Leaderboard

I bought mine simply for the fact it makes me chuckle when I tell people I've got a 50mm diameter buttring

Evening Dave.... think this is where some may get confused & have seen it on here before, when some was asking about just changing the butt ring to a 50mm , it's a complete ring set .... 50 / 40 / 30 / 25 /20/ 16 . Changing just the butt ring to 50 mm would cause major issues on the second eye . I would only personally buy a rod with 50mm rings sets if it has been designed to be used with them , not a rod that has multiple options. The depth of ring off the rod can have a huge baring on how the rod performs through its test curve / playing & casting action . Just chucking a set of bigger rings on a rod will probably make it cast worse that with the eyes it was designed to use . So bare that in mind if you are ever in the market for new rods . If there's an option of 40 or 50 go with 40 every time as the rod has probably had very little testing with a set of 50's on it .

I had a foam packing piece inside the bedchair box, that is now in the centre section of my bedchair. Have a look at this little cutie http://www.wychwoodcarp.co.uk/products/bank-life/sleeping-bags/morpheus-extreme-4-sleeping-bag/H2401 Bearing in mind it is a tackle manufacturer, a decent price, not with other brands massive mark up. Something else I like is the temperature rating, it actually tells you a temperature rating it is suitable for, not just 4 season

Ex army arctic bag 👌🏻 Good down to minus 5 and I recon if you put a peach skin throw over the top down even further......must take into account air movement under the bed too! Always best to put bits and pieces rucksacks/tackle bags etc under the bed it helps to keep things warm 😉

your probably right there chilly mate , only built to be a little different and gain a few more sales , I'll get them out and have a look at the rest of the rings I dont think there is a major step between the butt and second ring , It could be that the whole rod has been ringed with the next size up set , but to be honest with my fishing I'm not really going to notice the difference between a 40 mm ring set or a 50mm , after all these are in the budget range of rods and I'm not expecting nor really wanting a high performance rod for what they cost , I cant justify spending £300/£400 on a single rod for my style fishing , I'm happy to just be fishing its not all about the catching for me .......I do respect those that do go hunting for that special fish and money is no object in that pursuit for those guys that can , but for me there has to be a balance dave

That bag does seem good value

Just got home and Dad has gone for the Shimano Velocities which do have the 50mm ring, in a 3lb test curve. Looks like he's chucked in a couple of Daiwa reels too, sure will be a very nice setup!

You reckon some of that was due to going plastic on the gearing? The brass gear cogs seemed to last forever, yet newer plastic ones strip very easily, or slide. The reel finishes don't seem as nice now either.

Spot on Nick... Unless you are using big wide spools , then they are pointless, it just reduces friction which can help with distance nothing else . When shimano brought out the new range of bait runners a good few years back & stopped the xte & xtea range , the quality in the reels dropped massively , very noticeable .

Carp spools have definitely got deeper & wider in the 30 plus years I've been fishing , what was on offer back then to now are very different things. The 50 mm ring sets do make a difference when your trying to really get some distance I have rods with both on & have noticed a lot less friction through the eyes with the 50mm sets . Like you say yourself all the tournament casters use them for a reason . If your not fishing distance then they are pointless.... if your are they can give you extra yards from my experience. Have you used them yourself & compared between the two ?

FWIW I think 50mm rings are a fad. We managed perfectly well in the age of big pit reels with 40mm. Shimano,Daiwa etc, the spool widths haven't got bigger, it's the tackle industry giving it's sales a boost by marketing these as a "must have". Only a tournament caster could possibly utilise them. JMHO

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GREYS-UNIVERSAL-LINE-CLIPS-X-3-CARP-FISHING-ROD-CLIP-FIT-ON-ANY-CARP-ROD-1325585-/112405047540?hash=item1a2bdce8f4:g:SD0AAOSw44BYK1ch There you go. Pack of three (ooerrrrr!). I used them on some rods I had without clips and they work perfectly.