Above The Rest - By Far More Than A Whisker
CARPology videographer and product reviewer, Joe Wooltorton, has been using Daiwa’s wordiest product-named reel, the 22 Whisker 45 SCW QD OT, for the last 6 months and he’s not stopped raving since his maiden cast…
She’s a 10 but is also an active member of the Flat Earth Society. She’s a 3 but is mind-blowing at… The point I’m making is that there can often be a trade-off between looks and performance. Getting the balance just right is key, but occasionally an absolute worldy disrupts the algorithm. Somehow though, Daiwa keeps blending beauty with performance and coming out on top with both aspects.
The Daiwa 22 Whisker 45 SCW QD OT Fishing Reel not only helps boost your word count in a review, but also pushes your baits further. Last year I was lucky enough to film my own custom 13ft 3.5lb rods being built but to finish off the look I needed some reels to keep up with the abuse or fishing at greater range. That’s where these red-fringed beauties came in. Not only did they match the red detailing on my rods (a priority of course), but they were the perfect accomplice for horizon hunting.
Although my ‘horizons’ are limited to my casting capabilities, it is clear that these reels are ready and waiting for me once I improve my technique. The 45mm spool coupled with Slow Cross Wrap (SCW) enables the line to escape as quickly and as uninhibited as possible. Line doesn’t just fall off the spool but rather it jumps off. The standard spool is perfect for casting range, whereas the long-distance (LD) and super-long-distance (SLD) spools are designed for boat work on inland seas.
The cranking power is 4.9:1 with 104cm of retrieval per crank. So dragging fish in from range is as easy as it is getting your rigs out there in the first place. A lovely ergonomic rubber gripped handle gives you great purchase and grip, but, they also fold… So yes, they will keep those of us that like a tight set-up happy. Just don’t fold the end one… That has never made sense to me
QDM drag, High Impact Line Clip, Tough Digigear II internals and much more all play a part in making these the workhorses they are. One thing I forgot to mention, however, is those beauty/ability anomalies I mentioned at the start can often come at a price… So, is it worth paying the price to achieve both? Ask any 60-year-old man with an internet bride about whether both can be bought or not… I think they will say yes.—JOE WOOLTORTON | £280
