Middy Reactacore XZ Ultra Control Waggler 14ft
Lots of rods are made with a single job in mind. For instance, a 9ft bomb rod is a perfect tool for casting short distances on commercials, but beyond that, it rarely comes into play.
Other rods are much more versatile, however, and these can be employed in a number of different situations.
The brand new 14ft Middy Reactacore XZ Ultra Control Waggler sits firmly in this category. Its length and the power it packs from top to bottom instantly make it a candidate for trotting a float down a river for chub. Which is exactly what I fancied doing for this live test.
But you know what they say about the best-laid plans... Conditions in the days prior to the test had been far from ideal as the country was hammered by record rainfall.
When I arrived at the Derbyshire Derwent I was greeted by high, coloured water that was in no way suited to fishing the float. It was time to put Plan B into action.
I headed 10 miles up the road to Birch House Lakes near Ashbourne and set up on Horseshoe Lake. Using the length of the rod I was able to drop a bait tight to the nearside lilies. It’s difficult to do this accurately with a ‘standard’ 10ft or 11ft rod but a doddle with a longer tool.
A handful of 4mm pellets and a sprinkling of corn went over the float, and after a short wait the waggler darted under. A firm strike was met with solid resistance and the rod instantly shone, oozing the power I needed to steer the hard-fighting common away from dense cover. The length of the rod kept me in total control, enabling me to get over the top of the fish to ensure it couldn’t find sanctuary in the tackle-busting roots.
This was repeated with every bite at close quarters and the blend of power and necessary cushioning to prevent hook-pulls impressed me immensely.
Later, I noticed several carp mooching around the edge of a lily bed in open water. The depth was set to 3ft and I catapulted a couple of pouchfuls of 6mm pellets over the spot to get the fish competing.
It took seconds to get a response on the first cast, but it wasn’t my intended target as a chunky rudd took the hookbait.
Several other silvers came, and although they weren’t what I was after, it was another tick on the checklist with the rod proving it was also soft enough not to bump them off.
Casting the 3g float was equally effortless, and reaching the target at 20m was achieved with minimal effort. The rod can handle floats up to 10g, and I’ve no doubt it would whack them to 50 metres or more.
Once the carp rocked up, shallow-indications were lightning fast but the rod’s quick response enabled me to pick up line in a split second and hit every bite.
The rod had passed the test for commercials with flying colours and no doubt it would be a dream when trying to keep control of a float on a river.
I reckon it would also have bagged top marks for perch in the margins or big tench at close quarters in summer.
Price: £249.99