Buying a new fishing pole

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Thinking of buying a new fishing pole? Have you found a great deal on a fishing pole, but aren’t sure whether it’s the right one for you? Well here are lots of tips to help you decide which pole you should buy.

We think buying a pole the right pole is quite tough because they all look the same, apart from the graphics of course. After all, they are just featureless lengths of carbon that stick together to produce one long length of tapered carbon.

The important things that go towards creating a good pole, and the right pole for you, are hidden from view. Things like the weight, the strength and the balance are all invisible, and that’s what makes picking the right pole difficult.

The spares package that is supplied with most poles is definitely something that you must take into consideration, but if the pole itself is droopy, heavy, unwieldy and weak, what’s the point in having masses of spare top kits? No amount of spare sections is going to hide the fact that the pole you bought is a crap one!

Why buy a pole anyway?

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This is a question that many anglers ask themselves. They see poles as match angler’s equipment that is best left to the professionals. But that’s wrong.

Poles are a real joy to use. Once you get used to using one, a pole will definitely help you catch more fish for a number of reasons:-

Accuracy – When you’re using a pole you can place your baited rig exactly where you want it. You couldn’t ever achieve that with a rod and reel.

Simplicity – There’s not a lot that can go wrong with a pole, and very rarely do you suffer tangles once you’ve had a little practice.

Depth finding – With a pole you can search the depths with a higher degree of accuracy than you ever could with a rod and reel, helping you to find gentle slopes and underwater ledges.

Proximity – Poles can place your rig within inches of a feature like lilies or reeds. You can’t do that with a waggler or a feeder rig.

Control – You can hold a pole rig back against the undertow of a lake or the flow of a river, meaning your bait acts more natural.

Speed – if you miss a bite when pole fishing, you can simply lift your rig out to see if your bait’s still on the hook and drop it back in again. There’s no need to reel the rig in and re-cast.

All those things combine to open up a whole new world to the angler, meaning more fish can be caught. That isn’t a bad thing when the reason we go fishing is to catch fish!

But of course it’s not all positives. There are some bad points involved in pole fishing:-

Range – You’re limited to the distance you can fish from the bank.

Expense – A decent pole and pole package can cost many more times that of a decent rod and reel.

Stigma – Most people regard poles as a match angler’s tool.

Back ache – It’s true that using poles at their full length can cause back ache, but that’s only because the pole isn’t being held correctly.

Types of poles

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There are three types of poles to choose from: margin poles, carp poles and match poles (sometimes still called roach poles). Here’s a short explanation as to each type…

Margin poles are the shortest, ranging from 4m to 10m. They are very strong poles that are intended to be used for catching very large carp that patrol the marginal shelves of commercial carp fisheries. Because they are short, they are often very stiff because there’s not a great deal of downforce at the tip. Margin poles are great for young pleasure anglers, as well as professional match anglers, because they are light, robust and almost unbreakable. You can buy a very good margin pole for £150.

Carp poles are again very strong because they are designed to cope with the stresses of catching big, powerful fish quickly and regularly. This extra strength comes with additional weight due to the increased thickness of the pole sections. They are available in a wide variety of lengths from 10m through to over 17.5m. Most are supplied with additional top kits and most will handle the thickest grades of elastic available. You’ll be able to find a good 14.5m carp pole for around £500.

Match poles are the lightest, stiffest and best-balanced poles. They are designed for catching small to average-sized fish with all manner of elastic grades, but not the strongest grades. These are the poles that most match anglers use when tackling canals, mixed stillwaters and rivers where finesse is required. Match poles tend to be long – 14.5m and 16m – and quite costly due to the high grade of carbon used to eliminate the weight while retaining strength. A good quality match pole of 16m will cost £1,000 or more.

Which pole should you buy?

The answer to this question should depend upon the fisheries you tackle and the fish you want to catch, not the amount of spare cash you have, and not what pole your mates own.

If you tackle commercial fisheries that are stocked with all manner of different species big and small and you enjoy catching them all, an all-round match pole would be best.

If you tackle commercial carp waters with one aim only – to catch carp – then a carp pole or a margin pole will be the obvious choice.

If you’re an all-rounder who fishes canals, rivers and lakes a match pole is best, and the longest you can possibly afford so that you can reach the far bank margins of the canal as that’s where the better quality fish can be found.

