Van Staal VSB150

Part of my go big plan for 2013 is to get out to those marks that even a good pair of chest waders just wont allow you to wade deep enough. I have more wetsuits than I know what to do with, and this year I am gonna use a couple of them in my fishing missions. Fishing sandbanks till the tides in, crossing estuaries, reaching those rocky outcrops that are just too far, all in my plans.

So I need a reel that can take the abuse of constant dunking, even swimming. Using my Shimano Stella SW5000 is out of the question, and a name that pops up time and time again when looking into this kind of fishing reel abuse is Van Staal, and in this case, it's the VSB150 I have managed to get my hands on.

Yes it's big, heavy and agricultural in it's mechanical winding, polar opposites to my Stella in terms of smoothness, but it's built to be tough, and do a job no other reel I own does. Line capacity is massive, and I am going to have to be artistic with the backing to get the desired line lay, the final 150m will be some of the tough and reliable Sunline Super Braid in 30lb. Thats all for now, more to come when it's spooled and put into use, as long as the sea temps keep rising before I take the plunge!