Vertical spiral casting rod, extreme assembly!

I admit it, I like XFAST actions for stalking Zander / Pike-perch in winter... I have a better feeling with these actions for sanding river bottoms. In this respect, Rainshadow offers two must-have references for this type of fishing:

• IMMWS 62MX for 5-15 grams of power
• IMMWS 68MXF for power from 10 to 30 grams.

I set my sights on the latter blank. I already own another 68MX set up for spinning. This reference, ultra well-known in the rodbuilding world, is perfect... Except that last year, I tried Casting for Vertical fishing and it was a revelation. I needed another 68MX, but this time mounted in Vertical Casting!"

Vertical spinning or vertical Casting rod?

So vertical spinning or casting, to each his own. Personally, I find that vertical casting offers far greater fishing comfort than spinning. I can fish with just one hand, the second being used to control the electric motor or kept warm in the pocket! It's very easy to follow a relief with vertical casting. When stalking Zander / Pike-perch vertically, it's essential to have precise lure control, and I find that you're more effective when casting. A simple pull of the trigger releases the line, and a flick of the middle finger on the drag ring simply rewinds the line. I'm more efficient and therefore fish "better"

The Assembly.

First of all, I found my 68MX spinning too long for the Vertical. I started by cutting back the blank by 10cm to arrive at a final length of 1m93. Next came the Casting Assembly. I wanted a high-performance Assembly that would enhance the XFAST action of this blank with as little weight as possible on the tip. To achieve this, I opted for an assembly specification based solely on fuji KT rings. Goodbye Double-legged and thank you weight savings! Only, these rings are very low. To prevent the line from touching the blank in combat, I decided to make a spiral assembly. This way, the line bypasses the blank and ends up just like on a spinning rod. The spiral Assembly also removes a ring from the tip compared with a conventional Casting Assembly: the goal is achieved! The entire ring ramp is made of Alconite to limit the cost of my project.

The spiral.

For the spiral's angles, following numerous discussions with fellow rodbuilders, I opted for angle setting from the start. The first ring is not set at 0° as on a conventional Casting rod, but has an angle, in this case about 30° from the start. The angles of the rings were determined by load tests. No problem for the reel line, which is symmetrically positioned on the spool despite the angle of the first ring. The spiral runs over the first three rings before reaching the spinning position. The aim is to offer a smooth spiral, with the reel line marking very little angle between each ring and the line not touching the loaded blank, even with the line guide opposite the first ring. So you might think: but the first ring is tiny! Indeed, it's a size 6 KT...

Rings too small?

Have you looked at the size of the line guide on a Casting reel? The same size! There's no line swelling at the exit of a Casting reel, so there's no need to channel the braid. "Yes, but KTs have a very small leg"... It's true. I must admit that I hesitated whether to mount the spiral in KT or in KB with a slightly wider leg. And then... Have you tried ripping a KT tied and varnished? Sincerely, on a rod of this power, the KT spiral poses no problem. I've bent the blank with the drag fully tightened, and it's clear...

Assessment

The spiral is very effective. The lure's descent is fast and even if it's not its main use: it casts far, far away! Combining my rod with a very light Casting reel, I ended up with a racing beast. Fitted with these small KT guides, the blank action is very fast, with a beautiful tip action, transcribing the slightest touch of a fish. It's simple, a touch is a real discharge in the hand. And I'm telling you, an IMMWS62MX Xtreme will see the light of day in 2018!

The finished rod weighs 103 grams. I could have made it lighter by choosing another reel seat (the ACSM is comfortable but "heavy"), and an EVA butt instead of taking the ALPS butt, without the bushes... Never mind. The end result is balanced just the way my hand likes it. And with a little matching decoration that's well worth a few grams on the scale...