Deciding on pole length

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The key here, when buying a new pole, is to pick the longest you can afford as that will open up more options to you in terms of reaching fish-holding features. If your budget allows it, try to buy either a 14.5m pole or even a 16m version.

You obviously don’t have to use the pole at its full length every time it’s taken out of its holdall, but having the extra sections gives you the option to fish further out to reach the far bank, reach reeds, reach another underwater ledge if required.

You’ll find that most pole sessions will take place at around 11-13m out, but there are many times when they take place beyond that range.

Weight and balance

Most poles have their weight printed on the butt (end) sections, in catalogues and on websites. That’s a great starting point when choosing the best pole for you, but don’t for one second use that weight figure as the determining factor because, in reality, the weight of a pole is meaningless.

The pole’s weight is simply how much it weighs when it’s packed away. That’s no good really as you’re not going to use it when it’s packed away are you? You’re going to use it when it’s set up and pointing away from you.

Drennan are the only pole manufacturing company who have seen sense and have realised this. They still print the pole’s weight on the butt section, but they also print the pole’s downforce. That’s the figure that holds water. That’s what all pole manufacturers should print on their poles as it’s far more important to a potential buyer than the weight.

The downforce is the amount of weight that has to be placed upon the butt of the pole to lift the tip section off the ground. The more downforce that is required, the harder it will be to hold the pole. So, the lower the downforce, the better balanced and lighter the pole will feel and the easier it will be to fish with.

The only way to find out whether a pole feels ‘right’ is to visit a large tackle shop that has a pole showroom, or to head to a major fishing event such as our Gofishing Show and try picking a few poles up.

You could have two poles of exactly the same length and weight laying alongside each other, but when you pick them up you’ll instantly notice that one feels much lighter than the other. That’s because the lighter pole offers much better balance - it has been designed with more thought and probably higher quality carbon with less resin used to bond the carbon.

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Buy the stiffest you can find

When you visit a tackle shop or a fishing show to try a few poles out, give them a good waggle. Practice striking with them. You’ll notice that some poles will wobble for ages after you’ve struck them. But some poles will quickly straighten and stop wobbling. Those are the poles to opt for – the ones that offer the highest degree of rigidity.

The reason why is because the stiffer poles will perform better in a wind (they won’t bend so much), they will enable you to hit fast bites, and they will prevent fish being bumped off the hook when you strike.

Check out the sections

It’s well worth giving some of the pole sections a squeeze, particularly the third, fourth and fifth sections (from the tip) as these are the main sections that you will hold when a fish is being netted. They are the sections that come under the most stress when a fish is being played under the pole tip.

Don’t squeeze the sections with your finger and thumb as you’re likely to crack the example in the shop, instead wrap your hand around the section and squeeze it with your hand to see if it’s really flexible.

If you think the section is just too thin and flexible, move on to try out another pole because replacing broken pole sections isn’t a quick or cheap thing.

Spares packages

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Extra top kits and a cupping kit supplied with a pole are always handy. The cupping kit allows you to ship out loosefeed, or even small balls of groundbait, and drop it right where you want it. That’s a real bonus and will definitely help you catch more fish.

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Extra spare top kits will also help you catch more fish because you’ll be able to set them up with different grades of elastic to suit the species you are going to catch, and also allow you to have a number of different rigs set up. You could have one set up for the shallow margins, another set up for catching fish on the bottom in front of you, and another set up for catching fish at mid-water. What’s more you’ll be able to quickly switch between the three different rigs in seconds, saving time, effort and making your fishing session run a lot more smoothly than ever before.

Most poles nowadays, even short margin poles, are supplied with at least one spare top kit, but some decent poles will come with three or four spare top kits plus a cupping kit too.

Some poles are also supplied with ‘short fourth sections’ and ‘half-ex’s’. Short fourths are simply spare No4 pole sections that are half the length of normal fourth sections. They offer more power and strength than normal fourth sections so they can be used instead of the normal No4 section when fishing for larger species. The extra strength allows the angler to play the fish easily at the net, without fear of breaking the pole.

These shorter, more rigid sections are also handy when fishing in a wind as they help stiffen the pole up a little, retaining its rigidity.

Half-Ex’s are half-metre extensions that fit into the butt of the pole. They are very strong indeed and ideal for sitting on. This means you can fish the pole at full length, with the half-ex in place, and sit on the very end of the pole while holding the pole in front with your cupped hands. This makes holding the pole between bites a little easier on your back.

