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Ultra-Light Spinning.


Jarmin

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Thanks for all your feedback on my previous threads.

 

So this year I’m going to teach myself UL (Finesse angling) and target perch, chub and the odd pike on the stretch of Thames and a small tributary close to me.

 

As this is technique is new to me thought I’d tap into your wealth of knowledge and see what you think of these rods and reels. Also any other tips you may have on this technique of fishing…

 

ColinW made a point in an earlier thread and, from what I’ve searched for anyway, he’s right about the lack of decent spinning rods over here. So I’m cashing in on the strength of the pound, gone over the pond, searched about, and got myself a short list…

 

http://snipurl.com/shimano_compre - The UL 5’ 6” at £46.00

 

http://snipurl.com/st_croix_avid - The UL 6’ at £70.00

 

http://snipurl.com/cabela_xml - The UL 5’6” at £90.00

 

What do you guys think? Any opinions would be greatly appreciated. Am I on to something or throwing my money away?

 

I’m planning on rigging it up with this reel for the total UL experience!

 

http://snipurl.com/pflueger_president

 

Thanks

 

Ben

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What makes me wary of ordering from outside the EU is that you don't know how much extra you'll have to pay. If you are lucky, none. If not, then 10% import duty plus 17.5% VAT plus whatever number the courier plucks out of the air for the "service" of paying the duties for you and then holding your goods to ransom on your doorstep!

 

PS. Careful which rod you order, I wouldn't put much on a six foot, ultra light, one piece rod still being a one piece rod when the baggage handlers have finished with it!

Edited by ColinW
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Bass Pro deliver via USPS and this makes the question of whether you get hit with VAT, import duty and so called "handleing fees" a bit of a lottery.

Cabelas on the other hand use a courier service and this just about garentees that you will get hit with charges.

 

If you do get hit by the tax man, it's a very costly business indeed.

 

A word of caution about U/L though.

I only use my U/L kit in the winter to target small jacks and perch in the local park pools and canals.

True U/L gear is intended for catching small bass and "panfish" from American stillwaters simply isn't up to the job of fighting fish in a current or getting fish out of weeds - hence the winter only limitation on my own fishing.

 

American rods are great but look to the bass spinning rods that are rated M or even MH for normal UK chub and perch spinning.

Species caught in 2020: Barbel. European Eel. Bleak. Perch. Pike.

Species caught in 2019: Pike. Bream. Tench. Chub. Common Carp. European Eel. Barbel. Bleak. Dace.

Species caught in 2018: Perch. Bream. Rainbow Trout. Brown Trout. Chub. Roach. Carp. European Eel.

Species caught in 2017: Siamese carp. Striped catfish. Rohu. Mekong catfish. Amazon red tail catfish. Arapaima. Black Minnow Shark. Perch. Chub. Brown Trout. Pike. Bream. Roach. Rudd. Bleak. Common Carp.

Species caught in 2016: Siamese carp. Jullien's golden carp. Striped catfish. Mekong catfish. Amazon red tail catfish. Arapaima. Alligator gar. Rohu. Black Minnow Shark. Roach, Bream, Perch, Ballan Wrasse. Rudd. Common Carp. Pike. Zander. Chub. Bleak.

Species caught in 2015: Brown Trout. Roach. Bream. Terrapin. Eel. Barbel. Pike. Chub.

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There is some 'personal import' help in sight though. In December the minimum for paying Duty & VAT will be raised from the current £18 where it has sat for some years now to a more reasonable £150 so the bulk of non-EU tackle orders will come in with no additional import fees.

 

Now to the question - let me show you what I would (and have, we use 4 of these combos) suggest to see if you and U/L agree with each other while not spending much money/

 

Rhino RSC-2 reel @ $27

 

Ugly Stik 6' 2 piece medium action rod @ $30

This one is a little heavy for U/L but will be nice to give you more options and works well with that reel. Ugly Stik rods are not precision instruments by any means but they work well and are almost indestructible with carbon fibre protected with a layer of glass fibre.

 

Bass Pro 4'10" 2 piece fiberglass U/L rod @ $19.95

 

This one is a real hoot to use. Limber beyond belief but will deal with larger fish than you would believe. Rated for line b/s from 2-6 lbs although I have used it with heavier.

 

I would suggest getting the reel and both rods but break up the purchases so that you are not getting more than £18 in item cost (exclusive of postage) on one order.

 

Otherwise get them all in one package but plan to pay an additional 30% plus £8 admin fee for USPS (postal service) or up to £25 admin fee for UPS, DHL, FedEx, etc. to get your gear. You'll have to do the numbers and it might be cheaper to pay the import fees via USPS than it would to get 3 packages.

 

Note that about half the USPS orders for smallish amounts like this will come through with no customs charges but you cannot count on that.

 

If USP, etc. then you will pay customs fees plus admin fees to import.

" My choices in life were either to be a piano player in a whore house or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference!" - Harry Truman, 33rd US President

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Guest Jan V

The ugly stick is my personal favorite. The handle fits my smallish hand extremely well but Newt's larger hands handle it well, too. The ugly stick is the first rod Newt ever bought me. We've tried numerous reels but the Rhino holds up the best. The Bass Pro rod isn't bad, either, but the cork handle isn't my favorite material.

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have a nosey at this bloke on ebay catfishsupplyco ebay item number 380035171844

 

use this item number pop to his shop and you can buy these for about a tenner plus a tenner postage

 

daiwa d force ul rod

Edited by noodle996
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Have a look at the Fox Predator Ultralite XS, 6'6'' 7-15 gcasting weight, not bad little rod realy. I have mine paired to a Shimano Stradic 1000FH. The rod was less than £50 and I picked up the reel second hand of the Bay for just over :D

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If you are U/L spinning for perch and chub you will almost certainly get pike as well. Even with a trace the line required is too light. I'd be extremely careful and fish waters that are unlikely to have large pike. It is irresponsible especially during summer.

Jeff

 

Piscator non solum piscatur.

 

Yellow Prowler13

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Ask me at 75...

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Another approach to U/L when there are pike in the water is to use a lighter trace than your mainline and single, light wire hook lures with the barb crushed.

 

A pike will certainly break off or bend out the hook and get off but the only loss is a couple feet of line and an inexpensive lure. The fish will get rid of the lure in a minute or three and take no damage. Even a large perch or similar will take some very careful handling to land but again, a break off is not much of a problem for fish or angler.

 

You can get suitable spinner baits for about $1.50 US (about 75p) or less.

" My choices in life were either to be a piano player in a whore house or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference!" - Harry Truman, 33rd US President

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There is some 'personal import' help in sight though. In December the minimum for paying Duty & VAT will be raised from the current £18 where it has sat for some years now to a more reasonable £150 so the bulk of non-EU tackle orders will come in with no additional import fees.

 

Ha! Well, I didn't know that... The biggest problem with Bass Pro though is their shipping charges, which at 40% of the order value means that it's not worth buying anything apart from cheap stuff. And it's not worth buying really cheap light stuff, because their minimum shipping fee is $35! (Cabelas charge 45% of the total order amount or a minimum of $40.00 for air delivery or 25%/minimum of $20 for surface shipping.) As UK duty and VAT is payable on the total charged (ie, goods plus shipping), as I understand it, those minimum shipping charges alone will always mean that purchases will be eligible for duty, regardless of how much you actually spend.

 

 

Getting back on topic (sorry)… remind me, do those ones go on top of or under the rod? (And can you change them from right to left-hand wind?)

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