Shakespeare Agility Spinning Rod

Shakespeare Agility 2/15 Spin Rod - Silver, 7 Ft

I originally picked this 7'rod from Shakespeare for light spinning in search of Sea-trout, but it is also perfect for casting lures in pursuit of river trout and in particular, specimen Perch.

I had the opportunity to give it a go last weekend in the hope of christening it on a few “stripeys”, and balanced it with an Abu Cardinal and 8lb Berkley XTS.

Adding a "stinger" treble on the split tail improved hook-ups

Berkley Powerbait Drop Shot Minnow 2inch Colour Ocean

This is a delightful little rod. It packs down to less than 24 inches and is as light as a feather. There is absolutely no excuse not to carry this rod in the kit-bag, or stowed away in the car, along with a small selection of lures and lead-heads for that opportune moment. Being a budget four-piece rod, you may expect it to show a “dead-spot” or two under pressure, but not so. Putting a good bend into the rod gives a clean arc and superb action.

The Agility breaks down to twenty four inches

Casting is a delight, and after missing a couple of takes, I re-designed my lead-head and Berkley Split Tail by incorporating a small “stinger” treble hook towards the tail. This did the trick and soon had the Agility bent into a hard fighting Perch. The battle really is great fun, even with the smaller 8-16oz fish.

Another decent Perch, this time on a Berkley paddle tail

Berkley Gulp Alive Paddle Tail Shad 18pcs Pearl White 7.5cm

The Perch eventually tired of the split tails and a quick change to a white Pulse Shad had me back in the killing zone. Unfortunately, the specimens were keeping their distance on this occasion, possibly beginning to “wise-up” to my regular pestering throughout the year, but the smaller fish from1-2lbs were amazing sport on the Agility.

As this rod is so incredibly light, it can be held and used throughout the day, obviously useful when travelling light, constantly on the move in search of fish shoals. The Agility Spin proved its worth and provided excellent sport, I can’t wait to try it on a wild Strangford Lough Sea-Trout and really put it through its paces. Retailing at under £40, this excellent little travel rod is cheap as chips, with design and build quality of much more expensive kit, and comes well recommended.