PACKAGE

3 x Power Lite Puller kits fitted with PTFE pullers; 3 x Power Lite top two kits; Half-reversible multi-extension to fit 13m and 14.5m sections; 1 x two piece potting kit plus pots; 1 x short fourth section (not shown); 10 x PTFE large internal diameter bushes (not shown); Deluxe holdall (not shown)

PAY AROUND

£1099.99

The Big One show recently in Farnborough was the perfect place to see many of the leading tackle firms’ latest products.

Once again, thousands of anglers descended on the event, and one of the busiest stands was Garbolino’s, whose striking open-plan blue and white arena had been dressed to perfection with an enthralling collection of new seatboxes, rods, luggage, and accessories.

It was ‘Garbo’s’ new UK pole range which really set tongues wagging though. In fact, many seasoned open match anglers could be heard proclaiming the firm’s flagship UK1 Accomplice Pro model as the best they had ever handled.

The show was so busy that it wasn’t until late on Sunday afternoon that I managed to get a closer look at the new range for myself. It was well worth the wait, as was the uninterrupted commentary from England International and Garbolino UK boss Darren Cox, who, along with match ace Simon Fry, talked me through all of the poles’ finer points.

Was I impressed? You bet I was! After much begging and pleading, I was able to grab the new UK4 Power Carp model that is set to replace the iconic Power Legion, for an impromptu Angling Times live test, but under strict instruction that it was to be returned unblemished within two days!

So, first thing Monday morning saw me pulling in the car park of Decoy’s Six Island Lake, awaiting the arrival of Bauer’s head of photography Mick Rouse, who is set to retire after many years’ superb service to angling!

It isn’t so often that I use this lake for live-testing purposes, and as I tackled up it occurred to me that my first-ever job for Angling Times was at the same lake, with Mick, more than 10 years ago. Was this, then, a case of unexplainable weirdness, or simply coincidence? Who knows, but the fact is, this would, sadly, be our last ever shoot together.

To add even more strangeness to events, the phrase ‘keeping the best for last’ kept ringing loud in my head, especially as the new Garbo UK4 galloped through the live test with a grace that I hadn’t expected from a claimed ‘Power’ model.

For instance, its section joints are incredibly smooth, with the blue tinged carbon reinforcing used to give the joints added resilience, coming together with a resounding thump when shipping-up. When the pole had a little too much weight hanging over the roller (due to the proximity of another lake behind me) taking the sections apart was a cinch, even with a hard-fighting fish on the other end.

Neither did the joints so much as threaten to stick together – 10 out of 10! The test pole’s side puller top-kit had been pre-fitted with hollow No10, which was probably less than half of the elastic strength rating the pole could easily cope with.

Boasting a ‘Power Carp’ tag, you would expect its sections to have robust wall strength, easily capable of coping with a heavyweight hauling session, and they certainly don’t disappoint in this department. I didn’t actually try jumping up and down on them, but I felt I could. You’d struggle to even annoy one with a fish!

So all that brutish force must come with a downside, yes? Surely this pole has to be top heavy, or as well balanced and stable as a giraffe on a step ladder on ice! Well, the answer is no!

It’s amazingly stiff, with a good tip speed, and I used it all day with little more than a few inches of line between pole tip and float at 14.5m without any trouble at all. Oh, and check out the pole package. It’s very impressive!

VERDICT

The clue’s probably in its name. This is an out-and-out bag-up, no-nonsense power pole. All joking aside, though, ounce for ounce and pound for pound this is almost certainly the strongest and best balanced pole of its kind that I have ever picked up.