Jerry in SC

Marlin made a Garden Gun a few years ago. A bolt action box magazine fed .22 Magnum smooth bore, no rear sight with a hi viz front.

My ultralight baitcasting is closer to light. Six to eight pound line with 1/16 to 1/8 plus baits. I have a PX68R (JDM) on a Majorcraft Volkey BFS UL rod. Great combo, very light and a pleasure to cast. True ultralight baitcasting in Japan is for trout in ponds or lakes. They call it Area fishing, very large trout are caught on 3 and 4 pound line. Top of the line baitcasting outfits run $1100 plus.

Mo-skeet-o was the name. There was also a Winchester Model 36 that chambered a 9 mm shotgun shell.

The Chauga is a great river, fished for over 40 years. Big browns aren't uncommon.

Rainbow or Coho.. Here's a pure Appalachian strain brook trout from a creek about two feet across.

Great drags, very durable, but lacks the refinements of newer reels. The long cast spool remains one of the best for line management. I have one that's at least twenty years old, still works fine.

Tectan 2.3 lb, .004" diameter.

It's a white...only one lateral line all the way to the tail. I caught one about that same size on Lake Blackshear in Georgia over 40 years ago. I didn't realize what a monster it was until after it was cooked...

The ML reels are nearly identical to Japanese "Area" type reels. They have very shallow spools, my Shimano Cardiff Ci4 2000 SS holds under 100 yards of 4lb (.006") mono. Japanese "Area" fishing consists of lure fishing for trout in ponds. I've seen some monsters brought to net in videos on Shimano's Japanese website. Works great for trout fishing in small streams.

I am looking for something more moderate in action, stream fishing primarily.

I'm looking for a light action baitcasting rod. I haven't tried the 721 in years, so can't recall how fast the rod is. It needs to be a 6' as I don't fish from a boat and can't transport a longer one piece rod. I have a very nice Volkey BFS UL 6'6" two piece; it has a very fast action in comparison to older rods as I remember them. I can cast 1/8 ounce lures but the fast action is a little difficult for me to handle. I'm just coming back to baitcasters after a twenty five year hiatus. I have a Daiwa PX68. I primarily want to fish light worm rigs like shakey heads or small crank baits. Thanks in advance...

If a person can handle recoil, I'd recommend a .45 ACP every time. Most don't shoot enough to master it though. For a novice shooter wanting to move up in caliber, I'd recommend a S&W M&P, it's a soft shooter for a .45 and extremely reliable. I don't consider a 1911 platform pistol reliable until I put at least a thousand trouble free rounds down range. I'd dare say 90% of new 1911 buyers can't detail strip it, tune an extractor, or properly diagnose a FTF. I've carried one off and on since 1972; they are aficionado pistols in my opinion.

Tenkara is a good technique for bluegills, keep in mind the rods are pretty long (12 to 14 ft) and are better suited for dry flies rather than poppers. A conventional fly rod in a 3 weight is a better choice in my opinion, especially for subsurface flies (I catch far larger bluegills on sinking spiders). "Bluegill Fly Fishing & Flies", by Terry & Roxanne Wilson is a great book on the subject.

A standard riot gun is too long, a Benelli M4 entry gun with a 14.5" barrel would be a much better choice if going that route.

If you're keeping your catch, a size 10 Eagle Claw 214ELF is what I'd recommend. Don't discount red worms or crickets, both can be effective in the fall or during periods of high water. I can cover water more effectively with an inline spinner.

I've caught many stocked trout over the last thirty five years with Rooster Tails. No hook set is needed, trout have a fairly soft mouth, but a light action rod is needed for casting lighter lures. Anything rated for 1/8 ounce is fine. Four or six pound line. Trout use structure just like any gamefish. Cast quartering upstream, work the entire run or pool thoroughly. Stocked trout usually take 24 hours after stocking to start biting. I catch my largest fish in the fall, from October through late November. I fish many of the trout streams in NE Georgia. It can be great or frustrating.

I agree with your thinking. Shotguns are excellent weapons for self defense, but maneuvering around a house with a standard police type shotgun is pretty tough. A short barrel NFA shotgun is a different animal, but not for the inexperienced gun owner. Even then I wouldn't own a pump, only a semi auto.

Definitely a revolver, no manual of arms. Pull, bang. Maybe an older S&W K frame if she can handle the grip size. If not, a steel frame S&W J frame like a Chief's Special. There are few hollow point rounds that actually expand at typical .38 Special velocities. Buffalo Bore SWCHC or Speer Gold Dots in particular seem to expand well, but they are a handful in a small frame gun. An alternative for a recoil shy person is a standard 148 grain wadcutter. The target wadcutter is at odds with older recommendations, but there's some recent thinking that it's not a bad round for self defense from a short barrel revolver.

Daiwa PX68. On the correct rod it easily handles baits down to 1/8 ounce or a little less. Pretty light too. I have one on a Major Craft Volkey 652 UL BFS, a very sweet combo.