Daiwa Whisker trout rods

[MobyJones]

Hello all

Does anybody out there have any experience with Daiwer whisker trout rods? Are they any good? Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

Cheers
MJ

[Countryboy]

I'm not too sure about the Daiwa whisker range but I still own a Daiwa Osprey that has had twenty years of on/off abuse and is still O.K.
I think you may find though that with Fly rods it may be better to steer clear of the big comapnies like Daiwa, Shimano and Shakespeare and go for one of the smaller companies that specialise in Fly rods.
Cheers ;D

Countryboy

[Gingernick]

I have one..Its my first ever fly rod


it was good value for money and was a nice rod to learn with.

couldnt tell you about the action or anything liek that as I am simply not experienced enough...but a ham fisted newbie like me can catch fish with it..so thats got to be a plus!

[sandfly2]

Daiwa whisker rods are very good considering the cost .
Nice and forgiving if you are not the best at casting ( like me )
As always though if you are buying any rod try and have a cast with one before making any decisions.

[pedro]

Nothing wrong with Whisker fly rods at all MobyJones I owned one for several years and if you are just starting out or begining to improve you couldnt really do that much better for the wonga,thats so long as you arent trying to do things with the rod that its not intended to do.If I rember rightly mine was a 10 1/2 ft WF98 rated 7/9,it coped with rainbows to 13lb Browns to 9lb my first Sea Trout from the Spey,it fished best with WF 7s but handled DTs and shooting heads great. I have moved on since then to the Amorphous model ,in fact I rate this rod better than a Sage I also own(its a brill Sea Trout rod).Dont be put off if the rod will be suitable for your intended purpose go ahead and use it and enjoy.

[MobyJones]

Pedro, i'm looking at the 10'6 #7,8 model for use on Ladybower reservoir and Carsington water. They seem good value at about £75. I may also have a go at some loch style boat fishing in the highlands so I think i've picked a suitable all round model for this? ;D

Cheers
MJ

[John Gray]

For wild brown trout, I think the 10 ft 6 inch 2 piece rod rated 7/8 might be a wee bit on the heavy side. You might consider the lighter models in the range, e.g.

10 ft 2 pce #6/7
10 ft 3 pce #6/8

Excellent value for money.

[pedro]

Go for it MobyJones for the resovoirs you mentioned its spot on maybe a touch heavy for the wild stuff but it wont stop you catching or enjoying yourself.I have fond memories of using mine and in fact two pals bought the same rod after a go with mine.

[Gingernick]

I bought a 9 foot 6 #6/7 rod for general purpose use..mainly small to medium size stillwaters

it cost me 65 quid from an online retailer which was a good saving compared to shop prices


the bonus was when I opened the cardboard packaging it had been delivered in a proper Daiwa rod tube..which was nice

[MobyJones]

Thanks for the feedback chaps. I'm now the proud owner of a "whisker fly rod". I agree it's a bit heavy for small brownies, but like everything else it's all a compromise. I already own a 9'6" #7/8 rod. And so thought a 10' rod would make little difference when trying to cast longer distances. Hence going for a 10'6" rod.

I also plan on doing a little salt water fly fishing with it. Now my next question! Can anybody recomend a suitable reel? Obviously it wants to be salt water friendly and hold a decent amount of backing (Hopefully one day i'll hook that dream fish that heads for the horizon! ;D) and a WF8 line. I did like the T7 what do you all think?

Cheers
MJ

[pitsfordpirate]

MobyJones said:

Thanks for the feedback chaps. I'm now the proud owner of a "whisker fly rod". I agree it's a bit heavy for small brownies, but like everything else it's all a compromise. I already own a 9'6" #7/8 rod. And so thought a 10' rod would make little difference when trying to cast longer distances. Hence going for a 10'6" rod.

I also plan on doing a little salt water fly fishing with it. Now my next question! Can anybody recomend a suitable reel? Obviously it wants to be salt water friendly and hold a decent amount of backing (Hopefully one day i'll hook that dream fish that heads for the horizon! ;D) and a WF8 line. I did like the T7 what do you all think?

Cheers
MJ

Hi Moby

If I'm reading you right, you purchased a 10'6" rod as an addition to your 9'6" because you wanted more distance?

Sorry but it doesn't work like that am afraid mate, there is no real distance benefit by purchasing a longer rod of a similar line weight. In fact, the best allround optimum length for casting from the shore is 9'3".

The only real benefit of a longer rod is for 'hanging your flies' at the end of the retrieve when fishing from the boat on a lake or reservoir.

If you are intending to SWFF in the UK, the most popular and suitable length is 9ft, usually in an #8 weight. No real need for any more than that.

If you are fishing from the bank on a reservoir or lake, your 9' 6" is more than adequate, being the most popular length for this purpose.

There may be some benefits from using a 10' 6" on some rivers, say if you were trotting czech nymphs or pursuing seatrout or grilse, however not much.

Tightlines.

The Pirate.

[MobyJones]

Hi Pirate

I can definately chuck a few more yards of line out with what iv'e now named my "boat rod". In fact with a 25m line i can get into the backing but not with the smaller rod.

It's easier to "dapple" a daddy long legs with too. Which is good. Maybe i'll use the shorter rod for SWFF. Can you recomend a decent reel?

Cheers
MJ

[pitsfordpirate]

Well mate, as long as it suits and is comfortable for you that's what matters.

With regards to a reel, depends on your budget and how many lines you intend to use because prices of additional spools vary from decent value to the ridiculous.

You will obviously need a reel that is saltwater resistent, so that needs to be a huge consideration.

A lot of the SWFF guys use the Okuma Airframe which is pretty good value at around £30.00 quid, however if you take out a subscription with either 'Trout Fisherman' or 'Trout and Salmon' magazine at the moment, you will get an Airframe as a free gift; therefore you are basically getting the subscription for free. Sub hotline is 0845 60 11 356. Spare spools are only around £8.00 each from Fishtec and other Okuma retailers.

I would personally recommend either the BFR Modula, which I use, or the Greys GTX. Both reels are of cartridge spool design, come with three spools, are made from barstock aluminium, very light and saltwater user friendly, having sealed drag units.

If you are going to spend that kind of money though, it's best to go to a tackle dealer and compare a few models together before making your decision.

Best of luck and tightlines mate.

The Pirate.