Accessories you’ll need

If you’re buying a pole for the very first time you’ll need certain accessories in order to be able to use it properly, and here’s the list…

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Pole roller

A vital piece of kit that should be placed behind you when fishing. Rather than break down each pole section individually, the pole should be pushed back until it rests on the roller and then it’s free to slide out of the way until you reach the point where you can break the pole down to land the hooked fish.

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Pole grip

Once your pole is sat on the roller and broken down, placing the pole into a grip of some description ensures the pole doesn’t slide into the water or roll around the bank. Some anglers slide the end of the pole into the mouth of their keepnet, which serves the same purpose and saves a few quid.

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Elastic

You’ll need some elastic as it’s the elastic that takes the strain of the hooked fish. There are many different strengths in many different colours, but basically you will need enough to elasticate all your top kits.

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Diamond eye threader

This vital piece of kit is a 3m-long wire with a diamond shape in the end. It’s used to pull the elastic through the tip of the pole when you are setting it up.

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Bung and retriever

The elastic within the pole will need trapping in place with a bung. Make sure you buy one large enough to fit within your top kit, but don’t worry if it looks too large as you will have to cut it down to size with a knife anyway.

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PTFE bush

These tiny plastic items are used either in or around the very tip of your pole top kits. They form a barrier between the elastic and the carbon, making sure the elastic doesn’t become damaged. Make sure you get a bush that has a large enough internal bore size to allow the elastic to slide through it freely. Whether you decide upon an internal or an external bush is up to you.

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Connector – These small plastic items are tied onto the end of the pole elastic and have small hooks to attach your pole rig to. There are many different sizes and colours – just choose one large enough for the elastic you’re going to use.

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Lubricant – This is a crucial item. Every time your pole is used you need to pull the bung from the end of the pole top section and give the elastic a squirt of lubricant to make sure it runs smoothly in and out of the pole.

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Rigs – You can make your own pole rigs or you can buy them ready made. It’s probably best to buy ready made rigs to begin with, as you’re getting the feel of your new pole, but eventually it’s best (and cheaper) if you make your own as you’ll be able to fine-tune your rigs to suit the venue that you are fishing regularly.

Buying a new fishing reel

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Need a little help buying a new fishing reel, buying your first reel, figuring out whether you need a new fixed spool reel, free spool reel, front drag reel or rear drag reel? Well you’ve come to the right place as here’s a detailed article providing masses of help to ensure you purchase the correct reel.

Read on and you’ll be able to decide what style of reel to choose, what size, what number of ball bearings and what configuration of fishing reel you will need to help you cast effectively and catch a whole lot more fish.

We’ve split this article into sections to help you through the many different features of fishing reels, what they do, how they can help the angler and much more besides…

Style of reels available

The coarse angler has six different styles of reel available to use, all detailed below. Some are extremely flexible and can be used for a huge array of different fishing styles, while others are really quite specialised and are best used in certain circumstances, and even only with certain baits.

Fixed spool reels

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By far the most common fishing reel available – almost every single angler in the country has at least one fixed spool reel.

The reason why they are called fixed spool reels is simple – the spool of the reel, under normal fishing circumstances, doesn’t move. It is set in a fixed position and instead the rotor arm passes around the spool to wind the line back onto the spool. Years before fixed spool reels were invented anglers used centrepin reels that did have revolving drums.

Fixed spool reels come in a wide variety of sizes, colours and configurations. Some have front drag systems, some have rear drag systems. Some have single handles, some have double handles. You’ll find much more information concerning these features below.

This type of fishing reel makes for a great all round reel. It could be used for float fishing, legering, lure fishing, trotting, specimen fishing, pleasure fishing or match fishing – it really is the most versatile reel we have at our disposal.

What makes fixed spool reels so versatile is that they are cheap, they are easy to use, they often come supplied with extra interchangeable spools to hold different strengths of fishing line, and they are reliable. Some of the best reels on the market will last decades of service, without a need for a service too!

Their mechanisms can be locked at a flick of a switch to ensure that the reel cannot turn backwards and this is brilliant when legering as it allows the angler to fine-tune a quivertip to help spot every single bite.

They can be used for close range fishing right through to 100-yard casts with a heavyweight feeder – they really are incredibly versatile.

You could pick up a new, budget fixed spool reel for as little as £5, and for only £30 you will be able to find a reliable reel that will last a good few seasons. Fixed spool reels that will last a lifetime cost upwards of £100.

