This is a fantastic micro fishing set up but is surprisingly difficult to find now. Links below. Usually the 'pen rods' are only available with terrible quality spinning reels or multiplier / bait-caster type reels which are even worse. The tiny multiplier reels are particularly bad quality and don't even function properly as a reel. However, the 'fly reel' type of reel as shown here definitely works and has nothing to go wrong with it - that makes it the obvious choice for this sort of tiny set up.....if you can find it online. It is great for a bug out bag or an extended survival kit. This is the only listing I can currently find online which is at a decent price for the rod and reel shown in this video (Amazon): geni.us/shgkavH I'd definitely recommend this set up as it packs down so small and functions perfectly well a demonstrated in the video. E-Z Trout Floats (Amazon): geni.us/U7xkguZ Pack of grubs (need size 10 / 12 hooks) on Ebay: ebay.us/QeE4TD Time stamps: 00:00 Intro 01:37 Test curve / strength of rod 02:38 Best type of reels for pen rods 04:25 Attaching he float 05:21 First fish 08:07 Second fish 09:12 Close ups of rod and reel 11:16 Final thoughts & Summary My Thousand Yard Stare channel on Odysee: odysee.com/@ThousandYardStare:e
@@hesalovelybuoy5944 Yes, yes and no - I wouldn't use this in the sea due to the limited casting range and much greater chance of snags but it would be quite cool to catch a big mackerel going berserk on this tiny rod. Unfortunately the spinning reels which are trimmed down to fit these tiny rods are usually crap so a good option for spinning I use a different rod and that one can be found in the video here: th-cam.com/video/2TqramHPKrs/w-d-xo.html I've reviewed a few bigger telescopic rods but the one in the video link is the cheapest and most easy to put into a backpack due to the tiny size.
@@hesalovelybuoy5944 That makes sense - I was doing some gardening for my in-laws up at Haltwhistle last night and the Tyne looked beautiful, especially the bit just below waters meet outside of Hexham.
i just got one of these and noticed the reel the part that spins wobbles a lot with the slightest touch not when your reeling so i was thinking of getting KastKing Centron 500 Spinning Reel but im not sure if its small enough kinda was looking more for a micro caster
Mine is solid when using the 'fly reel' type of reel but due to the size and weight of spinning reels they sometimes aren't as solid - the spinning reel which comes with the rod and reel combo is terrible quality so I wouldn't recommend that. I made a video of a great spinning reel on a 'pen' rod here: th-cam.com/video/2TqramHPKrs/w-d-xo.html
@@ThousandYardStare thats why im looking into a small casting reel theres also the kastking spinning reel centron 500 not kinda for ice fishing but i dont want it to be to big ill have a look at your video
@@ExelArts That's a bummer - yes, they're just no-name Chinese reels and there will be numerous identical alternatives out there. The Chinese stuff comes and goes on UK selling sites unfortunately.
There are 2 interpretations of an open faced reel but with this particular rod there are 3 options for reels - one is a spinning reel, the other is a multiplier / bait-caster type and the other is a fly reel. The fly reel is the only decent quality (usable) reel as the spinning reel is awful quality and the multiplier type doesn't work at all. Some mini rods do have decent reels but not this one which is why I personally would only use this rod with the fly reel. I've got a couple of original pen rods and fly reels coming from www.penrods.com to make videos on so I'm very much looking forward to seeing how they compare to the Chinese copies as shown in this video. The proper pen rods can actually be used as a fly rod so I can't wait to make those videos.
I am good and have been concentrating on building an infrastructure here where we are more self sufficient so now we've got solar power, hens, vegetable gardens etc. etc. and it's taken quite an investment of time and money to get this far. With how crazy this fake world has become they've been good investments and I'm looking forward to the next plandemic and the economic collapse, lol How are you doing, man?
@@ThousandYardStare we're good here. We had chickens, growing veggies, fishing, etc. We have a 100w solar set and a camper if needed. Stay safe my friend.
@@jaymoge That is good to hear and having those skills in conjunction with the infrastructure will allow you to navigate the collapse much better than the vast amounts of people who have no idea what is going on or what is coming. The future is ours to make.
