PAY AROUND

£49.95

Fish on commercials are in the mood for food. They’ll pounce on virtually any bait, and even the crudest tactics will catch them.

But all too soon, as autumn arrives, everything changes. To succeed in cooler water a polished and more refined style of angling is needed, and you need to think very hard about your fishing to carry on reaping the rewards.

Finer lines, smaller hooks and smaller baits are all part of the equation, but to match the finer end tackle you need a suitable rod– and this is where Browning’s latest Commercial King Micro Waggler puts in an appearance.

With its abbreviated length, this nine-footer is obviously tailor-made for short-range casting on small commercial pools and snake lakes, rather than wide expanses of water.

But don’t let its lack of inches mislead you into thinking it’s probably a bit too short to handle anything weighing more than a couple of pounds.

The super-lightweight (160g) two-piece carbon blank dishes out more than enough clout to cope with the odd beastie or two.

Ideally, though, the Micro Waggler should be paired with a 2500 or 3000 sized reel loaded with a good sinking 4lb mainline, and used in conjunction with wagglers weighing no more than 15g. With such a set-up, the rod would be ideal for all maggot and 4mm-6mm pellet hookbaits with appropriately sized hooks and hooklengths.

The pencil-slim blank has a fabulous action that allows it to bend through most of its top section, with plenty of power feeding in via the middle and butt, just perfect for putting carp and F1s on the float in their place.

When it comes to playing and landing bigger fish on a shorter rod you’ll be pleasantly surprised – the reduced length seems to give you more leverage, and quickly brings them within easy range of the net.

Casting accuracy is good too (leaving aside ‘operator error!’), making it ideal to work with in typical parrot cage swims hemmed in by reeds.

In the right hands it will cast 35 yards-plus but, as you might expect, line pick-up at this distance isn’t the fastest.

This rod is at its brilliant best when presenting a waggler with precision just beyond your pole line.

We tested our sample rod at Decoy Lakes’ very scenic Willows Lake which is jam packed with F1s, with the odd bigger fish to keep them company. These larger carp have seen it all before, and can prove frustratingly difficult to nail. The best way is to feed 4mm pellets little and often – these fetch them up in the water pretty quickly. Then it’s a case of picking out your target, taking aim, and landing the banded bait right in front of the fish. Sooner or later one will turn and swirl on the bait, giving an instant and very often explosive take – exciting stuff. It’s really dobbing with a waggler, and patience and accuracy are key.

Now I can’t vouch for your patience, but I certainly can vouch for the casting accuracy of the Browning Micro Waggler!

VERDICT

This tiny waggler rod may seem a bit of a specialist tool, but when it’s too windy for the long pole it comes into its own. With its unerring casting accuracy it’s also ideal for far-bank snake lake work.

Mark Sawyer