Free spool reels

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Free spool fishing reels are an advanced design of fixed spool reels. They are exactly the same as fixed spool reels but they have one additional feature – an extra drag system.

This system, when it’s switched on, will allow the reel’s spool to turn under a set amount of tension determined by the angler. So, if a fish were to pick up a baited rig and swim off with it, line can strip from the reel easily. All the angler has to do to stop the line coming off the reel is to pick up the rod and turn the reel’s handle to disengage the free spool mechanism.

This feature is widely used by specimen carp, barbel, pike and catfish anglers as those species are widely known to pick up baits and swim off with them.

If a normal reel is used for this purpose there’s a very high chance that the fish would simply drag the rod and reel into the water because the spool can’t revolve to pay out line – it’s happened many times before.

Generally speaking free spool reels tend to be larger and heavier than fixed spool reels because there’s more mechanics within the reel’s body, and they tend to be used for casting heavier rigs longer distances, so the spools are often on the large side.

There are some free spool reels on the market costing as little as £15, but pay upwards of £40 and you will have a reel that’s reliable, performs well, casts well and won’t let you down when a big fish is cranked back to the net.

Big pit reels

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Big fish anglers often need to cast extreme distances with either their baited rigs or with marker rod or spod set-ups. These are the times when a big pit reel come into play.

These specialist fixed spool reels are huge. They have small bodies, large handles, great cranking power, but above all they have enormous spools capable of holding many 100s of yards of thick line.

They offer the same features as most fixed spool reels (anti-reverse, line clips, folding handles etc) but their massive spools allow the angler to cast far further than he has ever done before.

Line on these large spools can strip off easily and with very little resistance, ensuring that the baited rig, marker float or spod flies as far as possible.

Carp, catfish and pike anglers tend to use big pit reels when they are fishing, feeding or finding a swim at range.

Some big pit reels come with a free spool facility that can be used to let the fish swim off with a baited rig and this feature gives the specialist big-fish angler even more reason to want to own one or a set.

Cheaper big pit reels will cost around £40, but expect to pay in the region of £80-plus for a reliable model that will last for many seasons and through the fights of many big fish.

Centrepin reels

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Although somewhat outdated, centrepin reels take some beating when fishing flowing water. A well looked-after centrepin that rotates well will give the angler years of superb river float fishing because the rotating drum will pay out line at exactly the speed of the current. And this ensures that the baited rig travels downstream naturally and enticingly.

A good centrepin reel will not only spin for long periods, it ought to stop and revolve in the opposite direction with the gentlest of taps on the drum or the handles. This ability will prove very useful when hooking into a fish as the reel will have to stop quickly and begin revolving in the opposite direction for retrieval of the fish or the rig.

There are two main types of centrepin – wide drum and narrow drum. If you intend to fish with fine lines for small fish using light float rigs then a narrow drum centrepin is best. But if you’re intent on using strong lines for heavy float work, stret pegging or rolling baits for barbel then opt for a wide drum model.

Some centrepins are supplied with ratchets. This is basically a spring-loaded switch that can be engaged to tighten the reel’s drum to hinder it from spinning – but it doesn’t lock it tight. The ratchet is useful when legering to create a tight line to the lead, and also to provide audible bite detection due to the ratchet clicking as the drum starts to revolve when a fish takes line.

Another feature that might be found on centrepin reels is a drag system. This simply allows the angler to tighten the drum a little, slowing the revolving drum. This again comes in useful when legering or when trotting a river and you need to slow the speed of the drum down to hinder the progress of your rig. Drags can be fine-tuned easily to provide the perfect speed of rotation.

Although very simple in their design, centrepin reels aren’t cheap. A good one from a reputable manufacturer will cost in the region of £150 to £250. But you’ll have a sound reel that will - if treated well - last a lifetime and beyond without depreciating massively.

Closed face reels

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Closed face reels, like centrepin reels, are quite specialist tools. There have only ever been a handful of closed face reels in production from the likes of Ryobi (now obsolete), Daiwa and ABU Garcia.

They found favour with the river angler because not only are they extremely light and therefore easy on the arms, with a dab of an outstretched forefinger the bale pin or pins would release and line would peel from the enclosed spool very smoothly.

This enabled river anglers to cast their stick floats, trot the rig downstream and trap line for the strike without a hint of a problem.