Just got one, much better with that 'centrepin' style reel I agree. The others are awful. Probably a silly question but have you ever tried fly fishing with it? I'm trying to downscale my gear
I would love to use one for fly fishing but I can't find a light enough fly line - I got a 0 or 00 weight line and it still wouldn't fit through the guide rings. Maybe the fly line would fit if the guide rings were drilled out a bit but I haven't gone there yet. If you manage to find a suitable fly line please let me know where you got it from and I'll buy one.
@@stevebutton4112 I have considered that but haven't bough one yet. I like the look of the Tenkara rods as there are a few parts of my local river where limited length of casts would catch fish no problem. Every time I fish the river I use a different method from fly to spinning to bait to handline as I like to practice all techniques. I've even made fish traps from willow to catch fish and all I caught in that was a nation of crayfish.
It is at my home but we've lost most of the fish in the last month. Not sure if something came in through the spring supply, down with the rain or it was a natural event but one day they were feeding like sharks, next day they were hanging around the sides and dying. It seems to have got better lately and I have treat the pond but it was a real bummer. Later in the year we will net the pond to further reduce the population and keep it as low as possible since the event seemed to strip the oxygen out of the water and less fish = more oxygen to support them.
Not for me this one rich, firstly you never know what your gonna catch, secondly my sausage fingers with that reel, well! We will leave it there pal! Sorry, not for me. 👎
That is cool with me - I was waiting for the first dislike as some people are sick of me putting videos about tiny fishing rods out and this one is about as small as it gets, lol It's a very specific set up for a specific purpose and for 'proper' fishing (legal / non-survival) a proper set up will always be the preferred option - I like to learn how to use all sorts of different set ups to cover all bases.....just in case.
@@ThousandYardStare ofcourse rich, and I totally understand that it's about size and space, I wouldn't want to fish anywhere with that, it's about confidence for me, personally I'd prefer the other rod and reel you covered, was it the tixado or something like that, that would fit in any rucksack, but horses for coarse mate. 👍
@@jascarty3503 Yes, the Lixda telescopic rod and reel is probably the smallest 'proper' rod which most people would consider. The prospect of using a tiny rod which is a novelty pen shape seems ridiculous on the face of it but I'm genuinely pleased with how well this one performs and how little space it takes up in a pack. I now own 2 of them and have one in my small pack I carry while fly fishing (proper fishing) and the other has replaced the hand line in my bug out bag. It's as small as a hobo hand line and has the bonus of being able to properly wind in and play the fish on a reel instead of hand winding.which could be the difference between having something to eat and losing the potential meal. Given the choice I'd rather use any of my fly rods for normal fishing as there is nothing like catching fish on the fly in a river.
@@ThousandYardStare love that rich, I watch all your fly trout fishing on your stretch of river, the sitting back, the stalking, love that, and its something I've never done, but hope too in the future, I've stalked carp in trees many times, but would love a go on what you call, proper fishing!!! 😂👍
This is a fantastic micro fishing set up but is surprisingly difficult to find now. Links below.
Usually the 'pen rods' are only available with terrible quality spinning reels or multiplier / bait-caster type reels which are even worse. The tiny multiplier reels are particularly bad quality and don't even function properly as a reel.
However, the 'fly reel' type of reel as shown here definitely works and has nothing to go wrong with it - that makes it the obvious choice for this sort of tiny set up.....if you can find it online.
It is great for a bug out bag or an extended survival kit.
This is the only listing I can currently find online which is at a decent price for the rod and reel shown in this video (Amazon): geni.us/shgkavH
I'd definitely recommend this set up as it packs down so small and functions perfectly well a demonstrated in the video.
