Update time. Rod and Pin( as in another thread) balance well. Today i decided to fish a Stillwater known for Roach and Skimmers. A 2lb line on the pin with a 1.5lb hook length using an old quill top and bottom float. Firstly in goes the ground bait mixed with dead maggots whilst i set up. Single maggot was the hook bait.
20 minutes later my first Roach, only a couple of grams. Then it was chuck in pull out with manly Roach to a pound. Then a Koi again just over a pound.
So far well happy with the bit detection of the rod even a 1/2 fish puts a nice bent fro tip to the middle section.
After about an hour it went quiet, time for a cuppa. This quiet period lasts around 45 minutes, not even a line bit. Then tap, tap and then bang. Thinking it a large Roach or Shimmer, i start to haul in but the fish was having nothing. I can hear the line pinging, just like a guitar string. The fish is going left, right and up and down the pond. Like a fool, i let the pressure off the pin and the handles slapped on my fingers. That bloody hurt. The rod was nearly bent in half. The fish still not seen, doing a merry dance under the water. All of a sudden the line went slack thinking to myself it's come off. So i stated to wind only to find the fish was only a rods length away. In goes the landing net the scares the fish into doing a merry dance again but this time I've spotted a fin, It's a large Shimmer. This time the rod was bent so much i could have touched the tip(maybe not). The rod was bent right to the butt section. Line out quick. Anyway, after about what seemed another 5 minutes i had the fish in the net. It turned out to be a dustbin lid weighting 5lb 8oz. I've heard anglers talk about a large Bream but i thought it was just a wifes tell.
The rod and line proved it's self this morning. I now know what the rod is capable off and am well pleased with my choice of rod.
Line wise. This bit is for the newbies.
If i tried to just haul the fish in am sure the line would have snapped as it was only 2lb. But by playing the fish and not forcing it in the line did its job perfectly. Why haul in when the fun is in the playing the fish and wearing it out a bit to land it safely. But remember to let the fish recover before and after the fight.