Korum Trilogy Triple-Top Rod Review
Nobody in these topsy-turvy times should have been too surprised that one of the warmest weeks of the year fell slap-bang in the middle of September.
The poor old fish, having finished their nuptials, saw water temperatures on the rise once again – all very bizarre!
We now appear to be getting all four seasons in one month, and the recent hot and sunny spell has seen the fish, especially the carp, all back up on the surface.
All of which leads me nicely to this week’s live test. What better to tackle anything the weather throws at us, good or bad, than Korum’s recently released Trilogy rod? Handily, the company’s first-ever triple top fishing tool covers most specimen fishing situations.
Not that multi-purpose rods are anything new – your Auntie Maud’s old Grattan catalogue used to sell them – but they were truly hideous things, claimed to suit fly, match, pike and boat fishing but rubbish at all of these.
The new Trilogy is an altogether different kettle of fish, with a steely butt section and three interchangeable tops. These are rated to 1.75lb and 2.2lb test curves, and there’s also a Power Quiver option. The carbon weave construction adds strength where it counts, and a slimline cork handle with compact reel seat is all very stylish.
The medium-fast casting action will cope with all styles of specimen feeder fishing and legering situations.
The new Trilogy rod has three interchangeable tops
I’d originally planned to run the rule over Korum’s Trilogy on the Trent, using it for chub on the float and barbel on the tip.
To be honest, there isn’t anything particularly new about multi-purpose rods for river use. Plenty of twin-tops offer quiver and Avon options, but the Trilogy offers the angler a lot more versatility than that.
So, with the sun shining, my mission was to try three very different tactics in one day. First I’d target carp on floaters. Then it would be bream, tench and anything else that came along using a Method Feeder. Finally I’d switch to pellets and a pop-up in a PVA bag rig to see if I could snare a proper unit.
My destination for this marathon was Oxfordshire’s magnificent Clattercote Reservoir just outside Banbury, home to a truckload of bad-tempered and hard-fighting carp, shedloads of bream, and some really big tench.
Once in the car park, I quickly loaded my kit on to the barrow and headed to the shallow water at the top end of the reservoir – even shallower than I’d expected - and kicked off my session.
TACTIC No1 - Floater fishing
AS I suspected, there were plenty of decent-sized fish cruising the upper layers. So my opening gambit of fishing a hair-rigged mixer hookbait on a size 12 hook, attached to a 5ft-long length of clear 10lb mono hooklength and a 20g controller float, looked nailed on for a quick result.
The Trilogy’s 1.75lb top section is ideal for floater fishing
I’d chosen the Trilogy’s lighter 1.75lb top section for my floater tactics, as its slightly tippy casting and lightish test curve are ideal for what is basically heavy float work – you could also use this section to run a top-and-bottom Avon float down a river.
At 20g, the controller float was well within Korum’s suggested casting capabilities, maxing out at 5oz (141g). To me, that’s a tad optimistic and I wouldn’t want to load the 1.75lb tip with more than 3oz (85g). It does, though, have plenty of whip and would be ideal for heavy float and light lead tactics.
TACTIC No2 - switch to the METHOD
THE Power Quiver tip does exactly what its name suggests. It has a 1.5lb test curve and is finished off with an integral 19ins solid glass quivertip that I’d rate to around a 3oz-4oz test curve, making it ideal for pretty much any feeder situation.
The use of a glass quiver is a clever move by Korum, as tips like these have a smoother curvature than carbon, with superb bite detection whether you’re on a lake or a river. I chose a 45g distance flatbed Method and a much lighter 20g flatbed for the live test, and happily the rod handled both with equal ease.
The power quiver tip is a great tool for method fishing
The blank’s fast casting action makes this a very good two-piece tip rod that will handle a variety of angling situations. I can also vouch for its distance casting capability, as it will propel a feeder or lead up to 80 yards with very little effort.
TACTIC no3 - Mid-range PVA BAG
NOW it was time to step things up a gear to the 2.25lb test curve top section. I decided to fish this with a solid PVA bag full of micro pellets, a 2.5oz bag lead, and 12mm pop-up hookbait on a hair rig.
The heavier top section does dampen down the rod’s perky, fast action and it’s not really a distance-casting top.
But it does allow the use of heavier reel lines and terminal tackle when big fish are the quarry.
For me, the rod is ideal for mid-range PVA bag and straight lead tactics up to around 75 yards out. I found the blank’s slow, almost lazy progressive action quite interesting, and concluded it would be an ideal rod for targeting big bream or tench in snaggy/weedy swims where hook-pulls often occur. The action has a dampening feel with plenty of pulling clout.
The 2.25lb test curve tip is for proper carp fishing with heavier lines and leads
What’s the final verdict?
Korum’s Triple Top is one of a kind!
THIS rod can’t be easily rated against its nearest rival, as to the best of my knowledge there isn’t one. So have the guys at Korum truly cracked the three-rods-in-one conundrum? Well, what we have here is a really clever rod that is nicely finished, looks the part and clearly has many uses in the specimen angling arena.
What’s more, it comes at a price that makes it possibleto own a pair of Trilogies for less than what you’d pay for one traditional feeder rod.
So given the trend towards multiple rod set-ups, maybe you should push the boat out and buy three!
Price: £99.99
Push the boat out and buy three, you won’t regret it!
Middy 5G Pellet Waggler rod test
I’LL START this review with a confession. Pellet waggler fishing isn’t something that I used to devote much time to, but over the past few months of balmy summer weather I realised I’d been missing out big-time on what is clearly one of the most exhilarating of all tactics.
The anticipation builds the moment the float plops into the water, and that excitement is often followed by an aggressive bite moments later.
Next thing you know, the clutch on your reel is going into overdrive and the rod arches over as a disgruntled carp or F1 does its best to shed the hook.
Clearly, the rod you are using can make all the difference between winning most of these battles or coming back empty-handed.
When the new 11ft Middy 5g Pellet Waggler rod was put into my hands I instantly pencilled in a session at a venue I know would respond well to this high-octane tactic – Manor Farm Leisure in Worcestershire.
I knew what I wanted from this rod, but would it come up trumps? There was only one way to find out…
The rod arches over as a disgruntled carp or F1 does its best to shed the hook.
LAUNCHING INTO ACTION
With the rod rigged up and a couple of pints of 8mm pellets on my side tray I was all set to try and extract a few massive F1s – they run to over 5lb – from Ash Pool.
They love to linger shallow out in the middle but they’ve been caught countless times and can be moody. With a small 3g pellet waggler on the line I went for a 30m chuck and it landed exactly where I had planned it to. It was then a case of feeding a few pellets every chuck, casting over the top and, if there was no response within 10 seconds, repeating the sequence.
As it happens, to begin with the fish were slow to respond to the trickle of freebies falling through the water column, but I wasn’t complaining too much as it gave me the chance to get to grips with the rod’s casting capabilities.
