[Daniel Rees]

Hi I'm looking for some advice on a suitable rod for the overhead salmon distance event. I'm only just dipping my toes into this event and have a lot to learn regarding the technique of casting a DH overhead. Therefore I'd like to practice with something that's not going to hurt the bank balance too hard, while still be suitable.

A friend who is much better at this than myself recommended an older version of the Daiwa Wilderness 15' (navy blue blank??) been looking on eBay but am yet to find one. Any recommendations on other rods or even blanks that would have similar characteristics to the Daiwa?

Regards
Dan

[Hamish Young]

That Wilderness is a good shout, powerful blank - the model number was WN150113 rated for a #11
Other possible options secondhand:

Daiwa Altmor Orator
Daiwa Signature
Bob Church Crawford Little
Bruce & Walker Norway
...... and pretty much anything that's 11 or (better still) 11/12 rated 

H

[Daniel Rees]

Thank you Hamish, that's exactly the info I was looking for 

[Daniel Rees]

Managed to pick up a ‘Crawford Little’ 15ft 11/12 on eBay which I’m hoping will do the trick.

Any advice on lines I could use to make the 55g head?  I’ve been told the Snowbee 3D is a decent place to start but was wondering what else  I could try out.

Cheers
Dan

[Hamish Young]

Anything that will come up to the weight, so heavier spey lines can be cut and shut to do the job 
Consider this.... just because the maximum weight for the discipline is 55g that doesn't mean you need to be using 55g to get distance 
Just a thought 
H

[Daniel Rees]

Thanks Hamish, anything reasonably priced you’d recommend to get started?

Spey/Salmon stuff is new to me so I have no idea on brands of line that would be suitable.

Ideally if I’m gonna be chopping lines up I’d like something cheapish to practice with.

Cheers
Dan

[Hamish Young]

It'll not be lost on you that what works well on one rod may not necessarily match another.... 

With that in mind, quantity of lines to play with is the key so I'd scan eBay for second hand lines but if you must have new then one cheap option worthy of a look is item # 124003607891 but that's under 55g @78' - it'll still work though.
There's an eBay seller based in Fort William with a couple of eBay ids, one of those IDs is Nackynoo ( I think  ) he often sells job lots of used lines, I'd look there too.

What you plan on using as shooting line

H

[Daniel Rees]

What you plan on using as shooting line

H

Honestly hadn't got to considering that yet. I have some Sakuma Night Crystal here that I use for the ST27. Would that work? Straight connection to the back of the head or anything in between?

[Hamish Young]

Aye that'll work away fine, I was going to come to the point that with the overhead you tend not to have to worry about the floating properties of the running line too much.
I think I actually used something like 60lb spiderwire braid on one outfit I tried.

H