New to UK shore fishing

[maxangling]

Hi guys, only my second post, so please be gentle......

I've been looking through the site for a while now, and have picked up loads of tips, tricks and ideas to try out (THANKS), but I'm going to be investing quite a bit of "hard-earned" in rods and reels first, and would like your thoughts as to the combinations I've come up with:

Anyfish Anywhere 13ft Surf, plus Daiwa SL20SH reel - clean ground
and
Anyfish Anywhere 14ft Big Beach, plus Daiwa SL30SH reel - rough ground

I don't like "garish" rods with over-stated graphics and whippings, so the cosmetics on the AFAW rods are perfect. I can also get the reels very easily through my normal tackle dealer. Any advice on the other stuff I would need would be much appreciated, as I've already built up quite a list.......

Just to let you have a bit of background, I'm a coarse fisherman (of over 25 years) at heart, who has been lucky enough to have fished in Namibia for shark (twice) and in Cuba and the Seychelles for bonefish (once each). I have no trouble at all adapting to new styles of casting / winding and have coped with changing hands for reeling in (I'm normally right handed on my fixed spool reels, but I can fish "leftie" too. I'm left-handed for writing). I intend to get some casting lessons to ensure that I'm not going to maim or kill someone when I first get onto the beach.

I'm not intending to give up the coarse fishing.

[lobbit]

both sloshes are rough ground reels just one more so than the other
clean ground daiwa multi would be 7ht or 7ht turbo
or one of abu,s reels
totally depends on the area your most likely to fish which is best personally id go for the lighter option 13ft slosh20 , that set up would cope with anything swimming in our waters

[maxangling]

Hi lobbit,

Thanks for your reply........and probably a very valid point regarding what "ground" I might have on my doorstep, also on the reels - I had the 7HT in the back of my mind / as an alternative for the Surf anyway.

I'm based in Sussex, about 30 miles from Eastbourne / Pevensey Bay / Brighton.

Is there anyone local that could shed some light on what I might find in this area.

Another consideration is the 13.4ft AFAW Match - any thoughts anyone?

Ian Scadding at AFAW has been a great help in narrowing down my choices. Top drawer advice and assistance. Thanks Ian.

[lobbit]

if you were advised on those setups from a local guy then id go with that
the 7ht can cope with rough ground and when first introduced did , but recent developements and trends are towards powerfull reels that trawl through weed beds and cope with rocks
good luck and im sure theres somebody from your area on here that can point you towards the right gear

[big guy]

i've heard that the big beach is a really stiff and powerful pole. i know we haven't got the roughest ground in the world but everyone who's brought one for the rocks have said it's a bit OTT, prob better suited to the kelp and rocks of up north.

i would deffo go for a smaller reel for the clean ground, lobbit covered the options prettty well. and the slosh 20 should be ok for most rough ground, unless your in the real rough stuff.

my shop does stock some of the range of rods, i haven't tried any of them yet though. i would try and try before you buy. or you can go down the second hand route and buy and sell until you find the ones you like.

[maxangling]

Ada, I've already had a game of e-mail tennis with Ian and he pointed me in the direction of the 2 rods I mentioned in my first post here.

However, being a coarse angler, and a match angler predominately, I prefer the idea of the 13.4ft Match for better days, coupled with the 7HT (or maybe a 6500 Sports Mag)......and then have the 13ft Beach (with the SL20SH or Penn 525Mag) for times of heavier seas and ground. I can always add another rod at a later stage, for rougher ground, if needs be.

I was thinking of putting 18lbs reel line on the smaller reel, and 25lbs on the heavier set up. Would this be too light, or too heavy / much (I would be using shock-leaders of 60lbs+)?

Its all a little confusing........! :-)

[t0ny]

The Big Beach isn't a rough ground rod.

If you're sure you need one so powerful, have a look at the AFAW rock rod, same price as the big beach, but designed for really heavy stuff.

[maxangling]

So, in order of strength / usability......the 13.4ft Match, and the 13ft Beach, would cover everything I'd need them to in Sussex / parts of Kent and Hampshire.

Reels wise, it'd be the Penn 525MAG or ABU 6500 Sports Mag or Daiwa 7HT for light stuff, with the SL20SH for rough stuff. If I need anything for really rough ground, then I'd be better off with the 13ft Rock.

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Any thoughts on the line strengths I mentioned, and would they be OK for these reels?

Thanks in advance.

[philtherod]

Can I suggest before spending ANY money, go to a good instructor who has no bias (AFAW are only interested in your money, after all!), and TRY a few rods and reels. You are too far away from me to help, and my first thought is you will not need a "rock rod".

PM Blackbeard for an honest opinion on "rock rods", he has a record of BIG cod up to 32lb from shore, and can outcast everyone on this site, and almost everybody else.

philtherod

[Ajohn]

AA were describing the beach as a clean beach rod but seem to have dropped that now. I think it makes an excellent general purpose beach caster reasonably at home where ever you happen to use it including rough ground.
In my view it casts well. I had the 1st crack off I have ever had with mine with a 5oz lead and a somewhat modified overhead cast. The line was a little old and broke at 16lbs. I was trying it out before I bought it and just happened to have this reel in the car. Fortunately with 1/2 mile of deep water in front of me it didn't matter. I would be wary of using 20lb straight through as some do on this rod even at 5ozs.

I've also seen the big beach virtually empty a 6500 during a practice cast with 3oz on the end.

I went for the beach rather than the big beach following my experience with a k2. I didn't want to change my casting style or get another long rod of the same length and had decided to stick with 13ft rods.
Personally I would go for one of the rods 1st get some experience and then go for the other. For me it would be the beach.

John