Accuracy was not an issue, as I could plant my small waggler on the button without breaking sweat. There was clearly a lot more fuel in the tank, and had I wanted to chuck a beefier float there was ample power in reserve to do so.
Accuracy was not an issue, as I could plant my small waggler on the button without breaking sweat
The weight of the rod barely registered in my hand, which gained it more brownie points because a light rod is essential for such an energetic tactic where you are casting so often.
Eventually the constant rain of pellets drew a response, with fish swirling at every pinch of bait that landed. The float duly dipped and it was time for the rod to earn its battle colours.
THE PERFECT ACTION
The fish surged off the moment it realised it had slipped up. The softly-set clutch got to work and the rod took on a healthy bend.
A good pellet waggler rod needs to be soft enough to absorb sudden lunges yet have enough grunt to let you take control. With the first fish safely in the net I felt confident it had both qualities in abundance.
A few bigger F1s fought even more ferociously later in the day and the rod handled them faultlessly.
A few bigger F1s fought even more ferociously later in the day
Had I hooked a double-figure carp, I feel sure that a small yet significant design feature of the rod would have helped me land it. The woven carbon area next to the handle prevents the rod bending too much during particularly intense fights in the heat of summer, but I’d be equally happy using it on the deck in the colder months, when bites are hard-won and every fish counts. Its soft action would, I’m sure, keep losses to a minimum. Today the Middy 5G Pellet Waggler had put me in the driving seat, allowing me to cast accurately and then extract anything that took the bait with relative ease.
Safe to say this rod looks the part
Rod cosmetics never caught anybody any more fish, but there is something of the tackle tart in us all – and if the aesthetics catch your attention in a shop there’s a much better chance you’ll part with your hard-earned cash!
Safe to say this rod looks the part. Starting at the reel seat, it seems a little unusual as it’s slimmer than the rest of the handle, but put your hand over the top of the reel and it all clicks into place to make holding the rod a pleasure.
Graphics are neatly etched into the blank, the eyes are appropriately sized and spaced throughout, and little extras such as a hook keeper add to its overall appeal.
Give this beauty a place in your holdall and you’ll have a tool that will never let you down when the bites are coming thick and fast!
A productive rod test!
Price: £99.99
Daiwa Powermesh B2 2.25lb test curve rod & Daiwa Emcast 25A reel on test!
THE year was 1974 and I remember it like it was yesterday – Mud’s Tiger Feet had been at No1 for weeks and I’d just met my future wife at school, although I didn’t know it then. Harold Wilson was Prime Minister, and those pesky Germans had won the World Cup for the second time (and two more to come, but I didn’t know that either).
More importantly, my dad had landed a new job with Yorkshire TV, had moved up to Huddersfield and was spending his spare time barbel fishing on the River Swale.
School holidays couldn’t arrive quickly enough. We simply didn’t have barbel nosing around in the Rivers Evenlode or Windrush close to my Oxfordshire home. To this angling-mad lad, catching one became a teenage obsession.
Well, the big moment finally arrived on the banks of the Swale at Skipton. That fish fell to a cube of Bacon Grill (Dad’s favourite). There it lay in the net, seven pounds of statuesque bronze magnificence!
These days, Dad’s living in Italy, chasing carassio and carp, while I live close to the Trent where barbel grow to immense proportions. Ranks of green and camo-clad anglers line its banks looking like soldiers going into battle, as well they might, because the fighting qualities of a natural-born Bertie are more than a match for the stoutest tackle and strongest nerves.
All this brings me to the subject of this week’s Live Test, the latest incarnation of Daiwa’s two-sectioned 12ft Powermesh B2 barbel rod, available in 2.25lb and 2.75lb test curves.
Daiwa had also kindly sent in its new gunmetal grey Emcast 25A reel, which I really liked the look of the moment I saw it.
I don’t know anywhere better to test rough-and-tumble barbel gear than the Trent’s boisterous Gunthorpe Weir. It’s a heaving, boiling, foam-flecked torrent of water whose deafening roar blots out every other sound.
The Trent’s Gunthorpe Weir is the perfect testing ground
An extraordinarily exhilarating angling experience it may be, but boy is it tough on tackle! It’s a boulder strewn snag-pit, and even with Arnie-grade end gear you’re never going to land everything you hook.
I filled the stunning-looking Emcast reel with 15lb Daiwa Sensor line, which you could use to haul a tractor out of a ditch. It was probably a bit overgunned for use with the lighter 2.25lb Powermesh B2 rod that I had chosen to use, mainly because it’s likely to be the one most anglers will prefer.
The Emcast Reel looks simply stunning
I didn’t need to cast anything weightier than a 2oz lead and a PVA bag. The rod has a 150g (5oz) recommended maximum casting weight, but if I were using anything approaching that or casting over 75 yards I would opt for the 2.75lb Powermesh B2.
With a small bag of pellets and meat, and three hair-rigged cubes of porky goodness, it wasn’t long before I had my first bite, and it took even less time for the fish to get itself set firmly into a snag. Fish one, Mark nil.
A simple set-up for barbel
Twenty minutes later the rod top nodded, then the line went slack with a massive drop-back bite. As I wound down to the fish it took off at an astonishing rate of knots, straight across the white water. Happily the Powermesh had enough backbone mid-section to pile on the pressure, despite its fairly soft through action – I’d describe it as forgiving but firm.
Eventually the fish came up in the foam, but the 11lb hooklength had somehow wrapped itself around a loose bit of floating branch. Two attempts to net the whole lot in one go failed dismally, and a desperate third go at scooping up what looked to be a 10-pounder ended in failure. Fish two, Mark nil. Not the rod’s fault, nor the reel’s. Bad angling? You be the judge, but like I said, this isn’t a swim for the faint-hearted.
The Powermesh rod is forgiving but firm
The sun rose, the temperature soared, and I wondered if my chance had gone. Nope, the rod buckled over and it was game on... alas, the line fell slack again just as quickly, and it really was all over. Fish three, Mark nil.
The day wasn’t a complete wash-out, as a decent chub put another bend in the Powermesh, although nothing compared to the brute force of a wild barbel.
This faultless two-piece rod is mellow yet gnarly and growly and would suit nearly all UK rivers. The new Daiwa Emcast reel is just fab – it has an impeccable line lay, and enough winding power to cope with the heaviest of feeders and leads.
A brilliant combination
I really enjoyed its tough and robust feel, which is just as well for a reel likely to get chucked around a riverbank and needing to cope with hauling in double-figure fish. It even comes with a spare spool, so next time I go out with this dream rod-and-reel team I hope to get my three-point win with those barbel.
Price: Rod £126, Emcast reel from £74.99
Free Spirit Hi-S 8ft Feeder rod review
This flagship 8ft rod is ideal when casts of 20m-25m are called for. Like all short rods it’s relatively easy to compress, making it super-accurate even at those tricky shorter ranges.
The Free Spirit Hi-S 8ft Feeder rod is a classy product
In fishing terms, this means you shouldn’t be afraid to cast it properly overhead as you would a normal length feeder rod.
