TECH SPEC

Lengths: 13m Xtreme M3 Animal Tamer
Two extra Power-2 kits
One 2-Portal mini butt
Carry case
Two elastication kits
Pull-It side wraps on 3rd and 4th sections
Size 30 Elastic rating

PAY AROUND

£549.97

Landing double-figure carp on the pole is always a challenge. But it’s one that’s becoming ever more commonplace as the cyprinids in our commercial fisheries continue to grow fatter and fitter on a high-protein diet of pellets, meat and boilies.
To stand any chance of safely banking one of these turbo-charged leviathans, your kit needs to be up to the task. Any weak points in your set-up will be exposed, making landing a ‘Barney Rubble’ almost impossible.
So, it’s no good having the latest whopper-stopper elastic fitted through your pole’s top kit if the pole itself isn’t up to the job. What you’re looking for from a pole is rock-solid section joints and section wall strengths, matched with loads of powerful playing action across its top 5-6 sections.
Middy’s brand new pole, the Xtreme M3 Animal Tamer, certainly fits the bill. In fact, it is purpose built to cope with heavyweight hauling, a statement that’s underlined by the fact that the manufacturer has given the pole a gargantuan maximum elastic rating of 30! This goes some way to proving just how much confidence Middy has in this new model, the top pole in the Xtreme Animal Tamer range.
On the technical side, the carbon technicians at Middy have built the M3 Xtreme using the latest G-Pulse carbon cloth, matched with a Proximate Helix construction. In layman’s terms, this means that the pole is blessed with a superb parabolic fish-playing action, and a rock-solid section wall strength, while Middy’s Silk-Slide finish makes for easy shipping pole wahtever the weather.
The new Xtreme M3 also comes supplied with a twin portal mini extension, which comes in very handy when you need that little bit more length, as well as adding an additional safety factor when the pole is being used at shorter lengths. It also has a decent spares package, which includes two extra side Pull-It power top kits, plus two elastication kits, and a carry case.
But the good news doesn’t stop there, because for those who enjoy their margin fishing, the new 4m M1 Xtreme Animal Tamer pole can also be fitted directly into the M3’s fifth section, offering you even more flexibility – and spare sections – should you need them, and it’s hardly likely to break the bank with an expected asking price of just under £50.
In use, the pole is remarkably lightweight, considering just how much pulling power you can call upon, and while I wouldn’t label it as being rigid at its full 13m length, it certainly won’t leave you with the veins in your neck sticking out like knotted ropes after a few hours of bagging up.
The M3 is ideal for commercial fisheries, and is every bit as strong as its manufacturer claims, plus its striking silver graphics give it a seriously cool top-end look.
Unfortunately, during the live test I didn’t manage to nail a ‘proper-un’ for the cameras, but a procession of stockies certainly provided me with enough confidence to know that should I have hit into a lump the outcome would have been Tackle Editor one, margin monster nil.

VERDICT

Another sure-fire winner from the Middy stable. The top-of-the-range 13m M3 Xtreme Animal tamer, which boasts a 30 strong elastic rating, is more than capable of handling the largest commercial carp. Its good looks are matched with solid no-nonsense performance and ease of handling, placing it among the best poles of this ilk and price.

Mark Sawyer