Fishing The Fly Scotland Forum

Dave Felce

epic bandit 7'9 #10
« on: 24/05/2017 at 10:12 »
has anyone got experience of these? it's a (to the UK) peculiar size, but i'm thinking it could be sweet for close range carp & pike?

Sandy Nelson

Re: epic bandit 7'9 #10
« Reply #1 on: 24/05/2017 at 11:45 »
Hi Dave

Not had much experience of the Bandit, I have built one and I tried it in the garden, it was an awesome casting machine with Buckets of power. Very strong blank as well for pumping up big fish from deeper water :z16
The one I built went away to be used for Tope fishing of the west coast and I could see it doing that job really well.
I would imagine it would make a good pike rod, but might be a bit too much for Carp. I know a couple of guys who use them For Golden Dorado in South America.
The guys I know who use Epics for Carp fishing use the 888. Its another brilliant casting machine and extremely versatile, it gets used for Bonefish and Tigerfish as well. I still have my own one to build up, which I plan to use for anything from Saltwater to Carp and Pike if I get the chance.
I'm not much use I'm afraid due to lack of experience with both products, But if you speak to Carl McNeil I'm sure he could point you to folk to ask :z16

 :z18

Sandy

Dave Felce

Re: epic bandit 7'9 #10
« Reply #2 on: 24/05/2017 at 12:22 »
cheers Sandy!
i'm not talking small carp here (& not UK) , as you may have seen from other posts, so it sounds like it could be a go-er.

currently i'm using my hardy proaxis #8 (which is far more like a #10) for the biggies, and a sage tcx #6 for smaller (10lb or so) carp. both of these are great for distance & power

it's the delicacy of presentation close up i'm missing out on, which of course isn't what the proaxis is really designed for. the other issue is the ability to absorb the initial rush of a big carp smoothly without a hook-pull, which is another thing the ultra-fast action rods aren't ideal for.

it would be great to have a play with one, so if and when you complete yours would it be possible to have a waft? if that's a bit cheeky, just tell me where to go!  :z4

Sandy Nelson

Re: epic bandit 7'9 #10
« Reply #3 on: 24/05/2017 at 12:32 »
Hi Dave

Its an 888 I have sitting waiting to be built. But if I get round to it, then you can of course have a try :z16 no problem.

I would reckon the Bandit will absorb any run with no issues (even from Serious fish), this is what the glass does best and while protecting the hookhold as well. As for presentation, I can't say I ever tried with the Bandit, but all the Epics I have tried, present beautifully, you get much more input into what the rod is doing so you can soften the presentation to whatever you need just by varying the degree of how much work the rod is doing.
Something that Carbon can't really achieve. :z16

Sandy

Dave Felce

Re: epic bandit 7'9 #10
« Reply #4 on: 24/05/2017 at 14:16 »
thanks Sandy!  :z18

yep, it definitely sounds like the right idea. reviews elsewhere have also suggested that's it's quite versatile as far as line weights go, which could be interesting...
i'll have to work on getting hold of one for my next trip to Gran Canaria in October, if i can find a builder. can't wait to see my mate's face when i pull it out of the bag !!  :z4  :z12

Rob Brownfield

Re: epic bandit 7'9 #10
« Reply #5 on: 24/05/2017 at 15:43 »
thanks Sandy!  :z18

yep, it definitely sounds like the right idea. reviews elsewhere have also suggested that's it's quite versatile as far as line weights go, which could be interesting...
i'll have to work on getting hold of one for my next trip to Gran Canaria in October, if i can find a builder. can't wait to see my mate's face when i pull it out of the bag !!  :z4  :z12

Plenty of builders on here..including that chap Sandy ;)

Back to the Epic, the 888 is used by a few of the guys I know in the US who fly fish for carp up on the Great Lakes. A couple of them use the 686 as well.

The Echo Badass glass rod is another that seems to ne popular as well. Again, 6 and 8 weights.



Dave Felce

Re: epic bandit 7'9 #10
« Reply #6 on: 25/05/2017 at 16:05 »
it would appear that i'll be taking an  Epic 888 on my next trip to Gran Canaria......  :z4  :cool:

thank's Sandy!  :z18

Rob Brownfield

Re: epic bandit 7'9 #10
« Reply #7 on: 29/05/2017 at 12:03 »
it would appear that i'll be taking an  Epic 888 on my next trip to Gran Canaria......  :z4  :cool:

thank's Sandy!  :z18

Watch out for Sandys build...what he does not tell you is that you have to pay extra for the pixy dust! Liam paid for the dust and he has been doing amazingly well, I did not, and well, I can't catch a thing!

Sandy Nelson

Re: epic bandit 7'9 #10
« Reply #8 on: 29/05/2017 at 19:39 »
The one you got Rob was built for me, i take my own pixy dust with me so don't need to add it to the rod.
Order one from New and you get the pixy dust as standard :z16

Sandy

Liam Stephen

Re: epic bandit 7'9 #10
« Reply #9 on: 29/05/2017 at 22:05 »
I didn't pay Rob it was free for me! What rod have you got?

 :z18

Steven Sinclair

Re: epic bandit 7'9 #10
« Reply #10 on: 29/05/2017 at 23:55 »
Rob,

Just throwing it out there, perhaps Liam is more of a fairy than the rest of us and therefor creates his own?  :z7

 :z18

Steven.

Rob Brownfield

Re: epic bandit 7'9 #10
« Reply #11 on: 30/05/2017 at 08:11 »
I didn't pay Rob it was free for me! What rod have you got?

 :z18

Don't worry Liam, I still have not got a bendy glass rod! I bought a 3 weight Sage XP off Sandy a good few years ago. Not done it justice yet but it will be out with me on Thursday :) Just noticed they are going for over £400 on ebay...dum de dum  :X2 :X2 :X2 :X2

Liam Stephen

Re: epic bandit 7'9 #10
« Reply #12 on: 30/05/2017 at 10:17 »
Jesus what you waiting for!?

£400 on eBay,  that sounds like an Epic to me......  :wink

 :z18

Rob Brownfield

Re: epic bandit 7'9 #10
« Reply #13 on: 30/05/2017 at 11:22 »
Jesus what you waiting for!?

£400 on eBay,  that sounds like an Epic to me......  :wink

 :z18

No chance...I like it too much!!

 




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