As a top-end model it’s furnished with high quality anti-frap guides, has a cut-away Fuji reel seat that’s said to give the rod more feel, and is supplied with two unique Free Spirit hollow carbon quivers of 0.5oz and 0.75oz.
Supplied with two unique Free Spirit hollow carbon quivers of 0.5oz and 0.75oz.
Longer than standard push-in quivers, these are far less prone to movement post-cast, and they give the blank a highly distinctive fish-playing action.
I’ll make no bones about it, like other models in Free Spirit’s award-winning Hi-S range this is a classy and well-bred rod.
It has plenty of feel when playing a fish, and a casting potential that belies its modest 8ft length. It also packs more than enough backbone to dissuade a big carp from getting underneath your platform.
Price: £269
Free Spirit CTX 8ft Short Range Feeder Rod Review
As its name suggests, the CTX 8ft Feeder comes into its own when accuracy of cast is more important than chucking great distances, making it the perfect rod for snake lakes, small commercial ponds, canals and most short-chuck venues.
It’s equally useful for straight lead tactics just beyond the pole line, or as an alternative to the pole itself when high winds make other options impossible.
The unique action powers up the blank from tip to butt, and an anti-locking fighting curve allows light terminal gear to be used for big fish.
The two-piece blank is of quality carbon, with a Bi-Axis weave. Features include Fuji High Stand Off match guides, original Fuji VSS17 lock-down reel seat and a cork handle with EVA thumb grip. It comes with 1oz and 2oz carbon quivers and another glass tip of 0.75oz.
It comes with 1oz and 2oz carbon quivers and another glass tip of 0.75oz
A great all-round rod, and I wouldn’t hesitate to have one in my holdall. If you like your rods with a bit of action, you’ll love the CTX, and it’s ideal for hooklengths down to 0.10mm and small hooks.
Price: £114.99
The CTX is the perfect rod for snake lakes
Preston Carbonactive Distance Master rod review
ANYONE whose fishing trips don’t always go exactly to plan can relate to this week’s live test. And that means all of you!
Traditional match fishing lore dictates that in the chilly waters of winter we should cut right down on how much bait we use. And okay, I confess that my sixth cast in 20 minutes using a big Method feeder full of micros might have been over the top.
The truth is, I was struggling. There’d been a frost that morning, an easterly wind was howling across the water, and I didn’t really know much about the Big Lake at Bain Valley Fisheries in Lincolnshire, where I’d pitched up to put Preston’s turbo-charged 13ft 2ins Distance Master rod through its paces.
I clocked the chap two pegs away who’d turned up about an hour earlier. Perched on a tatty old fishing chair, he looked friendly enough, so I gave him that ‘who knows?’ shrug of the shoulders familiar to all anglers who haven’t got a clue what to do next.
Talk about being taken down a notch or two. Without even looking at me he muttered: “Thee can put it in, but thee can’t take it out,” alluding to the fact that I might have been a bit gung-ho with the bait.
Feeders ahoy!
I was determined to put on a show for my critic, and I figured that a mesmerising long-distance cast would surely impress. Standing up on my seatbox footplate, I adjusted the line drop to halfway down the blank and made sure I caught his eye while unleashing a monster cast.
A lightning-fast swoosh of the rod followed, using every inch of its extra-long handle. It was casting perfection, proper textbook stuff, or so I thought.
The ‘crack’ of snapping line was audible in the next county as my 45g Method feeder flew straight up through the ozone layer. After what seemed an eternity, the old boy broke the silence. “Thee’s loosefeeding feeders now then as well?”
In my eagerness to impress, I hadn’t noticed the coil of line that had worked itself around the back of the spool! Cue the arrival of photographer Lloyd, who asked my tormentor if he’d caught anything.
“No, but it’s entertaining just sitting here watching your pal,” he replied.
Casting perfection
When you need to find a fish, staring at the water can sometimes be your salvation, and sure enough, I saw one show way out in the lake.
I didn’t wish the niggly neighbour good luck as I hurriedly bundled everything back into the car, and two minutes later I was round the other side of the lake. I already had full confidence in the Preston Distance Master’s casting capabilities… it was my own that needed sorting out. Changing from a Method feeder to a 60g straight lead and a hefty 12lb shockleader, I reckoned popped-up bread discs fished as 18ins-high zig rigs would surely do the business.
The slightly thicker knot between mainline and shocker whizzed through the rod’s oversized guides as the steely mid-section kicked in, fairly sizzling the lead out well past 100 yards.
For such a supreme casting tool, the rod felt remarkably responsive and tactile, and the crisp tip section generated very little in the way of recoil or post-cast bounce. I was mightily impressed. Barely had the reel line tightened against the 2oz quiver I’d chosen to use when its eye-catching fluoro-orange tip dropped back. It was a typical bite on popped-up bread from a winter carp.
Because I was using a suspended hookbait, rather than snatching the rod from its rest, I wound down cautiously until I made contact with the fish which, feeling the pressure, bolted in a bid for freedom.
Perfect build
At moments like that you realise why all the best 13ft-plus Distance Master Feeder rods are made with short carrier sections. It enables the top section to respond with just enough cushioning to make hook-pulls highly unlikely, even from carp and bream hooked at the longest of ranges.
And there was no danger of such a thing happening with this pretty hefty carp, which I was able to lead towards my waiting net with the absolute minimum of fuss.
The Distance Master comes with 2oz, 3oz and 4oz carbon quivertips, all boasting large diameter rings, and a couple of inches of reinforcing around the top of the carrier section joint point to a rod that’s been designed by top anglers who really know what they are doing.
Make no mistake, this is a ‘keeper’ of a rod that will become a firm favourite the first time you use it. And, compared to many of its ilk, it offers superb value for money.
Price: £245.99,
www.anglingdirect.co.uk
Preston Innovations 9ft supera feeder rod review
Short feeder and bomb rods are much in vogue on commercials, for many good reasons.
Their reduced length means that they are easy to get down the side of your peg out of the wind, and they are that bit easier to manipulate while you’re sheltering under a brolly, as often happens in winter.
Then, as long as you are not faced with a long chuck, short rods are superb at close quarters for fishing tight up to islands and far-bank margins on smaller waters. But arguably most importantly, because of their casting accuracy, they can drop a feeder on a sixpence time after time – perfect for fishing on a pole line, or just past it.
Used with a softish quivertip, and either braid or pre-stretched mono mainline, they offer enhanced bite indication. And that, matched with their casting accuracy, can make them winter match winners.
In my opinion, one of the best all-round short feeder rods on the market is Preston Innovations’ wispy CarbonActive Supera 9ft model.
It easily handles casting weights up to 40g, and has a flat spot-free progressive through action. The blank bends with no suggestion of locking up, so no hook-pulls are likely.
As you might expect of a top-end rod, the shortest in the 11-strong Supera range boasts a comfy flat-topped ergonomic cork and EVA handle with casting grip. To that you can add lightweight custom-built guides and a high modulus carbon blank that uses a blend of carbon cloths to achieve the famous Preston CarbonActive action. It comes with graded 1oz, 1.5oz and 2oz push-in carbon tips.
