These days, most feeder/quiver rods are supplied with multiple quivertips of different sizes and it comes as no surprise that some anglers are confused as to which one they should use on the day, just walking the banks of the tidal river Yare in Norfolk sees anglers with bends in their rods that a 4lb Bream would be happy to inflict, I dread to know how many bites these anglers are missing, read on to make sure you select the correct tip next time your on the bank.
Different strengths
Those different tips that came with the rod will be rated with different test curves, the test curve being the weight needed to bend the tip through 90 degrees. The smaller/lower the number, the more sensitive the tip will be, so it goes without saying that the higher the number the stronger and less sensitive the tip will be.
Different materials
Modern quivertips are generally made from either glassfibre or carbon. The sensitive and therefore lower test curve tips are usually glassfibre (coming in test curves between 0.5oz and 2.5oz) while the higher test curve tips are usually made from carbon and can be found going right up to test curves of 6oz.
How do I tell what test curve each quivertip is?
Now that is a good question, the majority of modern tips will have the test curve written on them, however some rely on a colour coded system which unfortunately is not standardised accross manufacturers, so a green tip for one manufacturer will not be the same test curve as another. In these cases a quick search on the internet can often come up trumps or a telephone call to the manufacturer and don’t forget your local tackle shop as there is a wealth of knowledge available.
When and what quivertip should I use
Here is a quick guide to start you off but don’t be afraid to experiment.
0.5oz to 1oz
These quivertips are ideal for silver fish such as roach and rudd and are very sensitive (remember the lower the test curve the more sensitive it is). They are mostly used with very small feeders, such as maggot feeders on small rivers with little to no flow or close in work on ponds/lakes where large casts are not required.
1.5oz to 2oz
Thses quivertips are slightly more stiff and are ideal for casting larger feeders over medium distances on rivers where there is a bit of a flow or a larger cast is required, or on lakes where silver fish, bream or small carp are your quary.
2.5oz to 3.5oz
Now we are getting bigger, these tips are ideal for situations that require longer range casting and where tench, carp and large bream are your intended species. These size tips are also useful when fishing fast rivers for chub and small barbel.
> 4oz
Very strong and stiff, these tips are ideal for Method feeder fishing where the weight of the feeder requires a strong tip to ensure accurate casting without fear of breakages. Also ideal for big carp and barbel and where rivers are very fast or in flood. These sized tips usually accompany specialist rods, specifically designed for specimen fishing.
One final tip, don’t forget it is not just the intended species of fish that you are trying to match to the tip but also the venue and conditions you are fishing, I quite often end up using a 2.5oz to 3oz tip on the tidal river Yare and Bure due to the strength of the tide and the size of the feeder that is required to hold bottom (quite often a 2.5oz feeder), It is all part of a balancing act, making sure you pick a tip that is capable of handling the size of feeder or bomb, the required casting distance and the actual size of the fish you expect to catch while still making sure the tip is capable of registering shy bites. Use the above as a guide and get out there and experiment.
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Very interesting article myself and 4 mates are staying in Horning 16 oct for a week on the River Bure,is it possible at all to fish from frontage of accomadation in day or is boat traffic to bad.Also is there day ticket waters near by to fish we all like feeder and stickfloat fishing.Is there local tackle shops were you can buy bait etc,hoping to hear from you i found your web site very informative.
Hi there, thanks for the nice comments. I’ve not fished Horning this year but here goes. Regarding boat traffic I would imagine by then boat traffic wont be so bad, it’s always possible to float/stick fish anyway as there is no need to cast any more than 2-3 rod lengths out (a common mistake made by visiting anglers). Expect the usual roach, perch, skimmer and bream, sweetcorn has been a very good bait for me all over the broads rivers this year but make sure you have maggots/casters, worms and bread as alternatives. Horning tackle shop will be your local tackle/bait shop, I recommend you have a chat with them as they will be best placed to help put you on the fish. Night fishing is often the best time to fish for the bream, hopefully they will still be in a feeding mood and it wont have been too cold by then. I’m not sure on day ticket waters as I don’t tend to fish them (have not been to a day ticket all year so far) but try these websites Norfolk coarse fishing, go-fish. I also recommend having a search through The Norfolk Broads Forum or joining up and asking as there are many local boaters/anglers who will likely have fished Horning recently. Hope that helps. Let me know how you get on.
sorry this is so late in replying but unfortunately just before holiday my back went so spent most of time on back in chalet.In the day with bright skies clear water and hard frosts at night, fishing was very hard,Odd Perch was caught in the day but rarely got a bite.The only time to catch Skimmers and Roach was after dark till early hours but weather turned frosty,the week before our mates who stayed in eagle cottage bagged up all week on the tip 40lbs + one night one of our lads had about 18lbs of decent skimmer bream and roach and the odd rouge pike.Thank you so much for info and apollagise for for taking so long to reply,ps at hull infirmary for consultant 31 jan after all this time hoping to get sorted and back on bank,joined a club that as stretch on the river Trent .