Spliced-Tip Special!
Over a year ago my good friend Adam Richards rang me with an excited tone in his voice. He had received a sample of a new rod designed for river fishing. Adam has turned into quite the river angler over the past few years and he was quick to tell me that they were Sphere rods too!
Sphere has been an interesting concept. Browning has essentially produced some of the finest rods on the market and more recently one of the very best poles ever made.
Something For Everyone
This eight-strong range of rods comes in lengths between 10ft and 13ft and includes various casting weights. The rods range from a 10ft Ultra Light, ideal for small sh at close range, right up to the 13ft Heavy that is capable of launching 120g of feeder.
We check out the range of Monster Feeder Rods from Preston Innovations.
European Design
These rods have been designed in conjunction with Dutch international angler Arnout Van De Stadt and have European venues and styles in mind.
Joe Carass gets on the bank with Daiwa’s latest carbon marvel.
To kick off this review I will take you back 13 years. I was a 16-year old match angler who was eager to ‘make it’. I knew that to compete I needed the best pole that I could lay my hands on.
David Haynes takes Middy’s margin-busting Shock Stikk for a spin.
I think it’s fair to say I have never used, or even seen, anything quite like the Middy Shock Stikk, and I think I should admit I probably had the same preconceived ideas about it as many others may have. I imagined it would be a pure hauling tool for getting big fish to the net as quickly as possible with little consideration for their wellbeing.
Well, it’s not.
Assistant editor Jake Fowles gets out on the bank with Frenzee’s FXT Match+ 8ft 6in Feeder rod.
Over the past year or so I have declared my admiration for short-length feeder rods. Of course, these pint-sized weapons are not a particularly new thing on the scene, but in my opinion – and evidently that of tackle companies alike (judging by the amount of these rods cropping up in their catalogues) –now more than ever they have a place in the armoury of the modern match angler. Not just since the rise of F1 fishing, either; yes, the soft action of these rods does lend itself perfectly to targeting species such as F1s, as well as skimmers, but in actual fact they are so much more versatile than they are often given credit for.
Joe Carass gets out with a brand-new Maver pole that really impressed.
Working on Match Fishing magazine means that I get to see a lot of stuff before it actually comes out. Most of the brands out there are usually clambering for page space to make sure their new and exciting product gets in front of you guys. With the new Signature Pro range of poles from Maver, though, it was different.
Assistant editor Jake Fowles gets out on the bank with Frenzee’s FXT Match+ 8ft 6in Feeder rod.
Over the past year or so I have declared my admiration for short-length feeder rods. Of course, these pint-sized weapons are not a particularly new thing on the scene, but in my opinion – and evidently that of tackle companies alike (judging by the amount of these rods cropping up in their catalogues) –now more than ever they have a place in the armoury of the modern match angler. Not just since the rise of F1 fishing, either; yes, the soft action of these rods does lend itself perfectly to targeting species such as F1s, as well as skimmers, but in actual fact they are so much more versatile than they are often given credit for.
Jake Fowles gets to grips with the powerhouse of the Browning Xitan range.
I am finding myself increasingly impressed with what tackle manufacturers are able to introduce to the market; the advancements in what bang we get for our buck has improved drastically, even in the 10 or so years since I was working as a sales assistant down at my local tackle shop.
Although most of these developments span right across the board, there is no one area that impresses me quite as much as the mid-range pole market, such is the standard of what is now available, and despite it being, in my opinion, the most competitive and difficult to conquer price point for poles.
It is the £1,499 priced Browning Xitan Z7-2 (Power Special) that I have at my disposal today, a pole that slots itself nicely into the mid-range pole bracket.
Joe Carass gets an early look at the fantastic new Frenzee Precision 6E FXT flagship pole.
Frenzee is a brand that just keeps on producing the goods. I have been so impressed with the products it has brought to the table in recent years; it always likes to do things its own way and always has some interesting ideas and innovations that set its products apart from the rest.
We managed to get hold of the first-ever model of the brand-new Precision 6E FXT.
Match Fishing’s David Haynes takes two new waggler rods from Rive for an outing.
Rive? That’ll be seatboxes then.
Well, yes, but not this time. The French tackle giant now has so many more items of tackle worth serious consideration than ‘just’ seatboxes.
Ferocious wind, hard-fighting fish and snags to pull them away from in every direction… if Carlsberg did pole tests…
Rookery Waters in Cambridgeshire is my venue of choice to put the eagerly awaited Colmic Airon F66 through its paces, and more specifically the venue’s Magpie Lake. Like all of the lakes here at Rookery, Magpie has a healthy stocking of mixed species with carp being the most prominent species on offer, and hard-fighting ghost carp a key target for visitors to the venue.
During the summer months the lake’s surface is largely covered by picturesque lily pads, and although they dwell below the water’s surface as we exit winter and make our way into spring their stems and emergent buds still remain below and form a safe haven for any hooked fish to dive straight into.
Sitting myself on Peg 35 gave me a swim smack bang in front of the largest area of submerged lilies on the lake.
Drennan Red Range Target Carp Pole -
Joe Carass gets out on the bank with Drennan’s new Target Carp pole to see whether it is a hit or a miss.
I must admit, I do enjoy getting the chance to test poles at the cheaper end of the scale. Poles under £500 always surprise me with their quality and usability.
The Drennan Target Carp is the latest in this price range to find its way into my mitts; a 14.
Matt Godfrey takes Maver’s mid-range marvel for a spin at a very testing Lindholme Lakes!
Poles in this price bracket really do have their work cut out. You can expect to pay around £1,200 for the 14. 5m package or £999 for the 13m version. In my experience, you see poles of this ilk in more situations than any others.
The WorkHorse! Matt Godfrey takes to the bank of Aston Park Fisheries with one of the latest top-end poles from Sensas…
During the autumn I met Mark Downes at Barston Lakes to look at the new range of Sensas poles. I’m always straight in at the deep end on days like this, and I was no different this time. “Show me the best and most expensive one in the range,” is normally my opening gambit. This year, that’s the 895.
•Three pole-retaining options
•EVA foam coated
•Compact and practical
RRP: £12. 99
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