On the bank the 9ft Supera is a fine all-rounder for all tactics and fish species. Bottom line is, if you regularly fish commercials stocked with carp, F1s, skimmers, bream and roach, its forgiving action makes this rod an excellent addition to your feeder fishing arsenal.
For the live test I took the 9ft Supera to Stretton match lake, a standard small day-ticket mixed fishery where accurate casts are rewarded with the most fish.
However, the short pub chuck my chosen peg required has always made me uneasy – I feel I want to swing the feeder out underarm. Overhead casting, on the other hand, invariably overshoots and deposits the feeder in the undergrowth.
The trick here is to clip up the reel and push the rod forward on the cast so the feeder lands spot-on every time. Use a soft quiver and there is no need to tighten the line – it lands straight every chuck. BItes are signalled by the line lifting, rather than the classic yank-round, but the end result is the same…. fish on!
Fishing to a clip at short range can be a nail-biter when carp are the likely outcome, but the softness of the Supera and its hidden elasticity cuts the user some slack (even with a tight line!). With a couple of turns back on the reel, it’s plain sailing.
Mark’s verdict
This cute little Preston number ticks all the boxes. Its anti-lock cushioned action is perfect for small commercials, with just the right amount of backbone if you hook a decent carp but sufficiently forgiving to coax in skimmers and F1s.
Completely problem-free, the rod is super-accurate and you’ll land your feeder with pinpoint accuracy time after time.
As long as you don’t overload it or attempt to blast a feeder to the horizon you’ll be chuffed to bits with its outstanding all-round performance.
Price: £169.99
Warrior Deadbait rods from Fox Rage reviewed!
When it comes to the purchase of a rod, striking a balance between cost and performance – in other words, getting value for money – is very important.
If that rod is cheap but not particularly cheerful your fishing will suffer. If, on the other hand, the price is ‘realistic’ enough to make an oil sheikh weep, you’ll be in trouble with the missus.
Fortunately, the new Warrior Deadbait rods from Fox Rage Predator are bang on the money on both counts.
There are three options – 12ft 2.75lb test curve, 12ft 3.25lb tc, and a 10ft 3lb tc boat rod. The two 12-footers will set you back just £55.99 and £59.99, respectively, while the boat rod comes in at an even more modest £49.99.
Now, given the kudos of the Fox Rage Predator brand, these are cheap rods. Score one for the Warriors. The big question now, though, is how do they perform?
Let’s be honest. For this money you’re not going to be getting the best pike rods ever made. However, if you’re on a tight budget, or a newcomer to predator fishing, these Deadbait Warriors will do everything you’ll need to put baits where you want them and catch fish with minimal fuss.
For a start, they cast well – an essential attribute of any deadbait rod is that it can fire out weight. All three blanks compress well and can handle the biggest of baits and the heftiest of leads. From that point they sit in the rod rests until they’re called into use, looking great with their subtle graphics, class-act gloss black blanks,
full-length cork handles (offering good grip for casting and playing fish in bad weather) and practical screw-down reel seats.
Lifting into a take, the actions of the two 12ft rods see the blanks’ tip section pick up line very quickly, before the power kicks in to set the hooks, even at range. They are quite powerful, too, giving you plenty in reserve for controlling larger fish, especially at the net, where you need that power to hold on to late lunges.
The bread-and-butter model will undoubtedly be the 2.75lb test curve rod. This is a great
all-rounder that’s forgiving, but with enough power to chuck big baits and land good fish. For those requiring a bit more casting range and/or the use of larger baits such as whole mackerel, the 3.25lb test curve model delivers even more grunt, which you’ll need if you want to set hooks at extreme range.
The boat rod is fit for purpose, and is also a great option for tight swims and river work, where its 10ft length is a real help.
Price: 12ft 2.75lb £55.99 | 12ft 3.25lb £59.99 | 10ft 3lb £49.99
Free Spirit Hi-s feederlite 12ft
The thousands of feeder rods on the market span every conceivable scenario. From tiny pub-chuck models through to long- and medium-range bomb and Method rods, the list is endless.
You might want to attach a minuscule cage feeder that wouldn’t fit over the end of your little finger, or indeed a massive metal-clad monster delivering enough feed in one go to last a canal match angler five hours.
Little wonder, then, that choosing the right feeder rod is more difficult than trying to mix your groundbait with treacle. So let me steer you on the path to a range of feeder rods so outstanding that its name has become a byword for performance, cutting edge build and faultless furnishings. These are the rods top anglers aspire to.
The objects of all this shameless admiration are Free Spirit Hi S Feeder rods, the latest of which – the delightful 12ft Hi S Feederlite – is on test duty. The three models – 10ft, 11ft and 12ft – are designed for bream, skimmer and F1 Feeder and bomb fishing up to around the 40 yard mark, although the 12-footer (available soon) has enough casting steel through its mid-section to hit in excess of 70 yards with only a 30g flatbed Method feeder attached.
All three feature a sublime, lightly progressive action suited to small hooks and light hooklengths, although there’s ample oomph stowed away in the middle and lower areas to deal with bigger fish.
Thanks to the best low resin 40t Japanese carbons, Feederlite rods are ridiculously lightweight, and as sharp and crisp in casting performance and line pick-up as you could ever wish for. Having fished with two of them over the past couple of weeks, I reckon the 11ft rod suits the use of cage, maggot, and 30g Method feeders at a range of 50 yards-plus.
The 12-footer will handle 40g feeders and bigger fish, but both rods share that softly progressive action. They come with unique hollow carbon quivertips. Rated to ½oz and ¾oz, they will detect the delicate bites of skimmers and other silvers, especially with braid on your reel.
Fuji reel seats allow more feel through the blank from the hollow tip, while quality anti-frap guides are positioned to make the rods less prone to reel lines or shockleaders catching during the cast and causing crack-offs.
Mark’s verdict
Feederlite rods are soft enough to catch bream, skimmers and silvers on light gear, yet can still handle the odd bigger fish on light terminal tackle. The 11ft model is as good a short range feeder/bomb rod as you will find, while the 12ft rod has a similar action with a bit more casting clout.
Perfection? Well, it’s close! The real design trick with this type of rod is to combine a perfectly cushioned fish-playing softness with enough crispness on the strike and line pick-up speed yet still feel sharp, fast, stiff and light in the hand.
For my money, Free Spirit has captured all these elements perfectly in its 12ft Hi S Feederlite.
Price: From £299
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
Daiwa N’ZON Z XL 13ft feeder rod Review
A few weeks ago we looked at Daiwa’s latest N’ZON tackle range for feeder anglers.
There are more than 30 new rods in the line-up, three dedicated feeder reels, luggage and nets, not to mention superbly designed ‘tough as you like’ feeders.
Here there’s a choice of metal cage, distance, tunnel and square models and plastic-bodied open-enders, plus three coated bombs – dubbed Tri, Quad and Oval.
