I'm down to choosing from three blanks.

I know there's a lot of Harrison love on here but wondered about the others, maybe someone's had a couple of these?

Harrison Aviator Flex
Century C2 Command & Control
Code Cipher

Looking to fish up to 100m in a bit of weed, but will sacrifice a little distance for through action . Will be paired with ultegra 5500's

Any feedback welcome

In reply to Post #1
Can only comment on the flex, but they will be perfect for what you describe.

In reply to Post #1
Nothing to do with blanks, but I did have a set of rods rebuilt as my forever rods.
I went the whole hog and had them built using the Fuji New Guide Concept, Fuji Titanium Torzite guides.
Yes the guides are hellishly expensive, but boy are they light and the guide concept really has bought my blanks to life. Have a watch of some YouTube videos and all will become clear.

Thanks,

Im changing up a bit to something that has a little more clout for the odd occasion I need it

Feedback on either of these?

Aviator plus 12.6 3.5.(or is it 3.25?) or hi s 12.5 3.25.

I will admit I've always wanted some free spirit but been a little apprehensive because of their fast taper. Does the extra 6 inches make a difference

I have the 12.6 free spirits and absolutely love them, they are by far and away the best casting rods given my limited ability- plus very hard to describe but they feel so accurate at my max range - point and shoot. My hesitation would be that I would not use them on smaller lakes as they “look” to me so over gunned, especially paired with bigger mag reels.

If the max is 100 yards then and usually a lot less, and I wanted a ‘rod for life’ I would go for something in 12ft and 2.75 as the occasional compromise is worth it to me to sit behind some absolutely perfect wands. I have the century’s in 2.75 as well as the new armalites and they feel so much less clumsy (the extra 6in).

So if I always fished a 20 acre+ pit, I’d only use the fs but given much of my fishing is max 80 yards my go tos are 12 footers.

Good luck choosing

I have the Aviator flex and the Code Cipher and know the C2 so am somewhat qualified to comment.

Had the Aviator flex built up as they seemed to tick all the boxes I need for this one pair of rods, the ones I will always use.

Somehow so far I am not a huge fan of the rods. They are nice, relatively lightweight and slim but I would prefer the CODE Ciper anytime really.
The CODE have more backbone but are equally nice for playing fish and have more feel when playing fish somehow. This would be my description for the one rod that does it all. From margin fishing to whacking out bags to 90-100m.

C2s are really good in comparison but for me not up there with the CODEs.

Grapevine says that the CODE Cipher are Hi S Ive ER blanks or made in the same factory or something like that (Ciper = S ive ER). Dont know the Hi S but would think from the quality that this could indeed be true.

So for me the CODE is the one or any Hi S e.g. the ones you mention.
The Hi S have been around for decades and I understand well that there is a reason for that.

Have fun!

In reply to Post #1
Have Century improved the finish on their blanks?
Does the gell coat still go milky after a couple of years?
Not that I would need any new rods but that is the only thing that would put me off.

In reply to Post #4
I got some 3.5 Hi S last week, and used them for the first time this weekend, and I’m well impressed. Like you I was a tad worried they might be over the top, but had a hard fighting 20+ at 45 yards, the rod had a nice action and at no point did it feel too stiff

In reply to Post #7
Seemingly yes. A friend told me last week only reg. new ones.

I have owned many different rods over the years but my current Aviator 12ft 6 rods are in my opinion the closest you can get to perfection. They cast miles but are equally at home on small pits as well. Slim diameter with a forgiving tip when fish are in close. I had mine made by Nick Buss and they are simply amazing. Be careful though - the 12ft Aviator is an entirely different rod and I found it to be too stiff for smaller waters when I owned a set.

In reply to Post #10
Sounds like 12.5ft is the sweet spot for rods with higher test curves.

