he could get would be a lot lighter ??I know you’re only a young ‘un Silverfisher
to illustrate, all 13 foot, with approx year of release over last 30+ years
tri-cast aristocrat: 168g (1988)
shakespeare excelsior 150g (1998)
Shakespeare LXL ...... 174g (2008)
cadence #2 ....... 172g ((2018)
I’ve also copied some weights from a Sam Vimes post below for more comparisons.
but in the end, balance and action are going to be the determinants when there is only an ounce difference in weight on the scales.
worth saying that the Shakespeare LXL at 17ft is quite unwieldy in comparison to a 13ft rod. It’s also a full 100g heavier (274g) than the 13ft version. Some of that weight is no doubt to help balance and stiffness.
However, the 12/16 variant weighs a mere 216g, which is not that much more than the Maver signature pro at 16 foot (which is a fair slice more money - albeit still available). It is also lighter than the published weight for the 16ft cadence.
as a long rod I much prefer the 16ft LXL to the 17ft version.
I think the acolytes and spheres (and from what I’ve heard rives) have set the bench mark when it comes to rod weights now. When I weighed my 13ft ultra and 13ft CR10 #1 the ultra came in at something like 140-145g which feels so much lighter than than the CR10 at something like 160-165g.
Check the line rating mate. 4lb is the max line rating on the ultra (3lb is as high as feels sensible with maxima) so I wouldn’t want to go with more than say 2.5lb hook lengths with it. I believe the 17ft is neither an ultra or a plus so may have different ratings but I doubt as high as a 4lb hooklength, might be better of with the 16ft signature pro if going that high. That said 0.12 is like 2.5lb in most lines so it might be alright.
100% agree a bare float rod in a quiver sounds like a recipe for a crunch! I do use a quiver sometimes but the float rods go in the actual bag bit in the middle in their tubes rather than strapped around the sides.Yes, always in tubes when not in use or when stored at home....I won't use a 'quiver' end of.....Asking for trouble IMO, re breakages etc....Plenty of hard ready rod bags available offering ample protection and available space for your bits on the bank....