So without further ado let’s take a closer look at an N’ZON rod. Those with the ‘Z’ prefix, including the Z XL 13ft Feeder on live test duty, are the more expensive models, ranging from £165 up to £235, while the ‘S’ range starts at £84.99 and rises to £110.
Both marques cover all feeder disciplines, from short bomb work to hitting the horizon.
Daiwa rates the 13ft Z XL Distance Feeder rod to casting weights up to whopping 180g (6oz), and it’s worth mentioning that there are two other 13ft
Z XL rods rated to 120g and 150g respectively, plus three Z series 14ft rods with the same loading capacities.
Not so long ago such rods would have been considered specialist tools, suited only to European anglers. However, these days Irish loughs and Scottish lochs, big wild waters, and huge reservoirs such as Bough Beech and Boddington are commonly used for feeder matches. So there is a need for distance-casting tools that can handle hefty feeders and a wide range of fish species.
Having fished with the rod on three occasions when distance casting was a priority, I can tell you that the N’ZON Z, XL is fully up for a big chuck.
Obviously its 13ft length helps generate added tip speed if you allow a decent drop between rod-tip and feeder prior to the cast. This, matched with a high weight loading point and fast taper three-section blank, adds up to a mega-pokey rod.
I have caught a few skimmers and roach on the Z XL 13-footer, and I didn’t suffer problems with lost fish or hook pulls – although I wouldn’t go below a size 16 hook or line lighter than 0.16mm.
I can see this rod being an option for those who target big-fish venues and need to cast heavy feeders or leads into the middle of next week.
Mark’s verdict
Good as this rod is for distance work, I would probably choose the 150g or 120g Z XL 13ft Distance rods as these would provide a more cushioned, progressive fish-playing action, rather than the raw power of the 180g model.
I can, though, see match and pleasure anglers who fish the Trent, or any major river that needs to be tackled with hefty feeders and end tackle, finding a place for it in their rod holdalls.
Price: £225
Daiwa Black Widow G50 12ft Rod & Reel Review
If you’re just starting carp fishing, or looking for a set of rods and reels that you won’t have to spend years paying off, then you’ve never had it so good.
Improvements in technology and manufacturing have seen the quality of sub-£100 rods rocket beyond all expectations.
Daiwa’s extensive Black Widow range can certainly be classed as excellent value for money.
Covering everything from rods and reels to accessories, each item is well constructed and sensibly priced.
For this test I focused on the Black Widow G50 rod, having picked out the 12ft, 3.25lb test curve rod from the range of six.
There are also 2.75lb, 3lb (both £74.99) and 3.5lb (£79.99) versions available, as well as a 4.5lb rod for spod and marker work which retails at £84.99.
For those fishing on smaller waters, or in tight swims where casting is hampered by overhanging branches, there’s also a shorter 10ft, 3lb model.
My 12ft rod – or set of three, to be precise – were matched with Daiwa’s Black Widow 25A reels.
This is a combo I’ve had a few sessions with, catching several carp to mid-doubles during evening trips of just a couple of hours.
For the purposes of this shoot, I’d arranged to meet our cameraman Lloyd at my local lake in Somersham, Cambs.
Set in a 12-hectare nature reserve, the lake is a few acres in area and home to a real mix of species, including a good head of carp to more than 20lb.
On arrival I could see several fish mooching around in open water and close to large set of lily pads – the perfect target.
I flicked out one rod with a 12mm white wafter hookbait and a small PVA bag of pellets attached to the hook.
I was still sorting out the second rod when my bite alarm emitted a couple of bleeps. Seconds later I looked down just as the bobbin pulled up tight and the spool on the 25A reel started spinning.
Although I was fishing in open water I had to quickly pile on the pressure as the hooked carp was kiting directly towards a dense raft of lily pads and the sanctuary its tangled mass of roots and stems would offer my hoped-for prize.
When you enter 3lb-plus test curve territory there’s often the risk of rods being a bit pokey, and you have to sacrifice fish-playing subtlety for casting capabilities.
I was pleased to discover that this wasn’t the case with the Black Widow G50.
The rod loads across its whole length, which results in a good cushion for hookholds and enables the rod to absorb any sudden lunges under the rod-tip when you’re about to net a fish.
Thankfully, with the rod’s help, I managed to convince the fish that charging into the lily pads wasn’t the best idea and it was soon safely in the bottom of the landing net.
Over the next couple of hours, we landed four more carp to mid-doubles, and at no point did I feel like any of the fish was going to escape.
Every lunge was cushioned by the rod, and the 25A reel’s abbreviated drag range enabled me to quickly adjust the tension on the clutch as required during the fight.
These Black Widow reels fall into the compact category of carp reels, or ‘baby big-pit reels’ as they’re often referred to.
Don’t be fooled by their size – they can still hold 240m of 0.32mm/12lb line and retrieve 92cm of line with each turn of the handle.
The truth is that on most waters in this country, except for the largest of venues where fishing at extreme distances is called for, big-pit reels with huge spools aren’t really necessary.
The 25As will do the job perfectly. And they look great! The all black graphite body is not only strong and keeps weight to a minimum, but sat under the rod’s full Duplon handle they provide a set-up that would please even the most flamboyant of tackle tarts.
Shakespeare’s Sigma Offers Unbeatable Value
Hoping to get into pellet waggler fishing this summer? You’ll be hard pushed to find a rod offering better value for money than the 10ft 6ins Shakespeare Sigma Supra Pellet Waggler.
As it’s priced at just £44.99, you might well expect the Sigma to be heavy and of poor quality – however, my experience of Shakespeare’s rods tells me that nothing could be further from the truth.
Having owned a Mach 2XT Barbel rod for 10 years, I can vouch for the strength and robustness of the company’s rods, and I expected the same of the Supra Sigma Pellet Waggler rod.
Featuring a sturdy screw-down reel seat, a strong carbon blank and titanium oxide guides throughout, the rod is tailor-made for taming hard fighting commercial fishery carp.
A mixed cork and EVA handle, along with simple graphics, give the rod a rugged, no-nonsense look, and unlike a book, I expected to be able to judge the Sigma by its cover.
I headed to Cambridgeshire’s Decoy Lakes to test my theory, and sat on Lou’s Lake, where carp were basking in the summer sun.
The rod balanced perfectly with a 3000-sized reel, and is light enough to hold all day – essential when fishing the waggler.
After feeding the swim for a few minutes and casting regularly, the float buried and the Sigma was yanked into its fighting curve.
The rod’s action is best described as ‘slow to through’, with a soft tip that steadily tapers down to a beefy butt section.
A feeling you sometimes get with budget rods is that they will shatter at any moment when they’re tested to their limit, but not so with the Sigma.
Throughout the day I never felt under-gunned, as I have done in the past when using softer pellet waggler rods that bend right through to the butt. Pulling fish away from snags on the far margin was no problem at all.
The rod also casts well, and despite it having a 10g-30g casting weight I could chuck a 7g waggler with ease.
