N-Gauge Specimen Reels

Whilst the Guru N-Gauge Specimen reel range has been designed with the specialist angler in mind, they will also suit those pleasure fishing for carp on commercial waters where larger sized fish are present, or any situation where a free spool facility is required.

There are three different sized reels in the range to cover everything from fishing for smaller species such as perch, crucians and roach on leger/feeder tactics, especially where using multiple rods or fishing on bite alarms; right the way through to the largest size which is more than capable of handling barbel on larger rivers, right the way through to larger species such as pike, carp or even catfish, as the largest size of reel has the capacity for heavier lines.

All three models – 4000, 5000, and 6000 – have almost identical specifications in terms of the retrieve rate (79cm per crank), gear ratio (4.6:1) and a maximum drag of 7kg, and the main difference is the spool diameter, is the 5000 and 6000 sizes don’t just feature a deeper spool, but it is actually a wider diameter as well.

The reels look very stylish and minimalist, as you’d expect of something that is aimed more at the specimen fishing market, with a lightweight graphite body in a dark grey colour and with just a few touches of green trim. The handle is made from aluminium, with a soft-touch T-shape knob that feels nice in your hands and allows for a good, comfortable grip when playing a hard fighting fish, even with cold and wet hands.

Thanks to the 5+1 carbon ball bearings that these reels feature, they are very smooth to use and also have plenty of cranking power, which is essential when playing bigger fish, or even just regularly reeling in big leads on larger rivers, such as when barbel fishing in floodwater conditions on somewhere such as the Trent or Thames.

The spools are made from aluminium, which makes them very durable, and as well as being fairly deep, even on the 4000 model, they are a fairly wide diameter, which aids casting. The 4000 size will hold 270m of 0.28mm/8lb mono; 5000 holds 270m of 0.30mm/10lb; 6000 takes 300m of 0.33mm/12lb – meaning that the larger size could be used for species such as pike where you are using 15lb mono, or even heavier braided line, but don’t need huge amounts of it on the spool.

The same goes for using them for carp fishing, with the main limiting factor being the casting range that you’d get with this size of spool, as opposed to being limited by the line capacity – they’d do the job perfectly unless you’re fishing at long range. They all come with a line-friendly clip which is easy to put the line into even with cold hands.

Spare spools for each model are sold separately, should you wish to switch between different breaking strains of line, or even from mono to braid, when you need to.

The strong graphite rotor and heavy duty wire bailarm mechanism opens and closes decisively and with a positive ‘clunk’ and there is no chance of it springing open, or closing, by accident. The line roller helps to reduce twist in your line and ensures it runs off the spool smoothly when playing a fish using the drag.

One of the main considerations when choosing a reel for specimen fishing, certainly when fishing in a style where bite alarms or multiple rods are going to be used, is that it has some sort of free spool system to enable fish to take line when you get a bite, and which can quickly and easily be switched off once you pick the rod up.

The N-Gauge Free Spool system has a wide range of adjustment available, via a knurled knob at the rear which is easy to turn but can’t be adjusted by accident, offering everything from almost completely free running, which can be essential when fishing for shy biting fish such as perch, pike or zander which hate feeling any resistance; right the way through to much heavier settings which lend themselves to river fishing where you want line to be given when you get a bite, but not as a result of the pressure of the flow on the line or debris building up.

The free spool system is easily engaged by pulling the lever back, and to switch it off and back to whatever setting you’ve got your drag on, you simply push the lever forward or turn the reel handle to disengage – the lever sits flush against the rear of the reel body and there is no danger of accidentally catching it on your clothing during a fight and switching the free spool on.

The drag is very smooth and easily micro-adjusted via the spool cap at the front of the reel, so you are always in complete control when playing a fish, and the maximum drag of 7kg is way more than you are ever going to need for the type of fishing these reels will be used for. If you prefer to play fish by backwinding, then the infinite anti-reverse can be switched off and on via a lever located on the underside of the reel and which is easy to find when you need to use it.

So whatever type of specimen fishing you’re planning on doing, one of the three reels in this N-Gauge range will be perfect for the job.