Late last year Daiwa released its new Silver Creek range of products – specialist trout gear that sits in its own category, much like the Silverwolf series does for bream.
As an avid trout angler, my favoured method is conventional spin gear but I have always had a hard time finding rods and reels that specifically suited my needs. I was always compromising with gear that was largely designed for saltwater estuary work and, while it worked, it was never ideal.
Silver Creek 2004H
The first thing any trout angler will appreciate is the “H” in the name of the new Silver Creek reel. The “H” stands for high gear, meaning the reel has a fast retrieve ratio: in the Silver Creek it is 5.6:1, retrieving 75cm of line per rotation. Casting any style of lure into even a moderately fast-flowing river requires a high-speed reel in order to retrieve slack line quickly so you can impart action as fast as possible. Trout don’t like a lure that isn’t moving, so the high gear is a huge advantage.
The Silver Creek is equipped with a shallow spool, allowing you to spool up with high-quality braids without having to shell out for more than 150 metres. In my case I spooled the reel with Daiwa’s outstanding Morethan 12 braid, which was a perfect pairing. The Silver Creek is over-engineered for a freshwater reel and is equipped with Daiwa’s entire best tech, including Magseal, ATD (Automatic Tournament Drag) and Digigear II. Essentially the high gear ratio, shallow spool and aesthetics, complemented by a cork handle, are all that make it a trout-specific reel. You can take this reel into the salt without any fear of excessive corrosion. However, you’ll be hard-pressed to find another Daiwa reel at that size, weight and with these features with the high gear ratio, so it’s not just a gimmick – this reel is perfectly suited to targeting trout. It offers silky-smooth operation, perfect line-lay and the Automatic Tournament Drag is outstanding. I cannot fault this reel for its intended purpose.
It’s the perfect reel for working hard-body jerk baits, spinners, spoons and plastics and is ultra-lightweight at 205 grams for carrying through the bush all day. There is also a larger 2504H model for those wanting better casting distance and a faster retrieve.
