I have fitted an Aldebaran BFS to a 34 UBR-510.
The line setup
- Backing: 40 m of PE #0.2.
- Main line: 15–20 m of Red Eye ester line, #0.3.
- Intermediate leader: 50 cm of #1.5 fluorocarbon.
Turning the tip section
All the guides on the 34 UBR-510 are on the upper, or tip, section. I rotate that section about 140 degrees to the left, keeping the line clear of the blank. The line leaving the reel then runs diagonally down to the left.
If I hold the rod tilted slightly to the left—about 40 degrees—while fishing, the guides should point straight down as usual. With the line clear of the blank, I would not expect to lose sensitivity through contact with the rod.
Still, if that position feels unnatural, I will not be able to keep it up for long. That is something to think about.
I have not fished with this setup yet. Let us see how it works out…
Why I want a baitcasting reel here
There is a particular spot under a bridge where I have found that I really need a baitcasting reel. I want to feed line out with my thumb controlling the spool, following the current towards the bottom on the far side of the bridge, while still feeling for bites.
Another approach is to use a spinning reel’s anti-reverse switch and turn the handle backwards, letting line out under fine control. But get the direction of rotation wrong, even for a moment, and line trouble follows. Practice is essential.
The reel choice and the grip
At the time, only the left-hand version of the Daiwa Steez Air seemed to remain at the full list price—or even higher. I gave up on that idea.
So the Shimano Aldebaran BFS got the nod. Lucky Shimano!
Because this is a spinning rod, there are a few handling issues. My hand feels as though it might slip. For now, I have put a rubber band around the lower part of the grip to help prevent that. I plan to make a proper part for it.
Read this article on Passionable Fishing (日本語) ↗