E-Z Trout Floats (Amazon): geni.us/U7xkguZ
Pack of grubs (need size 10 / 12 hooks) on Ebay: ebay.us/QeE4TD
Time stamps:
00:00 Intro
01:37 Test curve / strength of rod
02:38 Best type of reels for pen rods
04:25 Attaching he float
05:21 First fish
08:07 Second fish
09:12 Close ups of rod and reel
11:16 Final thoughts & Summary
My Thousand Yard Stare channel on Odysee: odysee.com/@ThousandYardStare:e
I think one of these could just about do coarse fishing at Hexham, trout spinning and some mackerel off Blyth pier or something
@@hesalovelybuoy5944 Yes, yes and no - I wouldn't use this in the sea due to the limited casting range and much greater chance of snags but it would be quite cool to catch a big mackerel going berserk on this tiny rod.
Unfortunately the spinning reels which are trimmed down to fit these tiny rods are usually crap so a good option for spinning I use a different rod and that one can be found in the video here: th-cam.com/video/2TqramHPKrs/w-d-xo.html
I've reviewed a few bigger telescopic rods but the one in the video link is the cheapest and most easy to put into a backpack due to the tiny size.
@@ThousandYardStare cheers for reply. i hope one day i can fish near you out west
@@hesalovelybuoy5944 I live in the North East of England so I'm assuming that you're in mainland Europe if I am West of you?
@@hesalovelybuoy5944 That makes sense - I was doing some gardening for my in-laws up at Haltwhistle last night and the Tyne looked beautiful, especially the bit just below waters meet outside of Hexham.
I just bought one on Amazon, will go in the glove box nicely. Thanks Richard.
No worries - I bought another one myself after I made this video, lol
ive had good luck with penfishingrods spinning reels and pen rods
Nice one - best of luck next time you're out.
I always enjoy your videos, keep them coming!
Will do - I have another one coming tonight on the smallest fishing kit I've made to date.
i just got one of these and noticed the reel the part that spins wobbles a lot with the slightest touch not when your reeling so i was thinking of getting KastKing Centron 500 Spinning Reel but im not sure if its small enough kinda was looking more for a micro caster
Mine is solid when using the 'fly reel' type of reel but due to the size and weight of spinning reels they sometimes aren't as solid - the spinning reel which comes with the rod and reel combo is terrible quality so I wouldn't recommend that. I made a video of a great spinning reel on a 'pen' rod here: th-cam.com/video/2TqramHPKrs/w-d-xo.html
@@ThousandYardStare thats why im looking into a small casting reel theres also the kastking spinning reel centron 500 not kinda for ice fishing but i dont want it to be to big
ill have a look at your video
@@ThousandYardStare just checked neither of the the reels links go anywhere i guess they stopped selling them
@@ExelArts That's a bummer - yes, they're just no-name Chinese reels and there will be numerous identical alternatives out there.
The Chinese stuff comes and goes on UK selling sites unfortunately.
If you get the open face reel there actually pretty decent
There are 2 interpretations of an open faced reel but with this particular rod there are 3 options for reels - one is a spinning reel, the other is a multiplier / bait-caster type and the other is a fly reel.
The fly reel is the only decent quality (usable) reel as the spinning reel is awful quality and the multiplier type doesn't work at all.
Some mini rods do have decent reels but not this one which is why I personally would only use this rod with the fly reel.
I've got a couple of original pen rods and fly reels coming from www.penrods.com to make videos on so I'm very much looking forward to seeing how they compare to the Chinese copies as shown in this video. The proper pen rods can actually be used as a fly rod so I can't wait to make those videos.
Holy crap...Rich?!?!?!... Man, ain't seen you in a long time man. Hope you're well. Cheers.
I am good and have been concentrating on building an infrastructure here where we are more self sufficient so now we've got solar power, hens, vegetable gardens etc. etc. and it's taken quite an investment of time and money to get this far.
With how crazy this fake world has become they've been good investments and I'm looking forward to the next plandemic and the economic collapse, lol
How are you doing, man?
@@ThousandYardStare we're good here. We had chickens, growing veggies, fishing, etc. We have a 100w solar set and a camper if needed. Stay safe my friend.
@@jaymoge That is good to hear and having those skills in conjunction with the infrastructure will allow you to navigate the collapse much better than the vast amounts of people who have no idea what is going on or what is coming. The future is ours to make.
