N-Gauge Specimen Rods

The N-Gauge Specimen range of rods covers a wide variety of different styles of fishing for many of the species that can be found in lakes and rivers, both in the UK and across Europe.

There are four rods within the range, with varying test curves and actions, with three Dual Tip models plus one specifically aimed at barbel anglers, although each model can be used in a range of different fishing situations, from commercial fisheries to wild rivers.

All of the rods have been developed using 30 ton and 40 ton tensile strength carbon to create a rod with a progressive power action, with more power coming into play the more that the blank bends, which makes it effective and enjoyable for playing fish on, giving the angler plenty of ‘feel’ and feedback as to what is going on. That’s important when trying to judge just how much pressure you are actually putting on during a fight. An overfit joint ensures that the action of these two pieces rods is impacted as little as possible.

This construction makes the rods very light and well balanced, and that is coupled with Sea-Guide anti-tangle frame guides throughout, which feature slim zirconia rings inside. The type of guides used, plus the number and spacing of them, helps prevent ‘frap-ups’ when casting with heavier lines or braid, and thus reduces the risk of crack-offs. The spacing and number of rings is just right for the perfect combination of casting distance and playing action.

The rods are finished in a dark green colour and feature an AAA grade cork handle plus an exclusive Guru EVA rear grip and end cap, which not only looks the part but is also very functional as it feels nice in your hands and also allows a good purchase on the rod, via the EVA, when casting with wet hands. A hook retainer is also included just above the handle, on the underside of the rod, for you to hook your rig into rather than the rings.

The reel seat is a Sea-Guide DPS style and will comfortably fit any type of reel that you are likely to use on these rods – such as the Guru N-Gauge Specimen reel range – and is built to last, even if you get dirt or the remnants of groundbait in it!

The four rods in the range are a 2.25lb Barbel rod, plus 1.25lb, 1.5lb and 1.75lb Dual Tip models, and all are 12ft in length.

12ft 1.25lb Dual Tip

This rod is the perfect choice when fishing for smaller species such as perch, roach, crucian carp, rudd, and chub on smaller rivers and stillwaters, or where you don’t need to be casting far with heavier leads or feeders.

It comes with two different tip sections, one of which is straight tip and is ideal for conventional legering when using alarms or bobbins to indicate bites, such as when using set-ups like a helicopter maggot feeder rod.

The other is a quiver top section, which comes supplied with two different carbon quiver tips suited to the rod action, and is perfect in situations where bites are more finicky and you want to be able to spot them immediately and strike – such as when chub fishing with breadflake and a crumb feeder.

As well as for specimen fishing, this rod would also be suited to fishing on commercial waters for smaller carp, or species such as tench.

12ft 1.5lb Dual Tip

The 1.5lb test curve version is a real all-rounder, and can be used for all sorts of species on smaller or medium sized rivers, including for barbel, and on stillwaters where you aren’t using heavier leads or feeders, and there isn’t much in the way of snags or weed to worry about, such as tench fishing on a gravel pit.

As well as coming with a straight top section, which lends itself to using buzzers or bobbins for bite indication, it also has a quiver top section, which comes supplied with two different carbon quiver tips suited to the rod action, and is perfect in situations where you want to watch for bites, such as barbel or chub fishing on the river, or even targeting larger bream at longer range on a lake with just a single rod.

It's also easily capable of handling decent sized carp, and so could also be used when fishing commercial style fisheries.

12ft 1.75lb Dual Tip

This is the heaviest of the three Dual Tip models and is ideal for larger species such as barbel, tench, bream and zander, whether fishing on rivers or lakes.

It has plenty of power for casting if you’re trying to punch out a lead or feeder on a larger stillwater when targeting tench or bream, but also enough of a forgiving action that you can still get away with using smaller hooks when fishing baits such as maggot or caster.

It is also suited to targeting barbel on pretty much any size of river, providing you don’t have to cast a really big lead or feeder any sort of distance – it will handle that but the 2.25lb Barbel model will do so better – and has the power if you need to extract them from snaggy swims.

As well a straight top it comes supplied with a quiver top section and two carbon quiver tips suited to the type of fishing the rod is targeted at, and for people who like to watch the tip closely for any movement, such as line bites, rather than just waiting for it to have hooped right round!

Like the other Dual Tip models, it can also be used for catching carp on commercial venues or smaller lakes that are relatively snag-free.

12ft 2.25lb Barbel

This model is primarily aimed at barbel fishing on bigger rivers where you’re having to cast big feeders or leads, in excess of 4-5oz, such as on the Trent, Thames or Severn, and is also suited to floodwater fishing.

The action not only allows you to cast these sort of weights, and more, to the other side of the river should you need to, but the blank also retains the power to bring a big barbel back upstream against heavy flow without locking up and reaching a stalemate situation, as can happen with less powerful rods.