Best UL BC for trouts in small streams

[Josh-G]

What´s the best BC for UL trout fishing in small streams? Baits will be from a little less than 2 gramm up to four gramm. Important is easy and controlled casting. Distance doesn´t matter that much because the streams are small. I usually have to use my thumb to stop the bait from hitting the other shore.

I alredy own an Alphas Air with HH Air BFS bearings and a Finesse Custom with DIY-spool and HH Air BFS-bearings. They both do their jo pretty well and I am actually satisfied with them. BUT since I´m getting a new rod I´d like to know if there is a reasonable upgrade to the ones I have

Any thoughts, brands and price ranges are welcome

Best Regrds

Josh

[ss30378]

I've casted the 16 aldebaran bfs with baits down to .8g and it was doable, but with my 1.3g mini cranks it was awesome. The lightweight avail spools are great in the older shimanos for casting the tiny baits.

If you're wanting to stick with daiwa the ss air spool is a little lighter than the alphas air and can cast the 1.3g cranks pretty nicely as well as long as the rod can load. I have a cosugi works spool in my modified pixy and i could cast the 1.3g cranks nicely too.

[Josh-G]

o.8 gramm with a BC? That´s very very impressiv

The lowest I castet with the Finesse Custom with DIY was a 1.9 gramm crank. And that was the limit of the rod. I don´t know how much I could have gone lower. But with my new rod that will definetely be the case

The SS Air was already on my mind because I like the platform. But I don´t think it will be a real upgrade castingwise to the Alphas Air Or am I mistaken?

[Hobie-Wan Kenobi]

The rod plays a big role in casting the lightest stuff.

The best reel I've came across has been my 16 Aldebaran BFS XG with a KTF spool. I didn't think it could be better than stock until I took the plunge and bought the spool. Makes a decent difference with the super light stuff. The reel after buying the spool and getting it super tuned...was not cheap

[LowRange]

What´s the best BC for UL trout fishing in small streams? Baits will be from a little less than 2 gramm up to four gramm. Important is easy and controlled casting. Distance doesn´t matter that much because the streams are small. I usually have to use my thumb to stop the bait from hitting the other shore.

I alredy own an Alphas Air with HH Air BFS bearings and a Finesse Custom with DIY-spool and HH Air BFS-bearings. They both do their jo pretty well and I am actually satisfied with them. BUT since I´m getting a new rod I´d like to know if there is a reasonable upgrade to the ones I have
Up
Any thoughts, brands and price ranges are welcome

Best Regrds

Josh

Try a Megabass Finesse spool for the Zonda/Alphas. The fixed inductor allows it to be super controlled and easy casting.

[Josh-G]

Try a Megabass Finesse spool for the Zonda/Alphas. The fixed inductor allows it to be super controlled and easy casting.

That´s the silver non ported version for Zonda/Alphas, right?

[Josh-G]

So recomendations up to now are 16 Aldebaran BFS with tuning spool or Alphas with tuning spool.

Nothing out of the box capable of doing the job?

For years I said that if there will be a new CC51 I´ll get it for 100%. But the CC BFS is a size 100 reel. And even if it´s a small size 100 it´s still too bulky and heavy for short UL rods in my opinion. A true size 50 would be a no brainer

[Dalleinf]

I have many reels that I loved stock and used for trout. But I seem to end up buying avail, zpi, and/or ktf spools and the same reels just perform that much better in small trout streams... A very light and shallow spool is just so important, so when a ligther aftermarket spool comes along people will praise it.

The Conquest BFS and Aldebaran BFS are great, but a ktf spool will help.

[LowRange]

Try a Megabass Finesse spool for the Zonda/Alphas. The fixed inductor allows it to be super controlled and easy casting.

That´s the silver non ported version for Zonda/Alphas, right?

Correct

[southpaw619]

I have a handful of 16 Aldebaran BFS. The Alpha Air is nice but the Aldebaran is a big step up due to spool not having braking system attached and overall weight of reel. I agree with others that there is a significant performance upgrade with KTF spool over stock particularly with low weights. I have two version 1 spools and two version two spools. Version 2 offers a stronger spool, ease switching between pitching and casting, and more control while version one is a little less tamed but casts slightly farther. However, be very careful as it's a slippery slope going down this road but if you do I would suggest a complete tuned reel as it is an exceptional value compared to just upgrading spool or tuning on your own.

[Josh-G]

However, be very careful as it's a slippery slope going down this road but if you do I would suggest a complete tuned reel as it is an exceptional value compared to just upgrading spool or tuning on your own.

What do you mean by a "clompelte tuned reel"? You mean for example the Megaabss version of a Daiwa reel, or giving a stock reel to someone to "super tune" it?
But what is there actually to tune performance wise besides adding premium bearings to where ever it´s possible plus a spool?

[Hobie-Wan Kenobi]

However, be very careful as it's a slippery slope going down this road but if you do I would suggest a complete tuned reel as it is an exceptional value compared to just upgrading spool or tuning on your own.

What do you mean by a "clompelte tuned reel"? You mean for example the Megaabss version of a Daiwa reel, or giving a stock reel to someone to "super tune" it?
But what is there actually to tune performance wise besides adding premium bearings to where ever it´s possible plus a spool?

I imagine polishing, upgrading bearings and all that junk

[southpaw619]

However, be very careful as it's a slippery slope going down this road but if you do I would suggest a complete tuned reel as it is an exceptional value compared to just upgrading spool or tuning on your own.

What do you mean by a "clompelte tuned reel"?

KTF, ZPI, SLPW and some others sell reels loaded with after market parts ready to go. KTF calls them complete reels, I'm not sure if the others call them something else or not. Here's a link with a brief description of what a complete reel is. http://www.karil.co.jp/ktf/complete/

[Draethe84]

Mate, the Megabass Zonda Hedgehog Custom would be up there with "the best" or you could wait out the new Alphas Air Stream Custom

[Dalleinf]

Mate, the Megabass Zonda Hedgehog Custom would be up there with "the best" or you could wait out the new Alphas Air Stream Custom

The Alphas Air stream custom sure does look nice, but if the spool is the same it will not be an improvement on the reel the OP already owns. Do you know if it will feature another spool?

Are you talking about the 2013 Zonda Hedgehog custom? In the past xx years aftermarket spools have just kept getting lighter and lighter and I would rather get the aldebaran bfs w. Ktf spool as suggested by ccass...with a suitable rod.

You can clean, polish, “super tune”, insert new bearings, put a “Megabass” stamp on your reel, and say prayers all you like, but the big difference comes from lighter and shallower spools imo.