Hi all
This has been purchased for the holidays as I am sick to death of paying big money for charters in order to catch sardines (a pattern across the Med and Canaries for several years now).
The big advantage of the Smuggler 6 is that it fits in your Ryanair case, with or without the tube. The rod comes with two tips, one rated for up to 20 grams at 2.07 metres and one rated for up to 40 grams at 1.87 metres. I took it out to Lough Carra (don't ask although its nice to see the lake with crystal clear water again) and paired it with an older Daiwa reel which I had loaded with 20 lb braid. The reel and line was a bit excessive for the set up - I have a shallow spool 2500 sized reel purchased to match up.
Bear in mind if you are travelling abroad and not checking in the bag that you must NOT PUT LINE on the reel. Buy the line, fluorocarbon leader, links, lures and/or hooks when you get to your destination. I am packing soft plastics without leadhead hooks, a boga grip and small snipe nosed pliers (I got grief in an airport previously for having a forceps - just don't give them an excuse).
How does the rod perform?
Really well, I am quite pleased. On the longer 2.07 sectioned rod, it threw anything under 20 grams a nice distance, up to 100 metres at a guess. Bigger surface top water lures did not go so well, but that is to be expected and they would likely do better on the shorter rod with a stiffer action. Definitely needs a smaller reel for balance, and personally I would have like a longer butt section to rest it against my forearm all the way down to the elbow, given how much casting is involved, but that will probably improve with a smaller 2500 reel.
Will stick up a postcard from afar on how it performs.
Kieran
Smuggler 6 Travel Rod
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