advise on fladen

[fishydave]

hello ,been in my local reading branch of THE RANGE shop only to find a fishing section (better than soft furnishings i can tell you)so i picked up a couple of adjustable rod rests for well under tenner which i didnt think to bad but the rest of the gear seemed a bit too cheap ,im no expert so what do you guys make of FLADEN fishing tackle
many thanks dave

[Maddison_Twatter]

I have two Fladen maxximus Carp rods and they are excellent for the money, Ive had double figure carp,barbel and pike on these and they have not let me down. I havnt really bought any of the terminal tackle apart from the snaplink swivels which have been fine. the Pva bags are also half the price of the tackle shop and just as good. apart from that Id say the rest is get what you pay for gear.

[Bluesbro]

Fladden is cheap and cheerfull but not crap, you can still catch fish on it all. My mate has used Fladden rods for years and thinks im a idiot for spending a fortune on gear and yet still catching the same amount of fish as him (alledgedly) I guess the answer lies in your own personal limitations, if you can power cast then you may find the rods restrict you, same with the reels, however if your just a pleasure angler and just wanna fish then they will serve you fine. Only things I wont buy cheap is terminal tackle as it`s basically what keeps you and fish in contact and wouldn`t want a swivel snapping ect, also a safety worry there with casting on dodgey links. That goes for all the cheap rigs on ebay to not just fladden.

[Portland Pirate]

I agree 100% with Bluesbro.

Don't touch their rigs, they are c**p at best, but most of their other stuff is functional and will catch you fish.
You could do worse if you are on a budget.

Portland Pirate.

[MRG2000]

Most of the tackle Fladen sell is good value for money !.... But bear in mind you get what you payfor ....its cheap and functional,the quality is reflected in the price .

[northern eye]

I have bought Fladen gear and have mixed feelings. I have a Fladen carp baitrunner reel that I use for occasional pike fishing and it is fantastic, smooth and sturdy.
Other bits and bobs of tackle I have used are OK and some are just as good as more expensive brands - but there are some very bad items too.
Don't buy the bulk spools of carp line or the normal lines or any of the items of snap tackle, hooks or pole floats. The baits/glugs/pellets they do are also no good.
I try to use and support my local tackle shops as much as possible but there are sometimes items by Fladen that are just as good and a hell of a lot cheaper. When buying my bits I tend to go to the tackle shop for some bits and then to Boyes(local discount shop) for some Fladen bits which are tried and tested, in order to save a few quid.

[fishydave]

thanks for your input chaps ,food for thought indeed

[blackwater]

I bought some Fladen lures during the summer, they are good quality for the money. Alot better than i expected.

[northern eye]

I have used the Fladden lures for Pike and they are OK although I changed the trebles on them to semi barbed. Also tried the ready made traces recently and they were OK too. Had one rod set up with Fox traces and the other with Fladden. Caught on both, the bigger of the 2 fish on the Fladden trace and it coped just fine although I had to change it afterwards as it was bent and mengled where as the fox one kept nice and straight after catching. Fladden trace 75p - Fox traces £2.50

[Maddison_Twatter]

Originally Posted by northern eye

I have used the Fladden lures for Pike and they are OK although I changed the trebles on them to semi barbed. Also tried the ready made traces recently and they were OK too. Had one rod set up with Fox traces and the other with Fladden. Caught on both, the bigger of the 2 fish on the Fladden trace and it coped just fine although I had to change it afterwards as it was bent and mengled where as the fox one kept nice and straight after catching. Fladden trace 75p - Fox traces £2.50

I bought the same traces and found them to be good. like you say tho I had to flatten the barbs with a pair of pliers. I also discovered you have to shrink the tubing yourself with steam to prevent the second treble sliding too easily