Calcutta Conquest 201A
The Calcutta Conquest 201A is a round-profile casting reel. It's very pleasant to hold and there's no need to worry about its profile, which is completely unobtrusive and fits perfectly in the hand.
Its solid construction inspires confidence. Underneath its "Heavy Duty" appearance, this reel is very smooth and easy to use. I'd particularly like to mention the smoothness of its spool release trigger.
To confirm this impression, I took a look at what's inside, and when you look at the plans, there's no denying that it's solid, in terms of materials, design and assembly.
The Calcutta Conquest has metal outer flanges, rather than the plastic ones found on most reels today. To save weight, most of its flanges are drilled, giving it a unique style.
To complete the look, it's gold-coloured, something very unusual for this range of reels. Indeed, this is a style more often found on reels designed for sea trolling.
All in all, this reel weighs in at 235 grams, which is well within the norm for its size. Although at first glance it may seem big and heavy, in the end, its dimensions and size are perfect, and it feels great in the hand!
Use
This reel is particularly suited to lures that offer some resistance in the water, such as crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Its ability to cast lures between 10 and 150 grams, combined with its slow ratio of 57 centimetres per crank revolution, also makes it interesting for use with large lures, such as swimbaits or pike jerkbaits.
It accepts both nylon and braid. For nylon, 40/100 is the ideal size. For braid, between 40 and 60 Lbs is the diameter that gets the best out of this reel.
Calcutta Conquest 301A
The Calcutta Conquest is also available in size 301A, suitable for use with lures weighing between 20 and 300 grams. This version benefits from the same design as the 201A version, guaranteeing excellent durability, especially when used with very large lures.
My opinion
The Calcutta Conquest is an ideal reel for pike and black-bass fishing with lures weighing between 10 and 150 grams. The only thing I can say against it is that the 6-kilogram fighting brake is a bit weak. An 8 or 9-kilogram drag, even if you don't actually squeeze it that much, would have been more coherent. For pike and black-bass fishing, the 6 kilograms are of course more than sufficient, but this may be limiting if you want to tackle more powerful species.
Other than that, this reel borders on perfection, and I really appreciate its sturdiness and longevity. Its price is high, but it's a long-term investment that will last for years, without any sign of failure. All brands considered, in this power range, it's probably one of the most robust reels. As proof, it has been in the Shimano catalog for a good ten years, and remains a benchmark even today.
Calcutta Conquest 201A
- Brand: Shimano
- Brake: 6 kg
- Weight: 235 grams
- Ratio: 4.81/1
- Capacity: 315 m of 20/100
- Suggested retail price: 549.99 euros
