Smith Camion Magnum: the thick spoon that holds in hard current

There is a very precise moment at which most casting spoons give up: when you cast them across a strong current and the line bellies. The spoon lies flat, climbs to the surface, starts spinning on itself like a propeller, and you reel in a lure that is twisting your line instead of fishing.

That is exactly the situation the Camion Magnum takes without flinching. Its distinguishing feature is not its shape — it is the thickness of the metal, well above that of a standard spoon of the same length. For a given weight it is therefore shorter and more compact, and that density changes everything in current.

The result is a lure that stays down where others climb, that keeps a tight wobble where others lie over, and that lets you fish the fast run instead of being at its mercy.

Why thickness changes the behaviour

Two 12 g spoons can behave in radically opposite ways depending on how that weight is distributed.

• A thin, wide spoon offers a lot of surface to the current for very little mass. It planes, rises fast, and gives a wide, slow wobble. Perfect on a lake or in calm water, unmanageable as soon as there is push.
• A thick, short spoon like the Camion Magnum offers little surface for a lot of mass. It drops fast, resists being pushed sideways, and its wobble becomes short and high-frequency rather than wide.

In practice, on a current line, the first one lifts you out of the water layer after three metres and the second one stays in it. And because the Camion Magnum keeps speed relative to the water even when you retrieve slowly, it goes on flashing throughout the drift.

A second point, often underrated: stability on the cast. A short, dense profile does not generate lift in the air. You cast further, flatter, and above all you cast into the wind without watching your spoon fly a kite halfway out.

Working it in a river, step by step

The Camion Magnum is essentially fished across, not downstream. That is the difference between a spoon that fishes and a spoon that just swims back.

1. Cast up and across, towards the far bank, at around 45 degrees upstream. The stronger the current, the more you open the angle upstream.
2. Let it sink for as long as it takes to reach your target layer, keeping contact. Count the seconds: on a given spot, that is the one parameter you will vary.
3. Start retrieving slowly, just fast enough to feel the vibration in the rod tip. If you feel nothing, you are too slow and the spoon is not working.
4. Follow the drift by tracking the lure with the rod: you control the line and you delay the moment when the spoon lifts towards the surface.
5. Mark a stop at the end of the drift, as the lure arrives directly downstream. It planes back down: one of the most reliable bite moments there is.

On the water: never judge a cast by what the spoon is doing, judge it by what your line is doing. As soon as the line bellies downstream of the lure, the spoon is already rising and losing its wobble. A higher rod and one step downstream solve the problem better than any change of weight.

On a lake or in flat water the retrieve changes completely: cast, let it sink to the bottom, then work it back with one-metre rod lifts separated by free falls. The fluttering drop takes most of the bites.

Choosing the weight

The simple rule: take the lightest weight that still lets you feel the spoon working in the current. You gain presentation time and you snag less.

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Where it excels, where it is beside the point

Its windows:

• Fast trout rivers with defined runs, riffles and short pools, where you have to get under the surface layer within a few metres.
• High, slightly stained water in spring or after rain, where the short, repeated flash of a heavy spoon carries better than a discreet lure.
• Deep lake margins and dams, where a controlled drop to the bottom lets you search a layer few light lures reach from the bank.
• Big reservoir perch, which respond well to a compact profile that falls fast.

Where it has no business:

• Very low, crystal-clear water in summer. Its density makes it dive too fast, it scrapes, and it spooks fish.
• Finesse fishing for small-stream trout, where a micro lure or a small inline spinner covers one-square-metre spots better.
• Bottoms full of branches, where a bare spoon snags quickly. A single barbless hook limits the losses without eliminating them.

Camion Magnum against other spoons

An Acme Little Cleo is wider for a comparable weight: it wobbles more widely, rises faster, and takes the lead in calm water or on a very slow retrieve. It does, however, give up earlier when the current pushes.

A Mepps Syclops sits between the two: an elongated profile, a steady wobble, real river-and-lake versatility. It is the logical choice if you only want one spoon in the box. The Camion Magnum earns its place when you specifically want to sink faster and hold a stronger current.

The Smith Pure plays on completely different ground despite the shared brand: it is a distance and erratic-action lure on a fast retrieve, where the Camion Magnum prioritises holding a layer and a slow wobble. The two coexist very happily in the same box.

To place your casts on a river you do not know, our guide to river trout fishing covers how to read runs and holding spots. And if you are unsure which weight to tie on facing a run you have never fished, CarnaFish analyses a photo of the spot and answers.

Key takeaways

• The thickness of the metal, not the shape, makes the difference: a short, dense profile that stays in the water layer.
• Cast up and across, follow the drift, mark a stop at the end of the swing.
• Choose the lightest weight that still lets you feel the vibration.
• Excellent in hard current and high water, beside the point in clear low water and on small streams.
• Your line gives away a spoon that has stopped fishing long before you can see it.

FAQ

Does the Camion Magnum twist the line?

Far less than a thin spoon, because its density stops it lying flat and spinning on itself in the current. A barrel swivel at the head of the leader is still a useful precaution over a long session.

What weight for a typical trout river?

Around 12 g for a steady run of one to two metres deep. Drop towards 8 g if the water is low or the current moderate, and go up to 16-18 g in a big run or into the wind.

Snap or direct connection?

Both work. A small, fine snap makes changes easier and does not restrict the wobble of a lure this dense. Just avoid bulky snaps, which weigh down the front and close up the swimming angle.

Can it be fished in a lake?

Yes, but the retrieve changes: sink it to the bottom, then work it back with one-metre lifts separated by free falls. Most bites come on the drop, not on the lift.

Does it catch perch?

Regularly, especially big reservoir and dam fish. The compact profile and fast fall match the way they hunt fry along a drop-off.

What is the difference with a classic wide spoon?

A wide spoon gives a broad, slow wobble, ideal in calm water, but it rises fast and lies over in current. The Camion Magnum does the opposite: a short, fast wobble, it holds its layer, and it casts much flatter.