Smallest FS reel?

Chris Hammond ( RSPB ACA PAC} · Mar 23, 2013

Can anyone tell me which FS reel is the smallest available? I've just bought a Silstar MXT 20 reel for an UL lure set-up which for the money seems a lovely little reel. (I'm off out shortly to put it through its paces in the hope of a big perch.) However I specifically want a truly tiny reel for another particular purpose and I am sure there must be far smaller ones available than this one.

The smaller the better but I also want something of reasonable quality.

paul80 · Mar 23, 2013

Hi

The reels on this link are the smallest I have ever seen.

Wayahead Tackle Pen Pocket Rocket Combo's

Paul

Chris Hammond ( RSPB ACA PAC} · Mar 23, 2013

Thanks Paul.

Funnily enough I've just bought an even shorter version of the same thing complete with an earring sized multiplier, but the reel is christmas cracker quality, hence my looking for a tiny FS to pair with it.

It might just be easier to buy the one you've listed.

mark brailsford 2 · Mar 23, 2013

Spro make some of the smallest I've seen, but can I ask one question? Why do you want the smallest? isn't a 2500 size small enough?
If you intend using mono then it is impractical to use a very small fixed spool reel as your line will have so much memory that it will come off the spool like a curly thing from planet curly!!
if you use braid then that may be OK, but then you have to consider your intended quarry, very small reels have very small gears, and very small gears are not usually very strong to use against hard fighting fish like pike!

just have a think about why you want such a small reel before you spend your money

Chris Hammond ( RSPB ACA PAC} · Mar 23, 2013

mark brailsford 2 said:
Spro make some of the smallest I've seen, but can I ask one question? Why do you want the smallest? isn't a 2500 size small enough?
If you intend using mono then it is impractical to use a very small fixed spool reel as your line will have so much memory that it will come off the spool like a curly thing from planet curly!!
if you use braid then that may be OK, but then you have to consider your intended quarry, very small reels have very small gears, and very small gears are not usually very strong to use against hard fighting fish like pike!

just have a think about why you want such a small reel before you spend your money

Thanks for your advice.

mark brailsford 2 · Mar 23, 2013

Chris Hammond ( RSPB ACA PAC} said:
Thanks for your advice.

Sorry Chris,
I have just noticed that you are a member of PAC!
Hope you don't take my advice as patronizing mate?
just trying to offer advise that's all

Chris Hammond ( RSPB ACA PAC} · Mar 23, 2013

mark brailsford 2 said:
Sorry Chris,
I have just noticed that you are a member of PAC!
Hope you don't take my advice as patronizing mate?
just trying to offer advise that's all

No offence taken whatsoever Mark, I'm always open to advice, despite my lengthening teeth. The smiley was because I wasn't sure if you were winding me up a bit.

The set-up is actually intended for targeting Stone Loach and Bullheads from a tiny little stream. (After June 16th.) It's a bit of a nostalgia thing, they were the first fish I caught as a little kid -although we caught them with two jam jars or a butterfly net. I just fancy seeing if I can catch them on rod and line. A bit daft I know, but I like trying to ring the changes. It helps me keep interested.

mark brailsford 2 · Mar 23, 2013

Chris Hammond ( RSPB ACA PAC} said:
No offence taken whatsoever Mark, I'm always open to advice, despite my lengthening teeth. The smiley was because I wasn't sure if you were winding me up a bit.

The set-up is actually intended for targeting Stone Loach and Bullheads from a tiny little stream. (After June 16th.) It's a bit of a nostalgia thing, they were the first fish I caught as a little kid -although we caught them with two jam jars or a butterfly net. I just fancy seeing if I can catch them on rod and line. A bit daft I know, but I like trying to ring the changes. It helps me keep interested.

The brook I used to catch bully heads and minnows in is just a trickle now, it used to be full of life, from caddis to Trout but intensive farming as taken it's toll

One the subject of small reels, Harris had a small Spro for sale and it looked really good, I don't know if they still have any though, worth a look

Chris Hammond ( RSPB ACA PAC} · Mar 23, 2013

mark brailsford 2 said:
The brook I used to catch bully heads and minnows in is just a trickle now, it used to be full of life, from caddis to Trout but intensive farming as taken it's toll
One the subject of small reels, Harris had a small Spro for sale and it looked really good, I don't know if they still have any though, worth a look

That's a shame. The stream I began on looks better than ever. A few years back I took a mate's lad there to have a dabble with a net and jar. (Just an excuse for me to go again really.

) We caught all the same species and even managed to land a two inch brown trout a species we never saw as kids.

pm for you BTW

aebitim · Mar 23, 2013

Ive got a Spro micro which is tiny but well formed. Very slow retrieve but great drag.
Havent really got a use for it at the moment. It is loaded with 6lb braid [power pro possibly]

sam vimes · Mar 23, 2013

Shimano Symetre 500FJ is as small as I've seen. I've always wondered at the point of a reel smaller than 2500, but each to their own.

Chris Hammond ( RSPB ACA PAC} · Mar 23, 2013

sam vimes said:
Shimano Symetre 500FJ is as small as I've seen. I've always wondered at the point of a reel smaller than 2500, but each to their own.

That's interesting Sam. A good friend of mine works for Shimano and will get me a monstrous discount. I'll be seeing him later today so I'll ask for some details. Cheers for the heads-up.

Have you any experience of using one?

sam vimes · Mar 23, 2013

Chris Hammond ( RSPB ACA PAC} said:
Have you any experience of using one?

Absolutely none at all. I saw one in passing on my travels somewhere. Looked like the kind of thing a shop would get in and struggle to shift. Its diminutive size was impressive, but I couldn't think of any real world application that I'd have for it.

frothy · Mar 23, 2013

I have a daiwa tournament ss700 which I ordered from the USA, it's so small that when I opened the box I couldn't help but laugh! But what a cracking reel it is, has all the quality of build you would expect form a tourney and has a sublime clutch

little wander these tiny reels are first choice in their size category for the yanks. Perfect for what you want I reckon...

sam vimes · Mar 23, 2013

frothy said:
little wander these tiny reels are first choice in their size category for the yanks.

I can understand the small reel thing for the way the Yanks fish lures from boats with very short rods and braid. Still not convinced that they serve any purpose for more conventional UK styles of angling. Using mono from such a small diameter spool must be a damned horrible experience.

What kind of rods and what style of fishing do the tiny reel enthusiasts intend using them for?

---------- Post added at 12:57 ---------- Previous post was at 12:40 ----------

Chris Hammond ( RSPB ACA PAC} said:
That's interesting Sam. A good friend of mine works for Shimano and will get me a monstrous discount. I'll be seeing him later today so I'll ask for some details. Cheers for the heads-up.

Chris Hammond ( RSPB ACA PAC} · Mar 23, 2013

A small fixed spool reel is the natural accompaniment to the little american lure rods I have. It's a matter of balance in the hand, however in this instance I don't want the reel for any conventional task so its size and the effect that size of reel might have on mono is completely irrelevant. I'm not going to be casting with it, just lowering the tackle into the water. I specifically want a tiny reel to accompany a tiny rod, that's all.

Cheers Frothy I'll give it a look.

---------- Post added at 13:25 ---------- Previous post was at 12:58 ----------

Anyway, problem solved. I've just found this working miniture which is on exactly the scale I was looking for.

---------- Post added at 13:29 ---------- Previous post was at 13:25 ----------

I might still buy one of those in that latest link. The one below the featured one on the page looks even smaller and I will get it at cost price.

Smallest FS reel?

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