The primary consideration in a barbel rod is its action. Too stiff and you will run the risk of hook pulls or compensating for that risk by having to give line too easily. Too soft and you will be unable to stop a barbel's powerful runs. Be wary of rods with soft tips and very stiff butts. The ideal is a rod that becomes increasing difficult to bend as power is applied to it, but which doesn't lock up - a progressive action.

What test curve you opt for will depend on the size of fish you expect to encounter, and the size of leads or feeders that you will have to cast. At one end of the scale, for small barbel at close range a test curve of 1.5lb will suffice, but for large fish, or fishing at forty yards range, 2.25lb is more suitable.

Length of rod should be determined by where you are fishing. If you have to fish in tight swims, under trees or in similarly cramped conditions then a nine foot rod might be preferable to a longer rod, but for most barbel fishing a length of eleven or twelve feet is a more usual choice.

Traditionalists will never use any rod that is not made from cane, but most anglers will prefer carbon fibre. If you fish holding the rod then its weight will be important, but if you place it on a rest this is less of a concern.

Most modern lined rod rings are perfectly serviceable and will neither be grooved by the line nor damage the line. Silicone carbide lined guides are slightly smoother when using braided lines, but are far more expensive than aluminium oxide lined rings. Whether they are worth the additional expense is hard to say.

Reel seats should be of the screw fitting style whether the rod handle is cork or Duplon as sliding rings are unreliable and the last thing you want to happen when playing a hard fighting barbel is for the reel to work loose!

Cork is a popular choice of handle material on barbel rods, but this is more for cosmetic reasons than any practical advantage. A hard wearing butt cap is an advantage, however, if you are in the habit of using one rod rest with the rod pointing skyward and the butt resting on the ground.

These days there are many serviceable barbel rods available, in a wide range of price brackets, so you should have no trouble finding one to suit your needs and your pocket.