All Reviews

Margin fishing – you just can’t beat it. You know the feeling... there’s nothing quite like watching that float shoot under and whacking into a great big carp that tries to drag you across the lake! However, this is one tactic where you absolutely NEED to have reliable gear that you can trust. It’s all well and good stepping up your rig line and hooks to cope, but is your pole also up to the job?

Well this is Daiwa’s brand new Pro Margin 103 – 10.3 metres of dedicated beast-taming carbon tube. It’s designed for the heavy lifting jobs to keep the strain off your flagship pride and joy. It’s made on the same mandrel as all of the UK-made Daiwa poles, so if you’re already the proud owner of one of those models then it’s fully interchangeable, meaning that this pole might just be the perfect companion for you. Plus, it therefore has the capability to employ the reversible PHEX and pole butt sections to allow extended reach if required.

It’s purpose-designed for hauling with Red Hydro and that’s exactly what I’ve come here to do with it today. I’ve picked a swim where I can fish at full length down the margin to my right. I can get into a couple of feet of water, which is ideal for targeting those big commercial hippos. I’ve set up a rig with 0.22mm rig line to a strong eyed hook and a virtually indestructible 4x14 float. As soon as you ship the pole out you’ll notice the pole is lightweight and very manageable; however, give the walls a squeeze and you’ll be filled with confidence. The extra wall thickness is reassuringly noticeable – you just know this is a tool that’s built for hauling and why would you expect anything less from Daiwa?

What is interesting is that Daiwa has designed the pole purposely to flex when you’re playing fish. So not only is the elastic doing the work, but the pole also. Daiwa has called this their ‘fighting action’ and it’s something you’re really going to notice in use. It’s also engineered this way to prevent section breakages because a super-stiff pole in this scenario might not be quite right for the job.

So, I’ve primed the margin with some feed – now it’s time to get a baited rig in and catch a few. After 15 minutes of fishing the float buries and “whack”, we’re into the first margin fish of the session. Straight away you can see the bend and action of the pole as a nice carp makes a bid for freedom. However, this pole has other ideas and with the 5.8mm Pro Power kit laced up with Red Hydro and the Daiwa Interlastic side puller a nice carp is in the net in no time, showcasing the power of this pole and really bringing to life everything that Daiwa has endeavoured to achieve with the design approach for it.

Carp after carp follow from the margin swim and I really wanted to catch plenty on this pole to get a proper feel for it and to give it the best workout possible on the day. It’s a beast and is designed to cope with whatever you’re able to throw at it. 

As you would expect, it’s made using Daiwa’s Multi Strand Graphite (MSG), which they say delivers “more muscle, less fat”. There is of course the ITS taping system, Diamond Satin slide easy finish, section aligners and all of the other features you’ll find on Daiwa’s flagship pole models. Not only does the top kit come ready-bushed with a 5.8mm PTFE tip, but it also features a nose cone on the No3 joint as well as a factory-fitted Interlastic side puller, too.

I don’t own a UK made Daiwa pole, but if I did this would definitely be on the shopping list for short and edge work to keep the strain off the flagship ‘main’ pole. Also, don’t forget that it is a standalone pole in its own right too, so you don't ‘need’ to own another Daiwa pole in order to own one of these. The package includes the 10.3m pole and one 5.8mm Pro Power top kit along with protective pole end caps for an RRP of £959.99. However, there is a promo offer running at the time of writing this for £799.99. It’s certainly not a cheap margin pole by any account, but it is a very good one and I'm sure it will find favour with many of the diehard Daiwa fans out there.

Check out the full video from the day over on the Match Fishing YouTube channel to see the pole in action.

FEATURES
• MSG Multi Strand Graphite
• Enhanced wall strength
• Designed flex and load fighting action
• ITS – Integrated Taping System
• Diamond Satin slide easy paint
• Section Alignment System
• Supplied with Pro Power Kit, fitted with 5.8mm PTFE Bush, No3 Nose Cone & Interlastic puller
• Cross compatible with UK made poles
• Protective EVA end caps

RRP: £959.99
PROMO PRICE: £799.99
WEBSITE: daiwasports.co.uk