Pete E

Just wondering how far people manage to cast size 1 or 2 Mepps type lures? I have a cheap and cheerful Quantum lure rod that is rated to cast a max of 20g...With Plugs and Flying C of around 15g, its fine, but I really struggle with light, (say 3g-7g) lures I am lucky to get 15to 20 feet... Not sure if this is down to the rod not being suitable, my technique, or a bit of both???

Thanks Niel and your warning is well heeded as I've been stitched up with fake braid before... I bought some for shore fishing which was supposed to be 70lb, but second time out, once wet, it was snapping like cotton... I do have some 8 strand Daiwa J Braid that says 9lb on the box, but based on the PE 0.6 I think that will be nearer 6lb in reality,,,It should be fine for what I want as there is definitely no pike where I intend to fish... If I fish elsewhere and pike are a possibility, I'll load the spare spool with 15lb braid and use some very fine 12lb titanium traces... Fo

Can I ask what brand of braid you use? I am struggling to find anything less than 6lb and even that is questionable as the diameter seemed a bit big for such a low poundage... On another note, my little Shimano Beastmaster Ultralight has just turned up... I couldn't find the older Greys Ultralight still for sale anywhere only the newer GR50, but the Beastmaster Ultralight seems a very comparable rod with a similar spec... Can't wait to get it out on a local river when the trout season opens in March..Will team it up with a little Shimano Exage 1000.... Edited to add really need

The softshell jackets looked a good deal for the money as did the lightweight waterproofs...Had to resist getting the wallet out as don't really need any more kit at the moment..Just need to lose a few pounds to get back into what I've got!

Thanks for that..If the Beastmaster doesn't pan out I will have a closer look at that one ...

A while back, I bought a secondhand rod bag off ebay for my grandsons little cheapy 5' spinning rod. When it came, it was off Shimano Stradic 1500 spinning rod...I have searched and searched the net to find a mention of such a rod, but can't find a trace of it anywhere...It sounds an intriguing little rod but has probably been out of production for years...

The Ugly Stik was bought as a bit of a work horse that can be left in the car or thrown in a pack with out worrying about it... What I would really like is a 5' or 5' 6" traditional/old school spinning rod with a moderate action rather than a modern fast action Jap ultralite lure rod.... I have my eye on a Shimano Beastmaster 5' 6" 1-11g which might be suitable, just need to go an see it before I decide...

What weight line are you using? I would use a fluorocarbon leader and drop down to 3lb or even 2lb...If you are free lining bit of bread, on the leader I would get some of the "floatant" fly fishermen use on their line to make it float...Although freelining is the most natural, I would also try a small clear bubble float as a casting aid/line controller...

The replacement for my broken telescopic rod arrived today in the form of a 6' 6" Uglly Stik Lite...This is a four section rod rated at 5gr to15gr...I bought this "blind" online and I have to say although I wasn't expecting the elegance of say a Greys, this really does live up to its Ugly name... That said it comes across as a functional spinning rod rather than a modern UL fast action lure rod, which is what I wanted. I have to say I miss the old school fibreglass spinning rods of my youth and while I understand the reasoning behind the various modern lure rods, old school worked ju

Lovely little rod!One thr new version, I believe they have restyled the handle to a more modern looking two piece, which while functional lacks the charm of yours...

Personally with the rapala i think the fish hit them really hard and i have my drag set very soft so the fish can draw a bit of line off the drag as i hit it, otherwise i think the tear the hook hold out. I wonder if the choice of mono or braid is a factor with hook ups? I use braid for sea fishing, but I have so far stayed with mono for the bit of freshwater fishing I do...On a small spinning rod, I suspect braids lack of stretch might make it a bit harsh when striking?

Thanks again gents...I think you guys have confirmed that I am over thinking things and I tend to carry too much...Not that a small bits box with a dozen or so assorted spinners is exactly heavy or bulky, but its really not needed most of the time... Need to think about a rod, as the tip section of my telescopic snapped, but really that has done me a favour.. I already have a 7ft 10-40grms which I use at the coast, but I have a hankering for the Grey's 2-12grm as its only 5' 6" and would be lovely for streams and small rivers...

Thank gents...What mix of sizes are recommended for the Mepps? Edited to add if people want to post pic of their set-ups along with the reasoning behind their choices, it might make for an informative thread....

When the season opens , I want to try spinning for trout again on some of the small mountain rivers and lakes here in North Wales. I tried it a couple of years ago, and somehow the amount of kit I used to take seemed to grow and grow... Just wonder what people typically carry specifically how many lures people take on a typical outing and whether they take the same colour/pattern in more than one size for instance...? What would be the minimum number of lures you would consider essential to have with you for a few hours at dawn or dusk? This time I want to keep my kit to a mini

I am looking to get a Lazerlite suction mount so I can mount my lamp to the windscreen as per the photo below. Has anyone used this set up and if so is it any good? I am just wondering if unit will have any tendency to drop off with all the bouncing about or whether it will continue working once the temperatures start dropping to around freezing? Any other pro's or cons of the unit? Thanks in advance, Peter