Its 10ft 6ins length makes for pinpoint accuracy, which is a particularly attractive feature, because one of the most popular tactics at the moment is ‘mugging’, where you cast a single bait at a cruising fish. On the day I tested the rod this ploy was particularly important, as the carp weren’t really interested in feeding shallow – and so dropping a bait right on their noses was the best way to fool them.
Shakespeare is a company that has built its reputation on offering professional quality at an affordable price, and the Sigma Supra carries on that tradition.
Verdict: For catching ‘proper’ carp you’ll struggle to find a rod that offers better value for money. This makes the Sigma Supra Pellet Waggler the perfect tool for someone new to pellet waggler fishing, or as a spare for the more experienced angler.
What I would say is that if your local venue contains a large head of F1s or carassio, fish notorious for coming off under the rod-tip, you may experience problems with hook pulls due to the stiff butt section of this rod. However, with regular commons and mirrors you’ll be fine.
Don’t let the 10g-30g casting weight put you off, as this rod will comfortably cast much lighter wagglers.
If you shop around it’s also possible to pick up this rod at prices well below its RRP.
Price: £44.99
Daiwa Black Widow Barbel Rod 12ft 1.75lb & Black Widow Specialist Rod 12ft 1.5lb Review
Looking every inch like expensive custom-built rods, the two 12ft Daiwa Black Widow Barbel and Specialist models are built using full-carbon two-piece blanks that are garnished with an understated matt non-glare finish.
They are furnished with a well-spaced set of durable stainless steel framed guides that have hard-wearing, braid-proof aluminium oxide linings. Both rods also have hollow tubular top sections that are ideal for fishing situations which require the use of heavier leads, feeders, and stronger than normal terminal tackle.
However, before you run away with the idea that this pair of affordable specialist rods are both little more than ringed broom handles, they are both supplied with permanently fixed 2oz test curve glass quiver top sections ideal for targeting shy-biting fish or when tackling still or slow, meandering water where a more sensitive set-up will be beneficial.
Which rather bizarrely is a million miles away from where the pair actually underwent their endurance of a live test. Heavy rain and high water levels just after the start of the new river season had meant that the fish had been pushed out of the normal areas I would expect to bag barbel and catch reports from the opening week were pretty sparse. After a few phone calls I discovered a few fish were being caught from the tidal Trent. If anywhere’s going to test a barbel rod to its limits it’s here, I thought to myself. If it can survive this test it will handle anything else.
The Tidal Trent is a serious water. It’s wildly fast flowing in spots, very deep in places, boils and bubbles like a witch’s cauldron, and is generally completely unforgiving of angling errors.
Its rock and boulder banks and bed are a nightmare, and just to make things doubly difficult for the angler, it flows both ways depending on the tide of the day. Oh yes, it’s quite tasty too but most definitely more Vindaloo than Korma!
The fish that swim the inhospitable depths of the Tidal Trent are nothing less than lean, mean, super fit fighting machines. Think of them as permanently living on a fast-paced treadmill! And that’s what makes the tidal reaches so popular with a multitude of match and specimen anglers. It’s wild water fishing at its raw best.
So where and how does this Daiwa pairing fit into the equation? Well although both rods are close to the cusp on both casting weights and casting distances on a river such as this, the lighter Specialist model is well worth a look, even if you’re a match angler targeting fast-water bream, skimmers and hybrids.
It has a bit more backbone for casting heavier feeders than a normal match style quivertip feeder, but with just enough cushioning softness to allow for lighter lines, from say 0.14mm and more, and smaller hooks from size 16 hooks upwards.
The Barbel model was pushed to its absolute limit on this live test, as the session kicked off with a hefty 70g feeder cast to mid-river and went up from there, as the ebb tide pulled hard. Fish-playing wise, the blank’s progressive action is a little too much for a powerhouse river such as this, and I did lose a couple of big fish I couldn’t keep out of the boulders. Maybe it was it was just bad angling on my part. But let’s face it, none of us ever blame ourselves! And the occasional loss is always going to be expected when fishing such an extreme venue.
By the end of the test, however, the number of fish the rod put on the bank vastly outnumbered those that had escaped. If rods could talk, this one would have said ‘thank flip that’s over with!’
Mark’s verdict
For my money the Black Widow Specialist model would make a good stillwater tench and bream tool and would also double-up as a very handy winter chub rod for any water. The Barbel model is an ideal all-rounder for any river, maybe better suited to the more sedate Thames and Avon flows, where its 2oz fixed quivertip section would come into play. Pacier rivers such as the Wye, Severn and Trent could be tackled with its tubular carbon top section.
The tidal Trent really is at the upper limit at what the rod can handle. But the venue is a different animal to most waterways and normally requires tackling with what can be hugely expensive bespoke rods. The fact that this high value for money Black Widow rod tamed plenty of fish from this river speaks volumes about how good it is.
Korum Neoteric FS 1.75lb 12ft rod
The pursuit of specimen fish other than carp can be a heady affair. Picture an early-morning walk to the lake through dew-laden meadows painted with golden shafts of sunlight.
Your every step is softly placed, lest the grass underfoot snaps with thunderous disapproval. The dawn chorus quietens for a moment, then strikes up again – if the birds don’t know you’re here, no-one will.
Lily beds, bedecked with white and red flowers, are in stark contrast to the lake’s peat-stained water. Their stems twitch and bob, revealing tell-tale signs of fish movement below.
A deft cast places the float in the perfect position, and with a few grains of corn scattered around it tiny streams of bubbles emanate from the depths. To a time-served angler these are a sure sign of an impending bite.
Then, as if possessed, the float lifts fractionally before sliding away, and you’re in.
Romantic and dewy-eyed as such images may be, the plain truth is that most modern-day specialist angling is conducted on large open gravel pits.
All of which brings me nicely to the latest Neoteric FS rods from Korum. The original Neoterics appeared back in 2011, in fact I still use the superb 12ft twin top models for most of my barbel fishing. The new 12ft, 1.75lb Neoteric FS rods on test, though, are among four models with lengths from 11ft 6ins up to 12ft, test curves from 1.25lb to 2.25lb, and casting weights ranging from 15g to 120g.
The Neoteric carbon blanks are two-piece, and their fittings revolve around managing a comprehensive array of modern specimen tactics for a variety of species. Light, slimline carbon blanks with a powerfully progressive action are teamed with stabilised tips for accurate casting of feeders and leads.
On the bank the rods have the look of expensive custom-built models. Their non-reflective matt grey gunmetal finish contrasts attractively with the high-gloss 3k carbon weave area just above the handle, while the full cork handle and well-spaced, fully lined Seaguide rings add class and sophistication to what are very sensibly priced rods.
In keeping with my opening words, I choose to live-test the rods at a well-established old gravel pit with picture postcard reed and lily pad margins.
I’d be targeting the deep water’s tench and bream with corn, worm and maggot hookbaits over PVA mesh bags of micro pellets. Using 2oz leads and small bags I can happily report that the 12ft, 1.75lb rods on test can cast this sort of set-up with consummate ease, and could easily handle at least an ounce more casting weight.
