The Thomas Turner Classic+ range

Thomas Turner originally a prestigious gunsmith founded in 1838, is a brand now recognised for their expertise and great service in the world of collectable rods and reels. The team at Thomas Turner are only too aware that much sought-after items are often hard to find, to the extent there are not always enough to meet demand. A classic example can be seen with Hardy Marksman coarse rods, which were launched in 2006. They became very sought after, but production stopped when Hardy returned to being a game fishing only brand.  This was despite the second Marksman Supero generation winning the European Fishing Tackle Trade Association Best New Rod award in 2011, along with Angling Times Best Specialist Rod award in 2012. There is now a strong second-hand market in these rods, to the extent they are often changing hands for more money than they originally retailed for. Modern Classics indeed!

In view of the demand for these high modulus rods, Thomas Turner approached the well-known anglers who were involved with them from the beginning. John Bailey who came up with the concept and Dave Coster who designed the later models. Both were more than happy to continue the journey as there was an opportunity to improve on these high-performance blanks even more. Latest nano carbon technology makes rods lighter, faster in action and even stronger. That’s exactly what has been achieved with the new range of Thomas Turner Classic+ rods. There are state-of-the-art float, quivertip, traditional Avon and bomb rods to begin with. The first samples have already hugely impressed highly experienced anglers who have had the privilege to try them out. Interest has been so good, additions to the range have already been ordered for field testing.  

Although they can be used anywhere, Dave Coster describes the new range as high performance “Big Boy” rods. Rods designed with natural venues in mind, featuring beautiful actions, a classic finish and crafted for discerning anglers. They all come with custom made rod sleeves and protective cordura tubes, hard wearing and smooth-running high-tech ceramic lined guides and top-grade cork handles. The blanks themselves are super high modulus nano carbon, a big advancement on standard prepreg carbon used in cheaper rods, resulting in better stability, greater flexibility and faster recoil. These significant advancements make fishing with them an even more pleasurable experience.