They were the next best thing to centrepin reels – even better in some cases because closed face reels are much easier to cast than centrepin reels, giving even the novice angler the chance to catch river fish on the float.

They aren’t the most powerful reel though. And they aren’t the most technically advanced either. In most instances, after a couple of seasons use the average closed face reel sounded more like a coffee grinder than a reel when it was wound.

But there are still many closed face reels in use on rivers and stillwaters, undoubtedly due to their ease of use, ease of casting, their low weight and the fact that the enclosed spool prevents wind from creating problems with the line.

In the last few weeks of 2009 ABU Garcia released an upgraded version of their very popular Premier closed face reel – the new Premier 706. This is a sound investment for the float angler and retails at around £75.

Multiplier reels

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More frequently used by sea anglers fishing from boat or beach, multipliers are also used by some coarse fisherman when lure fishing.

Because of the small and compact nature of multiplier reels and the fact that they can be operated by the thumb, multiplier reels lend themselves perfectly to lure fishing. An avid lure angler can cast artificial baits many yards single-handedly really easily.

The only problem facing lure anglers who choose to use multiplier reels is the rod. As multipliers are positioned on top of the rod, it’s necessary to buy a rod designed to be used with a multiplier. The reel seat has to be slightly different, the blank action has to be different and the way the line guides are positioned has to be different to the norm as well.

Multipliers are very easy to use, but only when they have been set up correctly. The brake has to be adjusted to prevent the drum spinning after the lure has entered the water. If it’s not tightened correctly the drum will carry on rotating, causing line to strip from the drum and tangle. After a few of these near impossible to save tangles you’ll wish you had set the drag correctly!

ABU Garcia and Masterline multiplier reels are firm favourites among lure anglers.

Drag systems

All modern fixed spool reels have drag systems. Some of them are adjustable at the back of the reel (rear drag) while some are adjustable upon the spool (front drag reels).

Rear drag models are the most popular among pleasure anglers, while front drag reels are the favourite among lure anglers and increasingly popular among match anglers.

Both style of drags provide the same function – they tighten or slacken the movement of the spool. When the drag is set at its loosest setting, the spool will rotate easily and a fish will be able to pull line from the reel faster than you’ll be able to wind it in.

At its tightest setting the spool will lock tight and the line will snap before the spool gives and starts to pay out any line.

Once a rig has been made the drag should be adjusted to suit. To do this guess the drag required, hold the rod and reel in one hand, and hold your line and in the other. Flex the rod as far as you can to see if the line begins stripping from the spool.

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You should adjust the drag so that the spool begins paying out line just before the line gives up and snaps.

Regarding the performance of the different types of drag systems – front drag reels have the edge over rear drag reels simply because the mechanics of the drag don’t have to run all the way through the reel’s body – they are positioned right on the end of the spool. This means that front drag reels are slightly more effective than rear drag models. Maybe this is why so many of our top-flight match anglers prefer front drag reels.

Most reel manufacturers code their front drag reels as FD, and their rear drag reels as RD.

Some of the more advanced and expensive fixed spool reels have a fighting drag system. This is yet another drag switch set at the rear of the reel’s body and by either pushing it to the left or right will either tighten the drag or loosen it. This feature will ensure that you have direct control over a hooked fish at all times throughout the fight, ensuring that the fish can take line when necessary, and you can also tighten up and stop the fish if it heads towards any snags.

Bearings

The amount of bearings set inside a reel will determine how smooth-running it is. But bearings help prolong the reel’s lifespan too, taking the brunt of any wear and tear of the moving parts.

Basic, budget fixed spool reels tend to have one, two or three bearings, while top of the range fixed spool reels may have as many as 12.

Pick up two reels – one having a few ball bearings and one having many and give them a spin. You’ll soon feel the difference, and what a difference it makes!

Spools

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Multipliers, centrepins and big pit reels tend to only be supplied with the one spool, but closed face reels, fixed spool reels and free spool reels may well have a spare spool, or more in the case of higher quality reels.

This isn’t a sales gimmick – it’s a useful addition that allows anglers to load up each spool with different strengths of line, or braid depending upon what you prefer using.

If stored safely in a watertight bag that doesn’t allow light to penetrate, the line upon the spare spools will last for a year or more, depending upon how much it’s used.