Just got one, much better with that 'centrepin' style reel I agree. The others are awful. Probably a silly question but have you ever tried fly fishing with it? I'm trying to downscale my gear
I would love to use one for fly fishing but I can't find a light enough fly line - I got a 0 or 00 weight line and it still wouldn't fit through the guide rings.
Maybe the fly line would fit if the guide rings were drilled out a bit but I haven't gone there yet.
If you manage to find a suitable fly line please let me know where you got it from and I'll buy one.
@@ThousandYardStare will do, and thanks for the prompt reply!!
@@stevebutton4112 No worries, man - I'm still working so the computer is on, lol
@@ThousandYardStare just a thought, what about tenkara level line?
@@stevebutton4112 I have considered that but haven't bough one yet. I like the look of the Tenkara rods as there are a few parts of my local river where limited length of casts would catch fish no problem. Every time I fish the river I use a different method from fly to spinning to bait to handline as I like to practice all techniques.
I've even made fish traps from willow to catch fish and all I caught in that was a nation of crayfish.
We’re are you from and we’re is this
I'm about 12 miles West of Newcastle in the North East of England and his n mu own pond.
Where*
great video & review good job you did not catch the sturgeon lol !!!!!!!!!!!
I shudder to think how big that thing is now as it was about 5 feet when it went in.
Sas1 knows him he's been to Hereford
I think you may have intended this comment for another video as I've never been to Hereford?
He's KGB also
I'm pretty sure that I'm not KGB, lol
00:45 a fish jumped
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼❤️👍🏻🇮🇱❤️
Christ almighty.. Yiu want to share the location of that fishing hole? soon as the like hit the water, you get one on the hook.. good video!
It is at my home but we've lost most of the fish in the last month.
Not sure if something came in through the spring supply, down with the rain or it was a natural event but one day they were feeding like sharks, next day they were hanging around the sides and dying. It seems to have got better lately and I have treat the pond but it was a real bummer. Later in the year we will net the pond to further reduce the population and keep it as low as possible since the event seemed to strip the oxygen out of the water and less fish = more oxygen to support them.
@@ThousandYardStare thanks for replying. I pray your fish population picks back up.. seems like one he k of a nice pond to fish..
@@dirtylikaratfpv6088 It was and will be again but it will need time to come back to the former glory.
Nothing beats by Kinder Egg fishing line reel using a sewing machine reel inside lol.
Not for me this one rich, firstly you never know what your gonna catch, secondly my sausage fingers with that reel, well! We will leave it there pal! Sorry, not for me. 👎
That is cool with me - I was waiting for the first dislike as some people are sick of me putting videos about tiny fishing rods out and this one is about as small as it gets, lol
It's a very specific set up for a specific purpose and for 'proper' fishing (legal / non-survival) a proper set up will always be the preferred option - I like to learn how to use all sorts of different set ups to cover all bases.....just in case.
@@ThousandYardStare ofcourse rich, and I totally understand that it's about size and space, I wouldn't want to fish anywhere with that, it's about confidence for me, personally I'd prefer the other rod and reel you covered, was it the tixado or something like that, that would fit in any rucksack, but horses for coarse mate. 👍
Sorry the lixada setup
@@jascarty3503 Yes, the Lixda telescopic rod and reel is probably the smallest 'proper' rod which most people would consider. The prospect of using a tiny rod which is a novelty pen shape seems ridiculous on the face of it but I'm genuinely pleased with how well this one performs and how little space it takes up in a pack.
I now own 2 of them and have one in my small pack I carry while fly fishing (proper fishing) and the other has replaced the hand line in my bug out bag. It's as small as a hobo hand line and has the bonus of being able to properly wind in and play the fish on a reel instead of hand winding.which could be the difference between having something to eat and losing the potential meal.
Given the choice I'd rather use any of my fly rods for normal fishing as there is nothing like catching fish on the fly in a river.
@@ThousandYardStare love that rich, I watch all your fly trout fishing on your stretch of river, the sitting back, the stalking, love that, and its something I've never done, but hope too in the future, I've stalked carp in trees many times, but would love a go on what you call, proper fishing!!! 😂👍