My favourite rod of all time was 12.5ft 2.75lbs AVA probably Harrison Ballista blanks. Just a fantastic rod that would work like a 3.25 or 3.5lbs nowadays.
If only the transport length wouldnt be that bad. Having said that I have a van now where that doesnt matter. Maybe I have to rethink...some new rods to be bought out there...;-).

In reply to Post #7
Ive had a set of century stealth graphehe rods for 5 years and the blank looks the same as the day i bought them. My mate also uses century cq’s and graphenes and his are fine as well.

I'll throw my favourite rods into the mix.. which are none of the shortlist.
If the blank finish has been sorted and the blank is as it wqs 20 odd years ago.. .
Century FBS 2.75tc.
The rods are much more capable than Century's blurb
They will cast singles, small bags and stringers 90-100yds and are a joy to play fish on.

I've had my 2.5s for 25 years, I don't regret buying them in the least but 2.75s might have saved me £2-2.5k on other rods

Get em built, cork K series with a couple of extra rings on the tip section.
Everyone will think you're fishing for tench...

Thanks everyone, the two best / most enjoyable rods I've used were the Terry hearn 12'9's and 12'6 3.5 ballistas both could fish under the tip or hurl a bait a fair distance.

The newer Terry hearns aren't the same and the only place I can find 12'6 ballistas are at Cotswold Rods so would rather not.

In reply to Post #14
You could do much worse than asking Jeffire if he is able to source those Balissta blanks and custom build for you, he built me a set of rods a few yrs ago and they were very well priced and a flawless finish.

In reply to Post #15
I did consider that, but I think he's hung up his rod building boots

After spending a lot of years fishing and looking for the Holy grail I would say there is no forever rod, your next challenge will tell you what you need, but there are some good compromises. I would say a 3 1/4 test is about as good as you can get pending action and quality of the blank.

If I’m honest, I wouldnt be coupling ultegra 5500 with anything close to 100 yds plus, so if you are fishing small waters forever these would be ideal,

In reply to Post #17
Yep, I get that, they do go 100 yards on 10ft rods though

Ironically, Ive just been offered a ticket on a 7ish acre pond I wasn't expecting yet, so what I have will more than suffice whilst I figure it out

In reply to Post #18
Enjoy the fishing pal, couple them with some lighter TC rods and enjoy the fight too

In reply to Post #5
My forever rods are built on the Nick Buss X-lite blanks, which are 2 3/4tc and made by Century. 25mm butt guides, 10 guides in total and yesterday afternoon I was putting a 2.5oz lead 100yds no bother and winching in huge rafts of weed.

In reply to Post #20
I've been on a smaller water for the last couple of years and been using the X-Lite's Andy.... amazing rods. As close to a 'do-everything' rod as you can get.
My new ticket is a big pit so I have to get the broomsticks out for a while. I'm gutted!

Keep saying it on threads like these:

ESP Vertex 12,9” 3.25 TC.

Nuff said.

In reply to Post #22
Yes thanks, I remember them.

A mate leant me his 12'6 aviators to try and boy I'm glad he did because they felt awful in the hand. I didn't even strap a reel to them, just knew I'm so over big rods.

As none of the lakes I've got tickets for being over 8 acres, I doubt I'll ever cast a single at a showing fish more than 100 yards away.

I have enjoyed retractables but I want to return to normal rods and have narrowed my choices down to a few more realistic options:

10ft Torrix either 2.75 or 3lb
10ft Free Spirit hi s 2.75 or 3lb
10ft Free spirit s 3lb
10ft century FBS 3lb


I'll be contacting a rod builder to talk things through, but wondered what user feedback anyone has on these?

In reply to Post #23
I use the free spirit s range 10ft 3lb lovely rods for close to medium range work 60/70 yds with the ultegra ci4 xtc 5500 granted l’m not s big caster so you might go further a lot of my fishing is close in using fluorocarbon which suits these rods and are lovely to play fish on, l have been looking at the hi s 10ft 3lb rods myself which would give me abit more distance when needed but not sure how they would cope with the close in work with been abit stiffer.

