BD rods

[BigFatBream]

how do you guys rate the bream reaper 7'? i'm thinking of getting one b4 the sale goes away (just saved enough and exams are over )

i'm land based so i dun really want the 1 piece rod so leaning towards the 2pc... i use plactics more (well only thing i've been using so far)... but i do want a good all round bream rod for bream so i can use HB as well... Is this rod OK?

cheers

[Dave W]

I'll say this again, and I know that B.D. are a sponsor of this site.

They are very good rods without doubt, but there are other options out there - play with as many as you can and make up your own mind.

I let the rods I use do the talking, and there were a few W.A. boys drooling recently after playing with them.

I believe that once you get to a certain level of quality in different rod brands personal preference is the main decision maker, as it can be taken for granted that they are all great rods.

Try not to be swayed by others opinions, good or bad (mine included ) and check them out for yourself.

Well said dave...

[Traveller]

The best thing to do is to try the rods yourself if you can.
The best rod for you is the one that suit your style of fishing......

I think the BR 7' is a very friendly and whilst more suitable for sp is also good for hb. It has a slightly slower taper which I quite like for sp.

[matt_g]

This is just my personal preference, but I went with the Millerods 7' Bream buster in 1 piece, and to be honest I'm happier than I would be with two piece. Unless you're relying on public transport, or hiking through thick undergrowth I can't think of a good reason to go for a two piece at this size.

As for comparing it to other brands, to be honest aside from the absolute joy I've had using other Ian Miller build rods - I own three (ranging from an old single hand ugly stick blank baitcaster) to my new toy, one of the things that sold me on the new one was the handle - I will never buy another threadline rod with an exposed winch fitting after using this one.

Cheers
Matt

[Bear]

BFB,
I have the 7', 2 piece and it's an ideal plastics rod. It will throw small hb's, but not one I'd use for larger lures like 52 scorps. The feel between this and others does make a difference to me for plastics. The only other BD rod I really use for plastics is the Flats Ranger.

Hope this is what you're after.

Thanks,

[rodmy]

the 7 foot BR is an excellent SP rod

[BigFatBream]

thxs guys,
Never really felt a BD so yea.... but all the positive feedback people can't be bad... thxs guys...

btw... the flat rangers.... so how are they for SP??? coz i read the ideal weight is 1/4oz and up??

cheers

[Bear]

The Flats is ideal for both plastics and right up to the bigger hb's. I have the CPlus Flats and quite happily chuck 1/32 and 1/24 jigs heads no probs. The feel is a little different to the 7' Reaper, but it really is more of the idea rod for both worlds.

[BigFatBream]

thxs Bear, much appreciated.... is this the flat ranger 1-3 or 2-5 ur talking about or the pretty similar?

[Bear]

Mine is the 2-5, still with flenty of feel, I just like the lighter touch for plastics on the 7'. I don't use the 7' for hb's though. That's the reason I like the Flats so much, I can use either and still feel confident. That's what it's all about.

[Richo]

Flats Ranger rocks, Id be looking at that.

throws both hards and softs a dream.

cheers

[BigFatBream]

One more thing guys,
Why is it you like a moderate action rod for SP and faster action for HB... being quite new to this (only at it for about 6 months) and having only owning the squidgy rod so far i am not very sure and this thought has been in my mine for quite a while... I have read previous post haven't found the answer i'm loking for... I'm looking for the 'why' part and not the simple answer of personal perference....

I thought if was the other way around where fast action is for SP and moderate for HB...

Any help will be appreciated

[Cindy]

Hi All,

I'd like to state my design philosophy behind our Technus Pro Bream Reaper rods. (In fact, almost all of our rods!): the rods are designed for specific styles of fishing for specific species of sportsfish.

In the case of the Bream Reapers, the 6'6" is designed to fish a lure in oyster racks or other difficult locations where it is necessary to turn the fish toward the angler immediately. The fast action loads up very quickly on strike to stop the fish turning side on to the angler: were this to happen the fish can (and does!) swim across the line of pull and reach structure, causing a bust off.

Conversely, the 7' Bream Reaper has a moderate action which will load easily with a lighter lure. If you need to fish on those 'dog days' without a breath of wind and perhaps with a slack tide, where the fish are so easily spooked, you'll need to stand well off from your target and use lighter lures and lines, perhaps a 2kg flurocarbon main line and an unweighted 2" Powerbait Bass Minnow.

Such light lures are very hard to cast because they don't load the rod much, necessitating a rod that loads easily to make the cast. Then what you need from a rod when you hook up under these conditions is a slower action so that the light main line won't break so easily. Fly rods are a very good example of this as they allow the capture of large fish on the very light tippets necessary to present the fly.

Whether you fish a hard or soft body lure is irrelvant: the rod doesn't know what's tied onto the line. It is only the weight of that lure that determines how much it will load the rod, thus how far it will be cast. The line ratings of our rods show the best line classes to use to get the best performance from the rod. If you exceed the rating you may break the rod, if you underline, you may pop the line under normal loads BUT if you know what you can load a rod to without it breaking the line, then you can use light lines and back off the drag accordingly.

Because of the conflicting needs of top level bream fishing, no one rod can do it all. Thus, we have two rods of very different designs which can cover almost all the likely encounters you will find in the run of a days fishing.

The 'all-rounder' style rods we make are the Flats Rangers. Their action will allow the use of bait or lure in general sorts of locations, which may be adequate up to a point. It's when you need that edge to 'bring home the bacon' in a competition situation that our species specific come into their own.

Hope this clears things up. If you need clarification, please ask.
Regards,
Steve Ross
Black Diamond Tailored Rods.

[tim shannon]

just a quick question... What are the different specs of the flats ranger series? on the web all three models list their lure wieghts as 1/4 - 1/2... Is this correct?? Also, what would be the difference between the action of the 7ft Breamreaper and the lightest 7ft flatsranger? Any opinions/replies appreciated...

Ta, Tim