Up Close

Preston Innovations is one of the most respected tackle companies of this generation. Here’s what Alex Bones thought about its latest power pole.

I remember many years ago really being envious of one of my old fishing buddies, Matt, because he had what I wanted – a Maver Jurassic Carp pole. I wouldn’t say I’m talking out of turn when I say that, along with the Browning Black Magic, it was the most iconic power pole of its time.
But what about nowadays, over 10 years on? Could Preston’s aptly named Tyson fill those legendary boots?
Well, unlike Mike Tyson himself, Preston GXR’s model won’t come with an entourage, tattooed left eye, gold teeth and a Siberian tiger! Instead you get two power top-two kits, one Pulla kit, one mini extension, one Kup Kit with Kups and a pole holdall, along with 14.5 metres of heavyweight muscle. Well, be honest, what would you do with 475lb of snarling tiger anyway?
GXR poles are Preston’s mid-price-range offerings, with this being the cheapest, but strongest, one available. Of course, the Tyson is a fully signed-up GiS member, too, meaning that all of the top kits are interchangeable with any other Preston pole featuring this same concept.
It was at a Preston Innovations trade show at the end of 2011 when I first got a chance to pick it up from the display rack where it was sat alongside its more expensive counterparts like the flagship One XS, Absolute 14 and brilliant Absolute 11 that all carry RRPs upwards of £2,000.
This, in relatively modest comparison, trails an RRP of £699 – far cheaper but, as you’d expect, it’s not as stiff. It is, however, a beast in the strength department and is to fishing what Geoff Capes was to world strongman competitions throughout the 1980s – a champion.
With modern commercial fisheries now home to a much bigger stamp of fish, the Tyson makes the perfect weapon to take them on. Sometimes, particularly if you’re fishing in or near snags, you just need a pole you can use to apply the brakes – well this is it right here!
It is perfectly fishable at its full length, but this is a pole designed for anglers who specialise in catching short, or close in the margins where they just need a tool that’s going to produce the goods without fail. I’d have no hesitation loading the top kits up with Preston 19H elastic, the heaviest version the company currently sells, or red Hydro, orange Garbolino Bazookarp or even Drennan’s fierce 25-rated orange Bungee, which really is serious gear!
For the test I took it to Larford’s Arena Lake where big weights and big fish are commonplace. I started fishing short on pellets, catching just a few skimmers and smaller carp – not really what I’d come for on this occasion. So, I switched to my margin line that I’d fed with Sonubaits Supercrush Expander groundbait. By presenting a 10mm JPz pellet over the top, it didn’t take long to get the carp lined up, with some proper tackle-testers doing their best to part me from the rig featuring my favourite 4x10 KC Carp 2 floats and 0.19mm line fished straight through to a size 12!
I’d loaded the pole with old yellow Fox elastic, which I think is rated between around 14 to 16. In short, the pole was absolutely faultless for what it’s designed to do. The Sun Core finish really does make for easy shipping, while the package is well thought out with GiS spares available at reasonable prices.
Given the advances in technology, this pole is many, many times better than the Jurassic and Black Magic were all those years ago. But, there’s just no denying that there will always be a special place for poles that define generations.

RRP: £699
www.prestoninnovations.com