The first Pepper cane
The very first Pepper rod model is soberly entitled S210UL. A pearl-white rod with an unmistakable pearlescent sheen, its 2012 release in France and Europe is designed for light rockfishing and street fishing.
In addition to its eye-catching pearly white color, many anglers are discovering its solid tip, suppleness and innovative overall cosmetics.
This is a 2.10 m Ultra Light rod with solid tip, designed in France for the European market. It is relatively versatile and covers a wide spectrum of light techniques for street fishing. Its sensitivity, its shooting ability, its power reserve and the pleasure it brings to the fight quickly make it a best-seller.
The aim was also to rebound on top-of-the-range Japanese rods, but somewhat hijacked and sometimes judged too soft (intended for fishing aji, Japanese horse mackerel).
Aside from its looks, the Pepper S210UL is quickly becoming a benchmark in competitive street fishing thanks to its qualities and technical features.
Casting a woodlouse weighing less than 1 gram and fighting a 55 cm chub has never been so easy! So has learning all the new techniques (drop shot, split shot, micro tp...) for stalking perch.
A real range
Building on the success of this first model, Illex is offering three new models in 2013 to create a real range. They already include two other legends: the Pepper S198UL Micro jig special and the S210ML Akoya Pearl with its 3M blank! These models have since been remastered and feature the famous X5 blank, highly resonant and powerful.
Two complementary bombs designed for technical fishing for perch and chub, but which have found their way into the hands of a large number of competitive trout anglers!
Since then, the Pepper range has gone from strength to strength, offering a wide range of technical solutions for demanding anglers.
Today, the range also includes rods for asp, trout and pike-perch, preserving the DNA that made its reputation: light, sensitive, powerful rods that offer incomparable pleasure for shore fishing with lures.
In 2024, we can expect to see the (re)release of the Dock pearl, a 4-strand UL rod for travel, which in 2016 allowed me to take out an 85 cm sea trout, excuse the pun...
A competition rod
If there's one essential thing to remember about the Pepper range, it's that its reputation hasn't been built on publicity stunts, Youtube videos, magazine appearances or cosmetics alone. Rather, it's been built on numerous competitions and the confidence of competitors in the range.
Whether it's street fishing, trout fishing or even boat fishing, the Pepper range has led to numerous podium finishes in Europe and has remained an absolute reference for light fishing for over 10 years! A rare fact that deserves to be mentioned.
