Originally Posted by
Gigmaster
You can all laugh if you want. but my favorite ultralight rod and reel combo is my 40+ year-old yellow Eagle Claw rod with real cork grips, and my 40+year-old Mitchell 300 spinning reel. I've had them since I was in my late teens, and the rig still works perfectly. I have some fairly new rigs, but they do not have the 'feel' of my old rig, and I don't think the new Mitchells are the same. They don't operate as smooth. The newer rods seem a lot stiffer. My next favorite rig is my Berkley Cherrywood rod, again, with an old Mitchell 300 reel. The rod is also around 40 years old. I bought it, and the reel at an antique shop about 30 years ago, so I have no idea how old they really are, but they are an absolute pleasure to fish with. I didn't pay over $10.00 for either rig.
If I were to buy a new rig, it would probably be a Zebco Underspin Ultralight Combo. I have tried a few out (my sons each have one) and they seem to be very reliable and feel pretty good. I think you can get the full combo for under $25.00 at any Walmart.
If you haven't noticed by now, I am not into expensive equipment. It just has to work....