I have just returned from fishing the canals for 5days. I had planned this before the earthquake largely as a once only trip to tick it off my bucket list. Because of that I did not invest a lot of money on a rod I would have had no use afterward. This was a big mistake as I soon found out that casting 1/4once sinkers huge distances to get as close to the salmon cages for egg rolling needed specialised rods designed for just that task. Considering the money you will spend getting and staying there for even a few days spending 4-5 hundred $ is money well spent. If you don't do another trip you can always sell it for a good price as the canals are very popular.
My second suggestion is the line. I used 6lbs Fireline which was just OK. However Malcolm Bell (Complete Angler ChCH) showed my the latest casting line which is better than anything else on the market. Again I was too dumb to buy it and regretted it as soon as I made my first cast.
Maybe during the spawning run the fishing might be easier but in the opinion of locals as well as some gun fishers who fish there regularly the fishing has got a lot harder over the years. These fish are not hungry. They have seen everything that hundreds of people have thrown at them and don't make too many mistakes. This is a specialist fishery and to be successful you need to learn a lot of new things.
I fly fish with CD rods and have known the Johansons for many years so you could assume that I am biased. Personally I have great faith in this company's quality gear. Marty is making specialist canal rods with the help of Bryce Helm who is one of the canal gurus.
If I were to go down there again I would invest in one of them. If you are interested why don't you give them a ring (094159915) to discuss what you need. This would be my choice for both egg rolling and soft baiting where long casts make all the difference.
CDREXN902L | 2PC 9'0 275CM 3-15GM! | | $349.99 |
Cheers
Rainbow