Map Parabolix Sti Rod Range
This month, Joe Carass runs the rule over a rod range set to take the market by storm!
During my time at Match Fishing I have been privy to most of the new gear available and have certainly looked at my fair share of rods this year alone. This range from MAP, however, has caught my eye and I have seen them going through the testing stages for over a year now, having watched MAP-sponsored anglers Andy May and James Dent putting the various prototypes through their paces on magazine features. Having seen the rods in the different stages of development I couldn’t wait to give the finished articles a bash, but more of that later.
Parabolix is a name that has long been associated with quality so there was definitely some pressure on MAP to produce the goods with these and it looks to have succeeded! There are nine rods in the range, varying from an 8ft F1 bomb rod to 13ft waggler rods, so there really is a rod to suit everyone here.
I will start with the 8ft and 9ft F1 Bomb rods, and I’m not exaggerating when I say that these are pencil thin! They are the slimmest blanks I have ever seen and weigh virtually nothing. These rods look to be perfect for short chucks on commercials where small carp and F1s are the target. The blanks bend right through in a beautiful arc, yet have that little bit of power needed for casting.
The 10ft Bomb is slightly more beefed up and is the perfect tool for targeting proper carp. Again it has a perfect action for carp but will still cope with smaller fish. The next rod is the 11ft Feeder; this rod will be great for fishing at ranges of up to 50 metres as it has plenty of power through the middle sections. The 12ft model is a different animal altogether and has much more power, allowing feeders to be cast a long way with ease. All of the feeder and bomb rods come supplied with three carbon tips of varying grades to cover your options.
The waggler rods have been designed with commercials in mind but certainly have the finesse in the tip sections that will make them good for silver-fish work too. There is a 13ft Light and a 13ft Medium in the range and two Pellet Waggler variants at 11 and 12 feet. All are very slim and light which makes them a joy to handle for a full five hours. They never lock up and just keep on bending to the butt. These really are great rods and testament to the time and research that it has taken to get them right.
The graphics on the Parabolix STI rods ooze class and make the rods look fantastic. Nice little touches to the handle also help with the rods’ looks and they really are a tackle tart’s dream!
For my test day I took the rods to the fantastic Glebe complex, and I decided to cherry-pick two rods and give them a thorough test, opting for the 11ft Feeder and the 13ft Light Waggler. It was a tough day but I caught some cracking carp and skimmers on both rods. The 11ft feeder saw the most use on the day as I fished a small feeder to the far bank. The rod has a good action but it is quite powerful and in my opinion is a little stiff but I know some anglers like this type of action. The 13ft waggler offered a much lighter action and made fishing with light wagglers a treat.
Joe Carass
RRP: From £139.99
Website: www.mapfishing.co.uk
During my time at Match Fishing I have been privy to most of the new gear available and have certainly looked at my fair share of rods this year alone. This range from MAP, however, has caught my eye and I have seen them going through the testing stages for over a year now, having watched MAP-sponsored anglers Andy May and James Dent putting the various prototypes through their paces on magazine features. Having seen the rods in the different stages of development I couldn’t wait to give the finished articles a bash, but more of that later.
Parabolix is a name that has long been associated with quality so there was definitely some pressure on MAP to produce the goods with these and it looks to have succeeded! There are nine rods in the range, varying from an 8ft F1 bomb rod to 13ft waggler rods, so there really is a rod to suit everyone here.
I will start with the 8ft and 9ft F1 Bomb rods, and I’m not exaggerating when I say that these are pencil thin! They are the slimmest blanks I have ever seen and weigh virtually nothing. These rods look to be perfect for short chucks on commercials where small carp and F1s are the target. The blanks bend right through in a beautiful arc, yet have that little bit of power needed for casting.
The 10ft Bomb is slightly more beefed up and is the perfect tool for targeting proper carp. Again it has a perfect action for carp but will still cope with smaller fish. The next rod is the 11ft Feeder; this rod will be great for fishing at ranges of up to 50 metres as it has plenty of power through the middle sections. The 12ft model is a different animal altogether and has much more power, allowing feeders to be cast a long way with ease. All of the feeder and bomb rods come supplied with three carbon tips of varying grades to cover your options.
The waggler rods have been designed with commercials in mind but certainly have the finesse in the tip sections that will make them good for silver-fish work too. There is a 13ft Light and a 13ft Medium in the range and two Pellet Waggler variants at 11 and 12 feet. All are very slim and light which makes them a joy to handle for a full five hours. They never lock up and just keep on bending to the butt. These really are great rods and testament to the time and research that it has taken to get them right.
The graphics on the Parabolix STI rods ooze class and make the rods look fantastic. Nice little touches to the handle also help with the rods’ looks and they really are a tackle tart’s dream!
For my test day I took the rods to the fantastic Glebe complex, and I decided to cherry-pick two rods and give them a thorough test, opting for the 11ft Feeder and the 13ft Light Waggler. It was a tough day but I caught some cracking carp and skimmers on both rods. The 11ft feeder saw the most use on the day as I fished a small feeder to the far bank. The rod has a good action but it is quite powerful and in my opinion is a little stiff but I know some anglers like this type of action. The 13ft waggler offered a much lighter action and made fishing with light wagglers a treat.
Joe Carass
RRP: From £139.99
Website: www.mapfishing.co.uk
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