Please find below answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding our new Thomas Turner Classic+ range of rods and reels. If you have any questions that don’t feature here, please contact us and we will be happy to answer them!
Where are they made?
We use a top Far East rod manufacturer who Dave Coster has been involved with for over a decade. He is friends with the owners, having visited the factory many times and completely trusts their capabilities. He says that they make some of the finest high modulus nano carbon blanks he has ever had the privilege to use and the best rod testing machines he has seen anywhere during his wide reaching trips abroad. The finish they apply to their rods is top notch, confirmed after showing them to top rod builders in the UK, who couldn’t fault them in any way.
The Thomas Turner Classic+ rods have been fully tested by top anglers for a year before going into production, on all types of venues and catching many different species, including some remarkable specimen sized fish.
What fixtures and fittings do the rods hold?
We originally wanted Fuji Alconite line guides like the Supero Marksmans had, but they are not available any more. After extensive testing, rod designer Dave Coster found well respected ceramic lined Seaguides were the closest product in both looks and performance. (He has happily used these rings for many years with no problems whatsoever).
The reel seat is very similar to the DPS Fuji design, unbranded, but during extensive testing proved to be better and less prone to slipping. There is nothing worse that constantly having to tighten a reel seat up while fishing! It’s a quality product Dave has used on many of his rods for a dozen years.
What does nano-carbon mean?
Nano silica resins improve the durability, strength and performance of high-modulus carbon blanks. Similar resins are used in dentistry. They are more robust and widely used. Early carbon rods tended to go soft in action after extended use and this doesn’t happen so much now. Apart from using superior carbon prepreg, the nano silica resins used to form high modulus carbon blanks help rods to recover after severe bending and retain their original shape. The way blanks are formed on mandrills is important too, using just the right amount of heat and timing, a task that improves performance if it’s carried out by expert hands.
They look a lot like the Hardy Marksman range?
That is no coincidence! We noticed how sought-after Marksman rods are these days – almost as soon as we get one it sells – it’s a true modern classic. In view of the demand for them we decided to develop a modern alternative. These new rods are designed by Dave Coster, the designer of the Hardy Marksman range, but we think they are even better – they’re made with modern nano carbon technology and are lighter, faster in action and even stronger.