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I know what you mean Rob, it all adds up mate...... Depends whether you want your new rods long term or for a few seasons and then another change. Which means you'll be trawling the forums again looking for advice... As far as rods go, imo, there is budget and top end........ The marketing hype will try to convince you that certain budget rods are "mid range" and whack another £100 on top...... I've never been in the position to just go out just spend £1000 on a set of rods. But I did get my hands on some second hand NG's 2.75 tc at least a decade old but well looked after £100 each and they knock spots off any of my other newer rods....... Convinced me to save a while for some decent beefier rods... The Sonik s6 will fill the void for me until the pennies are saved. There's some good advice from the other lads on this thread who know their stuff on rods, through experience. You rarely find them asking for advice on kit, but they are happy to share their info. All the better for the rest of us.

Have to agree with the xxx, great stuff, and as said before the Live system has it's days, especially in colder water. Definitely get on the peanuts!!!! The wild fish we have here go, well.....nuts for them. Don't be afraid to make your own boilies either, fish here aren't impressed with name brands. Something simple quality nutrition medium flavor at best, properly applied.

There is a trade embargo and sanctions that China does not get access to various grade carbons. The carbons produced in China are not as high a quality as those produced in Japan, and Korea and Taiwan ( Republic of China), are not allowed to deal those carbons with the Peoples Republic Of China, which is the big mainland. In fact, America and Mexico produce 48% of the Worlds carbon cloths, Taiwan 8% China 13%, and Britain 5%. British quality carbon cloths and prepregs are the highest quality in the world, and have been used in the Aeronautical and Space Industries, are still used in F1 and Indy Car racing. I think you will also find, a certain British Rod manufacturer is also the only one who uses autoclave technology to remove air trapped in the blank between carbon and resin, and excess resin.

I get that and the same applies to me, travel, food, bait, tackle, syndicate fees its a very expensive game. However, when I needed extra yards on my casting and wasn't happy with the overall accuracy of my casting when giving it some, I realised my old rods just didn't have the backbone required and needed replacing. I could have bought some Grays or Soniks but with custom built Torrix TEs available at £280 each I saved up and got them instead of buying budget rods. Have I made the right choice, hell yes - TE's are right up there and for the money, represent good value IMO compared to other inferior rods at a much higher price. Depends how you look at it, my mate bought a £700+pod and would never spend decent money on rods coz he doesn't see the point, whereas I would never spend that money on a pod that does nothing more than look a bit better than its cheaper rivals. Good rods actually give you something tangible for the extra money and you can feel it, see it, benefit from it I'm not saying your choices are bad, far from it, but just making the point about aiming higher with such an important purchase if you can.

i'm with kevtaylor, i'm a 'torrix te' user myself and they are exceptional rods

Says it all really😉 While I do use my The Ones, I really do prefer the 2.75 NG's. I don't think I can cast much further with 3.25's than I can with the 2.75TC rods, and I seem to get more butt ring frap-ups with The Ones and the 50mm ringing compared to the 40's of the NG's, although I know the newer models from Century do have 50's, but that could be down to the stiffer line (P-line Floroclear is not the best casting line). When I used it on my SP's and 40mm, no problems with Aerlex's, but with it on Beastmaster 7000's it has caused a couple of frap-ups and crack-offs. It may be my timing and technique though, although thinking back I recall smashing a ring with the Beastmasters and the P-line on my NG's on a miscast. The Ones are essentially a mid price rod, compared to top range rods in the SP's and NG's. I did have my NG's custom built for £690 by Century, the ball stop on the butt before it was standard. Playing fish I notice a difference, but I feel and watch the rod and line on both, although with the stiffer higher 3lb test curves I don't feel in control as much as with the lower TC. In fact, one of my nicest looking 20's was caught on a Daiwa Pro-Specialist 1.5lb TC rod where I was very comfortable playing it away from an overhanging tree. That same rod landed numbers of fish, carp to 20+ and chub to 5lb on ledgered, float fished and floater fished baits. Sadly my hurry broke the tip as I put it in the car😖😳 My rods last a few years, I had the SP's from 2005 to 2012, the NG's I still have and The Ones are 2years old. I also have a very cheap set of Carp Kinetics in 2.5 for a small runs water, where the fish don't run to anything above doubles, and the park lake where I worry about thieving a...holics...

I agree with Kev, although I do have a tarty P1 Pod. For ages I stuck with Century's, I have had Armalite mk.l's, mk.ll's, SP's, FMJ's and NG's. The SP's were a real casting rod as well, although I made the error of selling them to a mate when I got the NG's, in 2.75 when I was fishing mostly ranges at a maximum of 100metres. The NG's will still cast over 100, but I do feel slightly undergunned at times, so I bought a set of The Ones in 3.25, for £50 each new. I prefer the Century's! As others have said, there is a pricepoint at which rod quality seems so much higher, feel, casting ability, build standard. I made the point on another thread, I can drive at 120mph, but in a good car, a Ferrari. I would not manage it in a Nissan Micra! There is also something to be said for British quality as well, imported blanks don't have the same high tech carbons as available with British blanks.

Neither! Gotta be Harrison so get saving lol

A deep and emotive subject imo........ I wouldn't say that I'm a complete anti-capitalist , after all, what's the alternative? But I do think it's taken a wrong turn along the line in general. Pollution and debt are what it thrives on. Lots of heads in the sand... With the environment taking the biggest hit world wide.......