Maver Signature 800 16m
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£1,799.99
The 16m Maver Signature 800 is the fastest selling model of a series of four poles, believed by the Redditch-based tackle firm to be the best that its Italian manufacturing partner Reglass has ever built. There is indeed some very serious carbon innovation going on here.
An 850 high modulus grade of carbon cloth has undergone 4MAT pre-preg treatment with a catalysed resin that bonds to the fibres to maximise the action. Pre-preg cloths need to be stored at incredibly low temperatures, down to -20ºC, to prevent them from curing before the fabric is even wrapped around a mandrel.
Additionally, the carbon is reinforced with a super-tough aerospace epoxy resin, and its Nanolith Technology provides it with multi-directional fibres that increase linear rigidity and strength. All four Signature poles boast an elegant Black Suncore finish which, as well as providing additional wall strength to each section, makes for effortless shipping in all weathers.
Yes, that’s a lot of technical information to take in, but the poles really are a bit special. And the 800 model, which retails at £1799.99 and can only be purchased from one of Maver’s impressive ‘centre of excellence’ retailers, has become the most popular pole in the highly competitive mid-priced area of the market.
How does all this 21st Century excellence translate into performance? To find out I spent a few hours pleasure fishing with it at Northamptonshire’s picturesque Wold Farm fishery, close to the Santa Pod racetrack.
Assembling the 800 up to 13m it feels much like many other poles, although its Teflon bonded joints ensure that every section glides reassuringly into place and can be locked into position with little more than a simple half twist.
But once you put the 14.5m and 16m butt sections into place you begin to appreciate just why so many matchmen have made this the pole of their choice.
It’s fabulously stiff at both these lengths, and an absolute joy to handle. It ships in and out without so much as a hint of bounce, and instinctively you know this pole is ‘just right’. The section walls feel robust enough to handle the heaviest of elastics, and although this is more of an all-round pole aimed at the accomplished match angler, it certainly wouldn’t shy away from a session of commercial carp hauling.
Maver is hardly likely to thank me for my only other observation, though. Undoubtedly one of the other major reasons behind the success of the Signature 800 is that it is can brought for not much more than half the price of the top-end flagship 1000 model, yet it shares the majority of its super-expensive stablemate’s qualities. Add to that an exceptional spares package that gives you more than enough top kits without further investment and you can see why this pole is a winner through and through.