If you do invest in a reel with additional spools the best and simplest way to remember the strength of line on each is to paint a little Tipp-Ex on the inside of the spool, let it dry, then use a fine permanent pen to write down the line strength over the Tipp-Ex blob. Simple!

The spools of rear drag reels can be released by pressing the centre button at the very front of the spool. To release front drag spool you will have to fully unscrew the front disk, but be careful not to knock off any washers from the spindle.

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Free spool conversions

If you have a large reel, but wish it was a free spool reel, there are companies that specialise in converting the spool assembly to transform the reel into a free spool model.

For much less than the price of a new free spool reel you could transform your favourite large fixed spool reel into a model that will let line strip from the spool if a big fish decides to take the baited rig.

Line lay

The flatter the lay of line upon a reel’s spool the better the reel will perform when casting. You’ll cast further with less effort, and you’ll be able to cast with much more accuracy too.

A flat line lay will ensure that the line peels off the spool consistently and with less resistance than a spool that has a curved line lay.

Unfortunately this is impossible to know when you’re buying a reel off the shelves. To find out a reel’s line lay check out reviews of new models within the angling press or on this website as we have the chance to load the reels fully and try them out.

Line clips

If you’re not that bothered about accuracy when you’re casting then you don’t need to worry about whether the spool on your reel has a line clip or not. But you should be bothered as accuracy is everything when fishing.

If you keep casting feeders to the same spot every time you will catch more fish, and a line clip on your spool will help you achieve this.

All you need to do is cast out your rig to the chosen distance and then wrap the line around the clip. Retrieve the rig, aim it towards the same spot and chances are the line will shoot off the spool until it hits the line clip, making the rig stop. That will provide you with the accuracy you need to ensure you hit the same spot upon every single cast.

Retrieve ratio

The retrieve ratio of a reel gives an indication of the reel’s speed. The average fixed spool reel will have a retrieve ratio of around 5.2:1. This means that the rotor assembly will spin around the spool 5.2 times for every one full turn of the handle. That’s about the average speed of a general purpose fixed spool reel.

Really powerful specialist reels such as some big pit reels have much slower retrieve ratios -along the lines of 4:1. This gives the reel more cranking power, allowing the angler to take control of larger, extremely powerful fish easily.

There are some fixed spool reels available that have very high speed retrieves – as high as 7.2:1. These are a little too specialist for the average angler as the very swift retrieve rate could cause problems with the line and hooklength spinning violently as the rig is retrieved, ultimately causing tangles.

High speed reels are ideal when fishing at long range during match fishing circumstances as the angler can bring the rig back quickly, saving time.

An everyday fishing session, where normal distances are being fished, and average fish are being caught will demand a ‘normal’ reel to be used having a retrieve ratio of between 4.8:1 and 5.4:1.

Size

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When a reel manufacturer produces a new reel they tend to create around four different sizes so the angler can pick the one that best suits the fishing circumstances.

Unfortunately there isn’t a standard size code for reels, but most manufacturers use numbers to indicate the size.

Some companies use the numbers 1000, 2500, 3000, 4000 etc through to 12000 (smallest first) to indicate the size of the reel, while others use 025, 030, 035, 040 (smallest first).

Reels in the 1000, 1500, 2000, 020 and 025 size are lightweight, compact models ideal for lure fishing or for light float fishing purposes. 3000, 3500, 4000, 030, 035 reels are better suited to general pleasure fishing, float fishing and legering where fish of many sizes may be caught.

Specialist anglers favour reels in the 5000, 6000, 8000, 060, 070 and 080 ranges as they hold more line, tend to be more powerful and therefore will reach further distances and control larger fish.

Big pit, long casting reels will be size 10,000 or even 12,000. These are for really long range fishing situations, spodding or marker float work.

Handles

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The choice of reel handle is a personal one. You won’t get much of a choice when deciding between centrepin, multiplier and closed face reels because they are all pretty much the same. But the three types of fixed spool reels offer a wide variety of handle shapes and lengths. Some of the higher range fixed spool reels also have double handles to provide better balance upon the retrieve and quicker use as it’s easier to locate a handle that has two grips than a single handle.

Take a close look at the grip of the handle and see if it’s large enough for your hands. It will pay to check out the type of grip too – some are likely to offer a good grip when dry, but would it slip in the wet?

There’s no reason to have long handles upon any reel other than big pit reels – these reels demand long handles to enable the angler to power into large fish or to retrieve rigs that have been cast very long distances.