Wed Jan 05, 2005 2:20 pm
I just brought this rod as I needed something that fit easily in the car when I move about the country.
On first impressions it looks very thin but well built. I was quite worried looking at the tip as its very light, which seemed strange as the rod is rated to cast 4-8oz.
Anyway the sections fit well together and the adjustable reel seat is very handy as its vital to get your right personalised fitting. However the butt cap was very loose and I always felt that I would lose it night fishing. To overcome this problem and make the butt section a bit thicker and easier to hold I fitted the whole bottom section up to the joint with shink wrap. Its a doddle to do and made the rod feel and look better immediately. It also firmly kept the butt cap in place.
I started chucking a 4oz lead OTG and found it easily knocked the lead out. Once I got comfortable with it I upped the lead to a 6oz and the casting was even better. I had a go at a basic aerilsed pendulum and found this a bit difficult as its very different to my current rod. However I increased the drop and found if I really slowed down things worked well. I started fishing with a 6oz lead and bomber rig and was pleasently surprised how well this rod handled this weight. Trust me if you seen the tip and thickness of the butt you would think its more like a Bass rod, but it can handle a loaded trace and 6oz of lead. The tip is like a match tip and will register all bites. I snagged a serious bit of weed and after putting a bit of strain and moving about pulled the lot in. Overall the rod is tougher than it looks and if you want a rod you can put in the car without causing the rest of the familiy to duck I would recommend it.