Phill, I find your comment I hate Veritas rods to be quite strange. My critique toward the rod was based on personal experience, not on what others may think. I bought two of them and from day one I experienced problems, not least the failure of a manufacturer, retailing a rod close to $300.00, to have tested them to discover any underlying faults.

There have been numerous threads on this site making known complaints, the poor fitting of ferrules was common place. I had an issue along similar lines, one of the rods I purchased had loose fitting ferrules, and I was forever having to straighten the rod because the rings were no longer in line.

A manufacturer should have had the ferrule problem sorted out well before the rod's release, even now, after what I would guess to be three years, these rods are still being sold with the same problem. I recall you [Phill] fully agreeing with me these rods should have been supplied with a rod bag, from memory you went so far as to get some made.

With regard to the rod fin-now has purchased, it begs a couple of questions: (a) why was it necessary for the salesman to lie. (b) why is it after all this time, ABU still haven't got the ferrule problem sorted, it's hardly rocket science.

I look after my gear, it cost far too much money not to. In the year I owned those rods I had four broken eyes, although I accept breaking the tip eye was my own fault. The eyes have a really thin ceramic insert, and whilst this looks good, its strength is highly questionable. I returned the rods to 'Rivers and Ranges' in Hastings, the company I purchased them from, in their repairs rack was another Veritas with exactly the same complaint. The coincidence was too much, so I asked the assistant was this a regular happening? He replied, "All too frequently."

I can understand why anglers support the rod, especially if long casting is their scene and they are happy with the results. In the year I owned two of them I can say I was not happy with them, and got rid of them on TradeMe for $100.00 each. However, the story didn't stop there, I decided I would try an Okuma rod, and I have to say that rod is one of the best, value for money rods, I have ever owned.

The rod at 15ft is slightly longer than the Veritas, it has an admirable soft action, casts beautifully, bite detection is exceptional and it's ability to handle really large fish and absorb sudden runs is all I could ask for. There is a video on YouTube of me having a twenty-nine minute battle with a very large ray, I put between eighty and a hundred pounds. The rod was magnificent, it was a newly tied leader knot that finally called it quits, it hadn't had time to snug down properly. I said from the word go I would never land a fish of that size through the breakers that were running that day. The rod came complete with a rod case and retailed at $100.00 less than the Veritas. Should it snap tomorrow, it owes me nothing and without hesitation I would replace it with another Okuma model.

So far from hating the Veritas, let's just say I was a highly dissatisfied customer. One who is unafraid to speak his mind because I believe ABU stuffed up ... big time!!!