The blanks are seriously powerful on the cast, while their progressive fish-playing actions are meaty and uncompromising, perfect for big fish in weedy waters, or where casting distance is of paramount importance.
I would, though, suggest that unless you are after longer casting distances or the use of heavier leads or feeders, the lighter 11ft 6ins, 1.25lb rods would better suit smaller venues where shorter casts are the order of the day.
Verdict
Korum has thought long and hard about its latest Neoteric FS rods. They are designed for the specialist angler regardless of fish species or type of venue. Their heavy, progressive playing actions, especially the 1.75lb and 2.2lb test curve versions, make them ideal for weedy or snag-strewn waters.
Price: £84.99-£99.99
Daiwa Black Widow Range
Daiwa’s extensive Black Widow kit is a high value for money big-fish range that covers everything from rods and reels to luggage and accessories. Whether you’re new to carp fishing or just want to kit yourself without spending an absolute fortune then this could be exactly what you’re after. This month we take a look at some of the main items that the range has to offer...
1) G50 12ft rods
A range of rods from 2.75lb to 4.5lb test curve offering power and distance with good fish-playing properties. Features include lightweight blanks, slim full shrink grip handles, 50mm butt guides and a DPS reel seat. The 4.5lb model is ideal for spod and marker work
RRP: £74.99 - £84.99
2) 25a reels
Compact big-pit style reels with ‘carpy’ all black looks. Features include an abbreviated drag range, line-friendly clip and a graphite body for weight saving and toughness.
RRP: £79.99
3) G50 10ft rod
This shorter rod is ideal for use on small waters or in tight swims where overhanging trees making casting 12ft rods tricky. RRP: £64.99
4) 6 leg bed
Designed around a steel frame and weighing 9.5kg, this well-padded bed has a cushioned pillow for extra comfort. The leg lock system ensures stability and it packs down to a compact size.
RRP: £99.99
5) Carp chair
A compact and lightweight chair with a cushioned seat and backrest. All of the legs are extendable and have swivel mudfeet. The chair packs down nice and small so is easy to transport.
RRP: £49.99
6) 3 rod pod
A versatile pod which enables you to easily change the height, length and angle with the leg adjustment system. In-built spirit levels ensure a stable set-up. Supplied in a case for easy transport.
RRP: £89.99
7) 40L carryall
A spacious holdall with a zipped main compartment, two front pockets and two side pockets. There’s a strengthened material on the base of the carryall and pockets for longevity.
RRP: £36.99
8) Unhooking mat
A PU covered flat foam mat. Folds up for ease of transport.
RRP: £16.99
9) weigh sling
Made from fish-friendly mesh with strong webbing weigh straps.
RRP: £11.99
10) Rig wallet
Two foam boards and hook locater bar enable you to keep your pretied rigs organised and in top condition. Supplied with 10 pins.
RRP: £13.99
MIDDY ARCO-TECH CARP FEEDER Review
Middy International has the happy knack of producing great rods at a great price – in fact its original silver-coloured 4GS range still ranks among the best in its price bracket.
So when Middy boss David Middleton called to tell me he had the new Arco-Tech rods to show me, I was keen to see how the successor to the 4GS would measure up.
Within the Arco-Tech series there are two feeder models – the K-275 9ft/10ft and the K-306 10ft/11ft. Both are super-slim, but not so slim that you feel you need to treat them with kid gloves! A super-tough Kevlar wrap strengthens the blanks throughout. Both rods are multi-length, thanks to a short foot-long extension without eyes. Should you need to extend the rod to its longer length, simply slip in the extension in mid-session. A nice touch, you’ll agree...
There’s plenty of poke in the butt section, while the tip section is much softer, striking a pleasing balance between power and forgiveness. The action is soft to parabolic, so F1s or skimmers will still put a lovely flat spot-free bend into it, while the chances of losing fish when using light lines and small hooks are remote.
The final key feature is the unique ‘Trigger Tips’. These are super-sensitive carbon tips whose unique action emphasises the most tremulous of bites. The light tip, in particular, is very impressive in this respect and well lives up to its Trigger name.
Middy is really proud of these rods, quite rightly so, as they are packed with features, and raise the rod building and development bar even higher.
The live test at the pretty day-ticket Stretton Farm fishery just off the A1 north of Peterborough proved to be a sodden affair, with unrelenting rain all day long. The only bright spot was the 10ft/11ft Arco-Tech Carp Feeder rod on test performance – crisp as fresh lettuce, and with just the right blend of power and poise to make it ideal for most commercial tactics. The rod is no Olympic distance performer, but will easily handle a pub-chuck of 35-40 yards with considerable accuracy.
My best advice to anyone looking to own one of these slender beauties is to make sure you keep the line between rod-tip and feeder tight at all times to prevent it from looping back over the end guide. Make sure (with a quick tug prior to casting) that it isn’t caught up, as the Trigger Tip ends are very fine and wouldn’t survive the impact of a miscast.
Verdict: The Arco-Tech is an ideal rod for commercial anglers, and has some excellent new features. KTS Smooth Flow guides sit at a special angle to prevent wrap-ups during the cast and make the whole process very smooth. Being able to add a 1ft butt extension is very handy, especially as you don’t need to break down your tackle. The light and medium Trigger Tips are ideal for spotting tiny bites when the fish are in a fickle mood.
The rod is rated to 10lb mainlines and 8lb hooklengths, with a recommended maximum casting weight of 50g, so don’t think that it won’t handle bigger fish.
Personally, though, I would use the rod with 6lb mainlines, hooklengths up to a 0.19mm, and feeders up to 30g.
Price: £99.99 (but shop around)
Daiwa Crosscast Rod & Reel Review
Looking to get into big-carp fishing on a budget but don’t know what rods and reels to buy?
Simple! Read this review, then watch the video on Daiwa’s Crosscast 10ft, 12ft and 13ft rods with test curves from 2.75lb to 3.5lb. Built around Daiwa’s proven 1K woven carbon blanks, these beauties will help you to add yards to your cast.
A responsive, progressive action ensures that you’ll stay in control of the hardest-fighting fish.
Team one of these with the new super carpy Crosscast carp reel packed with top-end tech including a superb QD front drag system, HIP line-friendly clip and super smooth Diggigear retrieve and you’re off to a flying start!
CROSSCAST 5000C QD REEL
Daiwa’s latest Crosscast Carp 5000C QD is, in my opinion, a big pit game changer of a reel.
Packed with more technical wizardry than a Euro jet fighter, not only does it hit the heights in performance terms, but its classic all-black finish and sharp body lines are up there with the very best in the style stakes.
The Crosscast slow oscillation system produces a line-lay that even to the trained eye looks as precise as you would expect to find on the most expensive reels. And as the reel is endowed with Daiwa Digigear it has a ramped-up, silky-smooth winding transmission that pulls in 106cm of line per handle crank.
