Total Sea Magazine

With modern rod-construction materials becoming, it seems, more advanced each year, rods can now be made to different specifications more easily for a wider range of uses than ever.

I’ve always been a fan of slim blanks, as long as they’re up to the job. The new Mighty Thin from Reelsport is the latest innovation to pass through my hands and, after a little play with it in the office, I could hardly wait to venture to a beach and test its performance. However, my initial thoughts were that this tool was pretty damn thin, to say the least, and I wondered if its rating for casting up to 6oz could possibly be true.

A little history…
The idea for the rod came about because many new rods these days seem to be designed as low diameter (LD), and Reelsport’s Terry Wood wondered how stiff he could get the LD rod without making it a beast to cast. This is even more relevant in the northeast, where Terry comes from; here, fishing is regularly over heavy ground, which requires rods with plenty of backbone.

First impressions
Terry has never let me down with regard to handing me quality rods to test. Just by glancing at this one I could tell that it was something special. The tip was sensitive, but with plenty of power for lead pick-up during the cast and reeling in. I was pleased to note that the blank wasn’t too light, as this would indicate that less material was used in its construction. It was good to see quite thick walls, which should indicate strength within the blank – although there is a Century chrome reinforcing band around the butt joint for added security.

It comes in two equal-length sections and measures in at 13 feet when assembled. The blank is fitted throughout with Reelsport’s VFM guides, secured in place with black whippings – I have to say that it does look rather good! The tip has reflective tape for showing bites at night and the butt section has Japanese shrink tubing for the hand grips. It can be used in the high or low reel position via a supplied 24mm adjustable reel seat, and the extra shrink tubing either side of the spigot is a nice touch, to help separate the joint if your hands are cold and wet.

The Casting Test
A few gentle casts with a 4oz sinker gave me a feel for the rod and a good indication of how long a drop I would need when winding up for the bigger pendulum casts. I was pleasantly surprised how brisk the action was and, in no time at all, I was cranking up the power and blasting the lead well over 200 yards easily.

Next was to clip on a 175g lead (6¼oz), which is just over the stated recommended rating. But, in truth, the blank had no problems at all – even when I went full tilt and hit the cast hard. The rod recovered very well with a nice crisp action, leaving me feeling quite satisfied as the lead whizzed out to sea.

The Fishing Test
I knew the rod punched well above its weight, and where I was fishing required at least a 6oz lead – but there would also be bait on top of this.
I reckon that the total casting weight on my trace was at least 7oz, but I sent my bait out 150 yards to where the fish should be with no trouble at all. Putting the rod in the rest, I observed the tip gently bend a little to absorb some tide – not too much, but just the right amount to act as a shock absorber to help keep the lead anchored in the right place.

My target was cod, so I was looking for a few knocks in the rod tip then a drop back (when the line goes slack). Typical of fishing, I pushed hard for a cod but they simply weren’t there that day. However, I was delighted to see a rattle in the tip from long range, which turned out to be a dab. So top marks for bite indication – although it didn’t test the rod much for the retrieve!

I did compensate for this by allowing copious amounts of weed to gather on my line on my final cast, which meant I had plenty of weight to haul into. Once again, the rod punched above its weight and a few pounds of weed were soon beached.

Conclusion
It has been a while since I’ve tested a rod from Reelsport, but I have always enjoyed using the ones it makes and still fish with the Response I tested many years ago. It seems that Terry has found a nice balance with his new Mighty Thin, and I’m confident that when I use this rod in the future it won’t let me down. Even though it’s very thin it will certainly cope with rock fishing and general heavy ground, but I personally prefer it as a clean beach rod and for fairly long-range fishing. I will also be using it for bassing in the surf and estuaries for flounders and so on. I have to admit that I do like this rod as it can be used for several purposes.

INFORMATION
Blank material: Carbon
Overall length: 13ft
Joints: Push-in spigot
Guides: Eight plus tip
Whippings: Black
Reel seat: Adjustable reel seat
RRP: £300

TSF RATINGS
Appearance: ★★★★★★★★★★
Casting:  ★★★★★★★★★★
Fishing: ★★★★★★★★★★
Value for money: ★★★★★★★★★★

Contact: Reelsport on 01914 226298
Website: www.reelsport.co.uk