The stoked is a stiff rod and you don't get a lot of feedback through the blank when casting,I didn't like it.
I haven't cast the laxa but I believe it's the same blank that was in the "reach " series which had a nice action

 

Can I ask which would be better for a novice then? I’ve been on and off fly fishing for salmon for 10 years but about 6 years ago I was casting a hardy zenith with ease but sold everything so getting everything back again but now have a wife and kids lol 😂 so on a budget haha 😛

 

I had the laxa switch setup a few years back and really like it apart from the line that comes with it.
The multi tip in the kit was far too light to be of much use.

 

Where are you based?

 

Near Doncaster 🙂

 

You budget might not stretch this far but the vision hero kit is miles better than your options

 

As novice you don't want anything that's stiff. To be able to develop your casting you need a rod that transmits clearly to your hands what is going on, and which is tolerant of faults in your timing. I consider the Shakespeare 14' Spey an excellent entry-level rod. If you want to spend more, then as Jimmy Long correctly points out above, the Vision Hero is by far the nicest novice rod in its price band.
However, focus your investment on the line, which is the most important part of the system. Thus a good line, correctly matched to the rod, will produce a far superior fishing experience on a Shakespeare to an ill-matched or inferior line on a more expensive rod. Most of the novices I have advised over the years use Rio Scandi or Airflo lines on their Shakespeare Speys and are very happy with the result.
And keep some money aside for a lesson or two with a properly qualified instructor, the best investment of the lot.

 

Couldn't agree more. The Shakespeare range of salmon rods perform brilliantly for their price. I particularly like the Spey models and have been using the Oracle 2 15 footer quite a bit this season and it is just so impressive the way it propels a full spey line..

 

So I’ve been doing loads of research today I have a budget of around £300, I’ve been looking at 2 rods which come with reels and lines also,

Theres the Guideline Stoked and also the Guideline Laxa,

I’ve attached a quote about the stoked being aimed at beginners due to how it feels, please let me know what you guys think?

The Guideline Stoked salmon rod offers excellent performance and value, particularly for beginners and intermediate casters, due to its light, responsive, and forgiving medium-fast action. It is known for its ease of casting, good "feel," and progressive blank, featuring eco-friendly components and stylish designs. While not a premium rod, its performance "far beyond that you would expect" at its price point makes it a great option for salmon, sea trout, and larger trout.

Regards

Andy

 

So I’ve been doing loads of research today I have a budget of around £300, I’ve been looking at 2 rods which come with reels and lines also,

Theres the Guideline Stoked and also the Guideline Laxa,

I’ve attached a quote about the stoked being aimed at beginners due to how it feels, please let me know what you guys think?

The Guideline Stoked salmon rod offers excellent performance and value, particularly for beginners and intermediate casters, due to its light, responsive, and forgiving medium-fast action. It is known for its ease of casting, good "feel," and progressive blank, featuring eco-friendly components and stylish designs. While not a premium rod, its performance "far beyond that you would expect" at its price point makes it a great option for salmon, sea trout, and larger trout.

Regards

Andy

The stoked would not be my choice of rod especially for a beginner, it's stiff and gives little feedback through the blank when casting, the shakespeare oracle scandi would be a far better option and looks the part if that's important to you ,a rio svt multi tip line is as easy a line to cast as you'll find and you should. pick one up for under £100 on here used, stick up a "wanted" post ..
You'll get a better overall outfit for your 300 pounds over the kit
There is a rio svt on ebay at the moment for buy now 105 pounds under rio scandi versi tip in 9#,pair that with the 13,9 shakespeare ,also on ebay for 120 pounds and you'll have a great bit of kit with change for a reel

 

Get yourself the Shakey and pair it with an easy to use shooting head like the Rio AFS. That combination is very user friendly and can cast very well.

 

Which shakey and which line mate? Do you have experience which them?

 

Without mudding the waters to much. Sometimes people think that a guideline line will obviously be the best match for the rod? This really isn't the case. So don't get hung up on having to get the same branded lines

 

Agree with this. The line that comes in tbe guideline kits is ****e. Far too light to be of any use unless you are a a pro caster as the timing needs to be bang on every cast to work.
Ive a few guideline heads and use them on a greys rod as im not keen on them with my guidelines for the same reason, abit light and setup for purely underhand casting.

 

You should be able to get a nice setup with your budget. Id try and save on a reel if anything. You can pick up a leeda magnum, vision deeps, a system 2 with chipped paint etc on ebay for pennys and they are still more than up to the job.
This freea up budget for the important bits, the rod and line. As above, shakespeare punch well above their weight for the money. Not the lightest or best cork but plenty of feel to them and built well enough to last years.

 

You should be able to get a nice setup with your budget. Id try and save on a reel if anything. You can pick up a leeda magnum, vision deeps, a system 2 with chipped paint etc on ebay for pennys and they are still more than up to the job.
This freea up budget for the important bits, the rod and line. As above, shakespeare punch well above their weight for the money. Not the lightest or best cork but plenty of feel to them and built well enough to last years.

Love my system 2s and magnums.

 

I hate a light reel and much prefer the look of them compared to a modern reel.

 

They change the name periodically but the rod remains much the same.
I also reinforce the reel point: don’t waste money on flash cosmetics; a Magnum off EBay Will do perfectly (it’s what my son uses).

 

Apologies @MCXFisher, I beg to differ, hopefully I'm not confusing the OP.

The classic Spey and the oracle 2 scandi are very different rods.

The Spey has a much longer handle and a more through action, promoting more top hand and a longer casting action, much akin to the classic Spey styles using longer lines.

The oracle 2 Scandi is a slightly faster more tip actioned blank, shorter handle, promoting the shorter underhand action and use of Scandi type shooting head lines.

I have had both, they are both great rods that perform well above their purchase price, you won't go wrong with either, but they'll perform better with the appropriately matched lines.

 

btw, there's no such thing as a beginner's rod.

You could choose ANY 14' modern double-handed salmon rod and keep it a lifetime. You won't be able to do anything with a £1,000 rod that you won't be able to do with a £150 rod.

 

Love this mate keep it simple! 🙂