travel rod

[Kieran Hanrahan 1]

Hello

anyone got any experience of travel rods - several been suggested but I am looking for advice based on use!

All comments welcomed...

Thanks

 

[Bryan Baron 2]

Depends on how much you want to spend. I used a cheap shakespear 10 telescopic spinner for 5 years before it broke. This could cast 3oz no worries and handled most species. Dog fish Pollack, Codling, whiting, Bass etc you can pick them up for around ?20 these days.

 

[senan ensko]

If they are about ?20 in UK Kieran then expect to pay about 355 Euro here at home !!! LOL

 

[Ian Pickering]

Kieran
I bought a Shimano STC 11 1/2 ft travel rod a couple of summers ago, just after they came out. Paid about ?65.
These days I always take it all my trips, I love it to bits, gar and mackeral fishing with a float or single lure is fantastic fun. The rod will chuck a two oz weight about 75 yards. I have fished on the bottom with it but it has to be clean ground, it hasn't got the backbone for anything snaggy. Caught bream type fish and strap congers in Portugal with it summer before last. Comes in a hard travel tube. I use a Mitchell f/s reel loaded with braid and a 35lb shockleader.

 

[Norman Smith]

The Shimano STC is great value for money and has more back bone than it looks. Just the job for light tackle tarpon fishing. I also use mine for carp fishing and caught a couple of twenties last week and it felt as if it could manage fish twice the size without any problem. This rod comes in a number of lengths and strengths so I am sure you could find something in the range to suit you.

 

[Bonefish]

Shimano Exage STC 330H

NO QUESTION.
NO COMPARISON.
NO CHOICE.

The Twang of a Spinner.
The Flick of a floater.
The Backbone of a Caster.
The feel of a ?200 Two-piece.

I spent 3 months hunting down a good rod to keep in my car for "emergency fishing", when I dont have all my specialist sea gear for sea and NEED to fish after work, or fancy some light tackle fun with just one rod.

I checked out lots of tele's, multi's, and shorts, and to cut a long story short, this thing is by FAR the best.

It even casts lures further and more accuratly than my ?100 Abu Spinning rod which was built for the job and does it very well.

Float. Spin. Freeline. Light ledger.
6 piece.
Can be set up as 10 or 11 feet.
Fantastic action.
Excellent build.
Aprox ?55

In fact, why are you still sat there?
Open a browser and order the bugger !

Just one thing....match it up with a small-ish reel, as the reel seat isnt huge.

I dont work for Shimano, or even use much of thier gear, but they really have hit a bullseye with this rod.

 

[Bonefish]

Putting it another way....

Ive got one, its nice.

 

[Norman Smith]

I'm off to France next week and will let you know how the STC got on when I get back. Up to now I reckon it is the best on the market.

 

[Ian Pickering]

So we're agreed then, the STC 330H it is. We should be on commission!

 

[Bonefish]

True.

HEY ! SHIMANO ! HOW ABOUT CUTTING US IN ?

Hmmm.....

 

[Del]

Has anybody got/used the 270MH.

I've just invested in one and it does look the dogs doodahs. Not had a chance to use it yet but will do some time this week.

Del.

 

[Bonefish]

Simply a lighter version I would suspect. I saw it briefly, and the build was the same. Cant fault the set really. Im sure you'll love it...
Good luck with it mate.

 

[Del]

Cheers.

 

[Norman Smith]

Just a quick follow up. Whilst we were in France Maureen, my wife, caught a 28.10 common carp that fought like hell and the STC handled it very well.

 

[Kieran Hanrahan 1]

Well, back from the Canaries but without the travel rod - didn't arrive in time for the trip. Never got to fish due to the persistent sand castle building required and the heat - once the kids were in bed it was a bottle of wine and a few snacks on the terrace... very nice.

FWIW, Barracuda can be taken off the rocks at high tide where there is a decent current and a bit of wave action. Lots of unusual flatfish including two types of Megrim and Sole available off the beaches, mainly at night. Grouper and Bass can be taken at distance and the harbours are stuffed to bursting with mullet to 10 lbs. You can not fish in the harbours, but you can from the rocks fringing them so long as you are not endangering passers-by! 300 Euro fine if you disobey the local laws. There were also several other types of bream like fish -beautifully coloured in mauves and blues, with a distinct forked tail and they move like absolute torpedoes.

Anyone know what they are - I have photos if anyone needs to have a look... now they would definitely be worthwhile targetting...

Thanks for all the advice, rod is now stowed in the car for "emergencies"!!!

 

[C. Roger Bradbury]

I saw a Blue Trevally (looks like a Gilthead Bream, but with much longer pectoral fins) ramming head-first into the weedy, rocky bottom in La Gomera harbour - trying to get a crab out into the open.
Looked about 20lb and very fit.

If the ones you've seen look more like Bass than Bream they might be Bluefish (very sharp teeth) like caught at Madeira and on the N.E. coast of the USA