The front-of-spool QD (quick drag) system works a treat, with nothing more than a few clicks on the spool knob needed to pile on or reduce the pressure when playing a big fish. QD also makes easy work of setting the reel spool up perfectly under any conditions for your next run.
The amount of line (300m of 0.35mm) you can get on to the
long-cast spool will appeal particularly to those who like to place their baits at range using a bait boat.
During the live test I played a big fish while standing waist-deep in water, then purposely dropped the reel into the wet stuff for several minutes while I unhooked the fish.
Did a dunking affect the reel and how it performed in any way? Well... quick shake dry and it was working just as well as when I took it from its box. How on earth does Daiwa produce this reel for under £80?
Price: £79.99
CROSSCAST CARP 12ft, 3lb test curve
Thanks to a dependable carbon weave material and a decent array of furnishings, Daiwa’s Crosscast carp rods are as easy on the eye as they are on the pocket.
For a modest amount of moolah you get ceramic LS-lined guides (including a 50mm butt guide and anti-frap tip ring), full flared shrink-grip handle and an original Fuji reel seat.
The 12ft, 3lb test curve model on live test duty is a ‘Steady Eddie’ of a performer that can turn its hand to just about any method. It will handle solid PVA bags and straight lead set-ups, and is just about soft enough on the top of its tip section for zig tactics using hooks as small as size 12.
Very well suited to smaller or middle-sized venues, it will chuck up to 65 yards with ease, and will achieve 100 yards-plus in the hands of an accomplished caster.
However, the Crosscast is definitely not a horizon-buster, but more of an all-round tool for the newbie carper looking for a dependable and good-looking carp rod on a realistic budget.
Price: £89.99
Middy Reactacore XZ Ultra-Control Mini Commercial feeder rod
Middy produces some impressive commercial fishery rods these days, and there’s something to suit everyone’s budget.
The latest Reactacore XZ feeder rods include the fast-taper three-piece XZ Ultra-Control 12ft 6ins all-round distance model. This test, though, is all about Middy’s two-piece 10ft 6ins Reactacore XZ Mini Commercial rod, built using the latest Quad-layering carbon technology. This involves four sheets of high-modulus carbon layered together at different angles, and results in a strong, rigid rod with a highly reactive parabolic fish-playing action.
The carbon undergoes a VC-X extreme pressure vacuum curing process that forces out any tiny air bubbles for a uniformly excellent action. The rod also benefits from Maximus weave wrap joints which prolong the life of the joints but increase the linear strength even further. All very impressive stuff!
The feather-light blank is exceptionally slim, and boasts classy SCX smooth cast guides, a small hook retainer, modern S-Line style reel seat, and two carbon quivertips. Middy rates the rod to a maximum 10lb mainline and 8lb hooklength, with casting weights between 10g and 56g. And let’s not forget the natty Middy MX-Series rod bag it arrives in.
These top-drawer rods are not cheap. The new 10ft 6ins Reactocore XZ Mini Commercial Feeder will likely set you back around £209, but the ‘wow factor’ alone justifies the price.
To confirm that quality I headed to Decoy Lakes. Its many lakes respond to all manner of tactics and the fish range from great big lumps through to turbo-charged barbel, F1s of all sizes, and a raft of silvers – all of which are of a decent size and will respond to most open-water tactics.
Putting this XZ rod together, you can’t help but be impressed by its pencil-slim profile. Its sections are pretty much of equal length when the carrier section’s quivertip is in place, so it can be easily transported ready made-up.
I was not, though, wholly convinced by its suggested 56g (2oz) maximum casting weight. For me the top end of the carrier section has slightly too much play in it. It would be fine with up to 40g (more than enough for your average commercial when using a rod less than 11ft long).
There’s no denying its impressive post-cast recovery rate, but this rod is clearly not of the ‘give it a whack’ breed! An over-enthusiastic miscast could prove very costly!
That aside, the performance of Middy’s flagship feeder-flinger offers a wondrous amount of torque and feel, and an all-round performance up there with the best commercial feeder rods.
The stunning gloss black blank has a phenomenal line pick-up speed, casts straight and true and is super lightweight in the hand. The parabolic action is responsive to any size of fish. Quite simply it’s immaculate. Does it have the ‘wow factor’? Most definitely!
Verdict: A genuine high-performance feeder rod, this top-end model will comfortably handle feeders and straight leads of 40g-plus with ease. Equally suited to light maggot feeder and flatbed Method tactics with wafter hookbaits, or indeed fishing a straight lead with bread discs.
Price: £209.99
Maver MV-R 9ft Mini Feeder review
The new MV-R Commercial Mini Feeder rods from Maver are the perfect tools for anglers fishing venues where short-range casting for carp and F1s is required.
The 8ft and 9ft models are part of the MV-R range that consists of nine rods. There are four float fishing models and three feeder rods on top of the two Mini Feeder rods. All the rods feature ultra-slim high modulus carbon blanks with a jet-black gloss finish.
Boasting a seamless, progressive fish-playing action and top-grade ceramic guides, cork and EVA handles and screw-down reel seats, their good looks are matched by their superb performance.
For this test I decided to give the 9ft Mini Feeder model an outing. This rod has a wickedly fast progressive action that will easily cast a feeder or straight lead of up to 30g to 35 yards without too much effort.
If you think you will need to cast further than this then the 10ft version is what you want. For real long distances take a look at the MV-R 11ft and 12ft rods.
The first thing I noticed about the nine-footer was that it felt a tad tippy, but it’s just the job for F1s and smaller carp, minimising the likelihood of hook-pulls or snap-offs at close range. The blank is well suited to reel lines from 3lb-8lb, and hooklengths of 0.13mm and upwards.
The pencil-thin carbon blank breaks down into two 48ins sections with one of the three supplied quivertips – 0.5oz, 0.75oz and 1oz – fitted. This two-piece design means you can have it ready-to-go with a reel attached in your holdall, saving you the time normally reserved for setting up when you arrive at the venue.
For this test I headed to Willows Lake on the Decoy complex at Whittlesey, just outside of Peterborough.
The plan was to fish a small maggot feeder, which I was confident would produce bites from F1s. This tactic requires minimal feed and accurate casting, which is exactly what this rod delivers.
I found the wand very much to my liking. It cast, as expected, straight as a die, and on a small platform it was nice and easy to get into position.
Tippy it may be, but that suited me fine as I landed several fish up to about 3lb. Had anything bigger come along I would have been confident of landing it because I have handled enough short feeder rods to know that this one had more than enough steel in its backbone to handle it.
A weak-willed wobble wand it certainly isn’t, so well done Maver.
Verdict:
The 9ft rod is free of flat spots, with an impressive fish-playing pedigree to suit commercial waters. It would also make a handy summer margin Method tool.
It’s not cheap for such a short rod, but you get what you pay for. For me, a big plus point is the equal-length sections, making it a doddle to transport already made up in a carryall.
Price: £120
Contact: www.mavermatch.co.uk