IDEAL TRAVEL COMPANION
These four-piece casting and jigging rods are just the ticket for a successful trip
Four-piece rod is just the ticket.
FIN-NOR VALHALL 2.0 II TRAVELLER & TRAVELLER LIGHT RODS rrP: £189 & £175
Fin-Nor enjoys a well-deserved reputation for manufacturing high-quality rods and reels, and the company’s Valhall Traveller 2.0 II range of four-piece combined casting/ jigging rods are going to be of interest to the increasing number of anglers for whom a journey to an airport marks the start of most of their angling adventures.
The range consists of two blanks, each having an overall length of 2.2 metres. Interestingly, both blanks are specified with two load ratings, one for casting and the other for vertical jigging. For example, the lighter version is rated to cast lures ranging 30-80g and vertically jig lures up to 150g, while the heavier version is rated to cast lures in the 40140g range and vertically jig lures up to 220g.
This is an interesting concept for the travelling angler because packing multiconcept rods such as these helps minimise bulk and weight.
Overall build quality is excellent, with both blanks featuring strong Fuji screw-lock reel seats, seven high-quality lined rings and ergonomic Hypalon grips. Long male joints at each spigot ensure stable connections of the rod sections, and give the Valhall Traveller its power.
I took both rods on a recent trip to Norway and shared them among members of the crew with whom I was fishing. We were mostly using various sized shads in deep water, targeting cod and coalfish. While weather conditions limited where and when we could fish, which resulted in our catch being at best mediocre, we caught a succession of cod and halibut approaching 20lb. Throughout the trip both rods performed beautifully, and everyone who tried them was thoroughly impressed.
I have little doubt these Valhall Traveller rods would perform equally well if tackling more challenging fish throughout the tropics when targeting popular ‘bucket list’ species, such as tarpon, mid-size tuna, roosterfish, snapper, grouper, sailfish, wahoo, trevally, jacks and many others.