In reply to Post #23
If you're dead set against 12 footers now you should definitely consider a set of baby ballistas in 3lb

In reply to Post #25
BB in 2.5 are lovely things.

ive got lots of different rods all over the place which is a difference from the 2.75 that i used to use for EVERYTHING.

makes me wonder if a nice set of Harrison Ballista in 2.75 is the way to go for EVERYTHING up to 100 or 120

Mark Tunley and Cotswold advertise a 10ft 2.75 ballista which I didn't know was a thing.

I've been very happy with ballistas in the past but wasn't too sure if that might be a bit too soft for dragging a 20/30lb fish through weed

In reply to Post #25
I'm not against 12ft rods but I've got 4 sets (2.25, 2.5. 2.75 and 3.25) and since using 10ft and 6ft rods they haven't been out of the shed.

I try to convince myself I should dust them off and take them out for a day and never do - should probably sell them all

Using retractables has been good for my type of fishing, but they can be a royal pita when the telescopic bit is flopping around sliding in and out, twisting so lines aren't aligned. Little things but it drives me fecking mad, so 2 piece 10 footers will do what I want without any of the faff and only a few inches longer on pack down

In reply to Post #28
The baby ballistas are 11ft so in between what you have and honestly they are beautiful rods. They are worth having a look at for sure

I've a set of the C2s in 10' and 3.5t/c. They are paired with the ultegra ci4s in 5500 size.

Very very happy with them. Can do 100 yards with very little effort, but equally nice to fish under the rod tip. I've been using them predominantly on a weedy little 3 acre 'pond', with fish to 30lb.

The whole setup is extremely light.

In reply to Post #30
I did look at them, but outside of my budget.

I use the 11ft 3lb tc Harrison Ballista's for 90% of my carp fishing. Beautiful accurate casting rods and superb at playing a fish on.

In reply to Post #21
I knew you had some X-lite S, but didn't realise that you had the X-lites as well Ian.

In reply to Post #20
What lb line for this Andy, assuming no leader either?

In reply to Post #34
18lb Syncro XT freshly loaded onto my Tournaments.
No leaders allowed.

also got Ballista Slims which have a little more steel in the butt from reading the blurb

In reply to Post #36
Ballista slims are a very underrated rod.
I had a 3lb one built for floater fishing for bigger fish in weedy water.
Slim, light, fast action but some beef in the middle and butt to coax them big girls out of the weed.
A couple of extra rings to prevent line falling slack and catching in reeds and brambles, and a keeper ring.
I still have it, but the poor thing hasn't been out the house for many years

Lucky enough to have a set of Ballistas 12ft 6", 3.5lb t.c, had them since 2013, just had them stripped and rebuilt. Great rods

The new water I've joined is at least 50% weeded to the surface already, bloody lucky I didn't go for 10ft rods would have been a total waste of money. My retractables struggled with a small fish in it today.

I feel I'm going to be fishing there for a few years, so want to get the right tool for the job so back to full size jobbies it is.

As AD are knocking out Greens for 90 quid I've sorted some to get me by whilst I settle on something to get built.

I can't comment on any of the other rods, but I have been using C2s in 12ft 3.25lb since November last year. They are fantastic and I can't fault them.

They're an all-rounder. They'll handle casting the 100m you describe very comfortably but also be lovely when playing a fish under the tip.

...and they're lightweight and gorgeous to look at. This video is what sold me on them after messing about with them in a shop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRwlgkd9WvQ

In reply to Post #32
Have had the 10ft 2.75lbs Ballistas and still own the 11ft 3lbs Baby Ballistas. Both absolutey great but the Baby Ballista is just such a great universal rod in a great length.
If you dont have to cast over 100 yds all the time this is a fantastic do everything rod that has been sold for decades. For a reason as I have said here before.

In reply to Post #41
If i could only ever have one rod it would be the 3lb bb