I’ve owned a number of rod quivers over the years. In the main, I’ve swapped and changed according to waters fished at the time, with the amount of rods needed ultimately dictating which quiver I used. In addition, one thing I’ve always insisted on is that my quiver can also carry my brolly/shelter/bivvy, as I used to fish a water with an extreme treck by foot to the lake so everything had to go in one load – or it did not go at all!
I’ve spent no small amount of money on quivers that were able to take a Titan bivvy in the past, but the funny thing was, when ever the situation allowed it, I always preferred using my old Fishrite 3 Rod Quiver. Without doubt I’ve found it to be the best value for money rod quiver on the market.
For me, functionality is everything. I hate having to carry excess luggage/tackle weight because some bright spark in the design office decided they needed to ‘jazz it up a bit’ by adding unnecessary bits and pieces to a product which was fine in the first place. Bottom line is, if it does the job, and does the job well – then leave it alone! And that’s pretty much the Fishrite 3 Rod Quiver in a nutshell. It carries my rods, net, bivvy, storm poles, bank sticks and a few other odds and ends – and it does the job extremely well.
The main body measures 130cm tall, with an approximate internal diameter of 25cm, which will accommodate even the largest of brolly type carp shelters. I currently use a Trakker Ultralite bivvy and this fits in easily. I’ve also used various 60” brollies, none of which I’ve ever had a problem with.
My storm poles, net head and banksticks fit into the two outer pockets, the smaller 100cm pocket has a half-length zip to allow easy access to bank sticks and nets, whilst the larger 110cm pocket is perfect for storm poles and has an adjustable tension strap with a quick release clip on it, which can prove quite handy for keeping poles snug to the main body during transit.
In terms of rod fastenings, the outer has a heavy-duty rubberised base, with three large but slots. There are then three velcro rod retainers at approximately 120cm length, with an additional clip over padded support arm. For me, the support arm is a major plus, it’s well over an inch thick and gives excellent protection. Half way between the but slots and the support arm there is an adjustable strap which you can use to pull everything into place. I don’t use this in everyday use, but it does come in very handy when I’m off on a big journey to the syndicate lake and want to keep everything nice and secure on the journey.
Although sold as a three rod system, the base slots are designed to hold more than one rod, so by clipping two rods into the one Velcro fastening, it could easily handle up to six rods. I’ve quite often had three made up rods, one made up spod or marker rod, and a net handle as well, so it’s fine to take a big set up.
For transportation to and from the bank there is a well padded shoulder strap with ‘grippy’ finish to stop it slipping off your shoulder, and there’s also a heavy duty carry handle. It weighs half as much as other rod quivers I’ve had in the past, so again, it’s great if you’re looking to reduce weight in your set up.
As I say, I’ve had one of these for years and it’s never even dropped a stitch. That said it’s been dragged through allsorts over the years so I opted to get another one last year to spruce up a little bit, and happily, I can report that this one’s been just as reliable.
It amazes me why some people will pay up to £50.00 for a quiver just because it has a trendy badge on it, especially when you can pick one of these up for under fifteen quid! And if it’s anything like the one I’ve got, it’ll probably last you twice as long too!
At the time of writing, Trev’s are offering the Fishrite 3 Rod Quiver at £14.99. Visit http://www.trevs-tackle.com/
Julian Grattidge
February 2009
Carp Quivers For Sale
