Monday 29 April 2013

Van Staal VSB150

Part of my go big plan for 2013 is to get out to those marks that even a good pair of chest waders just wont allow you to wade deep enough. I have more wetsuits than I know what to do with, and this year I am gonna use a couple of them in my fishing missions. Fishing sandbanks till the tides in, crossing estuaries, reaching those rocky outcrops that are just too far, all in my plans.

So I need a reel that can take the abuse of constant dunking, even swimming. Using my Shimano Stella SW5000 is out of the question, and a name that pops up time and time again when looking into this kind of fishing reel abuse is Van Staal, and in this case, it's the VSB150 I have managed to get my hands on.





Yes it's big, heavy and agricultural in it's mechanical winding, polar opposites to my Stella in terms of smoothness, but it's built to be tough, and do a job no other reel I own does. Line capacity is massive, and I am going to have to be artistic with the backing to get the desired line lay, the final 150m will be some of the tough and reliable Sunline Super Braid in 30lb. Thats all for now, more to come when it's spooled and put into use, as long as the sea temps keep rising before I take the plunge!

Monday 15 April 2013

Refresh and Reload

The downtime in fishing for me at the moment seems to be dragging on. However, a lack of fish locally has coincided nicely with a very busy period at home and with work, so at least I don't feel like I am missing out (too much!). With thoughts of getting out there again soon, spare time has been well spent preparing some new and old lines for the season ahead.

THE NEW


Sunline Siglon V Mono 14lb


Sunline Super Braid PE2 / 20lb


Sunline Momentum 4x4 PE1 / 16LB


The Sunline Siglon V mono is a new line to me. It has been loaded onto the factory spool of my Daiwa Ryoga 1016HL baitcast reel. This will be getting a good test run on the Wrasse, putting it in amongst the rough stuff, see how it fairs.


Similarly, the Sunline Super Braid has also been loaded onto my Daiwa Ryoga 1016HL, but on the RCS shallow spool. Again, a braid I have not used before from Sunline. It has also been a good couple of years since I last used a 4 strand braid, having favored the 8 strand variety more recently. Looking forward to trying it out, and testing it in comparison to it's 8 strand companions.


The Sunline Momentum 4x4 in PE1 / 16lb is a line I have used before, a bit of a favorite of mine. I have not had the chance to load it up yet, but it will be going on a Daiwa Certate 2500 reel, and will be used for light plugging duties on my Daiwa morethan Branzino Urban Side Custom rod (8'7 5-24g). 

A couple of lines I have refreshed are the Sunline Momentum Small Game PE and the Rockfish PE braids. Both lines have been carefully stripped off the spools, new backing added, and then spooled again in reverse, so the line that was previously buried, is now on the top, fresh and ready for action. Both these lines add themselves so well to the light game applications. I use the Small Game PE 8lb (pink) from 2g LRF duties up to sub 10g ultra light plugging. Sensitive, very thin, but strong, it gives me great confidence. Similarly the Rockfish PE in 10lb breaking strain (orange), used for light jig head work, fishing the bottom on the open coast is no problem with the right tackle, this line has helped me pull some great fish up to the top.



It does take a little effort to reverse your lines, but in the interest of longevity, and also keep the spool filled correctly, all helps towards making the most of your tackle. Although this year I will be taking a strong interest in using the heavier gear, there is very much still the time and place for a more finesse approach, and the two braids above will be at the forefront of my light game tactics.

Saturday 6 April 2013

DUO April 2013 Contest – YouTube!


During this unseasonally cold and windy start to the UK Spring, the guys at DUO over in Japan have been busy working away on their YouTube channel, creating some great media for your viewing.



So far they have some great series of vids along the lines of fishing in action with DUO, and some really good videos showing the action and profile of DUO lures in the water, a real help to you when deciding on what lure to purchase for differing situations.

In light of this, the DUO April 2013 contest has it’s focus on YouTube. In order to enter, all you need to do is subscribe to the DUO YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/DUOJPN and send a confirmation mail to duocontest@gmail.com with your details. The deadline for the contest is 27th April, and the prize as usual is a selection pack of lures as seen below.



The DUO YouTube channel is sure to have plenty of great new material added in the future, and also be sure to check out all the other ways below you can access DUO for info and updates;

http://www.duo-inc.co.jp/en/

http://www.facebook.com/DUOJPN

https://twitter.com/DUOJPN