Wish I had some trout pictures for you but I don’t. The pond was supposed to be restocked yesterday but I have my suspicions. I talked to two other guys who were fishing and they hadn’t caught a thing and hadn’t seen a thing either. When the resident experts aren’t catching anything, you know something is off.
The day started off at 27F with parts of the lake and shoreline covered in ice but it quickly warmed to 39F when the sun peeked over the hills. I went to test out the Daiwa Presso ST 62ML rod and the new 2021 Daiwa Presso LT 1000 reel. The rod casts very well and this reel is AMAZING. I didn’t think it was possible but it is smoother than the Daiwa Presso LTD 1025.
Also, since I received my 2 replacement sections for the Abu Garcia Troutin Marquis Nano rod, I decided to throw that rod and reel combo for an hour. The Abu Garcia REVO MGX Theta 1000S reel is really smooth. This combo is a good matchup and I like the direction Abu Garcia is heading.
And not to be left out…The Apia (Anglers Utopia) Grandage Lite 61. I received this rod yesterday and was really chomping at the bit to try it out. I wish I had tried the rod with the Daiwa Presso LT 1000 reel but stuck with the Vanford 1000 for the hour I fished with it.
I have ordered a few ceramic bearings for the Vanford 1000 hoping to make it the reel it could be. It seems odd that the Stradic FL 1000 is so much better yet the internals are practically identical. But there is a noticeable difference (slight grinding). Possibly switching from braid to nylon will make an impact…just not sure. Not quite ready to give up on this little reel. When the bearings arrive I may do a complete teardown and cleaning and reapply high grade lubricant.
So 3 hours fishing at a trout pond with zero fish caught. BUT…I gleaned a lot of important information from the rods I went to test out. Each was different in their own way, yet all were functional for my wants and type of fishing I like to do. Not surprising since all 3 were designed for completely different applications. The nod definitely goes to the Apia Grandage Lite 61…what a rod!
Velox Seeker 