No pain no gain

[Barrie_G]

Anyone got a spare thumb as mine is a bit battered and bruised and slightly swollen, just kidding I know all about the aids for protecting my thumb when casting.

After getting back into fishing again after a break of 3 or 4 years I\'ve decided this time to do things completly differently to how I have always done it, I\'ve started fishing with my reel down the butt when I have always fished with it up I\'ve started using a reel without a level wind when I have always used one with levelwind, and the reason for me having a sore thumb, I\'ve always cast using a overhead thump before I\'ve now decided in my wisdom to teach myself how to pendulum cast.

I think that for a beginner I\'m doing ok, before I was getting around 80 yards I\'m now getting 120+ so I\'ve increased my cast by 50% I know that in time, given a little perserverence that I should easily be able to do better.

What will make this easier will be using the right equipment, I know that my reels are ok, Penn 525mag and I\'m waiting for a ct cage for may Abu 6500 mag, the problem is my rod, I\'m trying to teach myself pendulum casting using a MK1 Apollo with a 5oz weight, so I\'m hadicapping myself straight off by using a 5oz weight on a 6oz rod I just prefer using 5oz\'s.

Anyway back to the point (I tend to ramble) I\'m thinking of a new rod the choices up to now are:

1) Century Kompressor Sport

2) Zziplex V-max f2

3) Greys Syntra

So suggestions as to which of these will be best suited for fishing clean sandy beaches (I\'ll still have the Apollo for the rough stuff) that someone who\'s 5\'9\" tall and is a fit 11 stone in weight will be able to progress his pendulum cast with but still has a nice firm action, I know not asking much am I

Thanks for any help you may offer and sorry for the long post

[wallsendpaul]

Hello Barrie, I am currently using a Century Carbon Metal and find it excellent. 13`6\" and very slim blank. Good all round rod, used it on piers, beaches, the Tyne estuary and also for pulling in dogs 3 at a time in Scotland.

[Barrie_G]

Thanks, that\'s another one to consider then

[TC]

When answering these sort of questions, people invariably recommend the rod they, themselves use. Nothing wrong with that....at least you get the comments from people who have used that particular rod.

Gotta say though..........I\'d go for the Kompressor Sport..........ermmmm.....coz that\'s what I use.....lol.

Seriously though.......I bought mine from a former NESA member, about 3 (if not more) years ago and I can\'t fault the rod at all.



[Edited on 7/6/2005 by TC]

[blastman]

hi , vmax2 used one excellant for clean beaches light , quality shines thro ,tc is right mind you people recomend rods they use , i tend to use zziplex because i have never seen one break, too much to choose from these days, john