Penn’s Fathom MKII
These popular multiplier reels have undergone an upgrade and a new casting model is also revealed…
It must be close to 10 years since I first spotted the original Penn Fathom multiplier hidden inside a Pure Fishing product catalogue. I remember vividly the exact moment I saw it, too, because it was labelled as a reel for boat fishing. As I stared at the image on the page, I couldn’t help but think that if it was as good as the specifications were saying, this could be a superb shore reel. After several phone calls and chats with tackle shop staff, it became clear that nobody had heard of it. Had I discovered a gem?
I called the company’s marketing guy and asked if he had any samples, so I could take a closer look. A few days later it arrived, and my suspicions were spot on. Yes, it certainly looked like it would make a cracking boat reel, but it looked every inch a shore reel too, especially one that could take a bit of stick. After it appeared in Sea Angler’s tackle pages, the interest from shore anglers spread rapidly around the UK. The rest, as they say, is history. The Penn Fathom multiplier is now a firm favourite among shore anglers, although some saw an opportunity to improve its casting performance by fitting their own magnetic braking systems. Subsequently, anglers have been crying out for Penn to actually manufacture a ‘magged’ version. Now, the Penn Fathom MkII reels are here, and with magnets, along with a new model for shore anglers to exploit.
PENN FATHOM CASTING SPECIAL RRP: £195.99
I was itching to get on the beach with this model and I’d heard a whisper there were a few in the UK. Eventually I was lucky enough to get my hands on it. So, rather than sit and waste time opening it up and bore myself staring at the guts for hours on end, I loaded the spool with mono plus shockleader and went to the beach.
Casting a multiplier reel for the first time straight from the box is pretty much what the majority of shore anglers buying one will do, and it’s a true test of what they can expect.
First impressions were incredibly positive, especially going by its looks. And loading it with line…wow, the high capacity spool takes an absolute shed load, perfect for those fishing deep water or high venues.
Other positive features include a huge open top cage, large power handle, decent clutch wheel, ratchet, high performance spool bearings, and a solid gear lever.
Also fitted to the easily accessed sideplate is the magnetic braking control knob that is moved by tuning it either clockwise or anticlockwise. Sadly, Penn has failed to label the sideplate to show which way is on and off. A simple + or – marked on the sideplate would solve that issue. Anyway, there are a positive 16 clicks as the mag button is adjusted, with an anti-clockwise direction reducing the magnetic braking control.
I tightened everything up that I could, just to be safe, and let fly with my first cast. Obviously, the reel felt held back as my sinker dropped into the sea but it was incredibly silent and smooth.
After each cast, I reduced the mags by a single click until I found a point where the line was just slightly starting to lift on the spool as it sped off. This reel certainly does fly, and if you’re brave enough to run it right on the edge, you really will be flirting with many an overrun.
I need to mention the mag adjustment knob and its positioning on the sideplate. Quite simply, I feel it’s in the wrong place.
“Interest from shore anglers in the original reel spread rapidly. The rest, as they say, is history”
Surely it should be in the centre or at the rear of the reel? When winding in, the mag adjuster dug into my wrist as my thumb laid the line back on to the spool. Not only is this uncomfortable, but also it poses a potential issue of moving the mag adjustment without knowing. And, having no labelling of ‘plus’ or ‘minus’ increments around the adjuster, it’ll certainly be wise to check the setting before each cast, just to be safe. This could so easily have been avoided.
I’ll be reporting back further once I’ve got some more fishing sessions with this reel under my belt.