Preston Innovations Edge Monster Margin 10m Pole Review
YOU might say the Preston Innovations 8.5m Edge Monster Margin is the David Attenborough of poles – everybody loves it!
Launched 18 months ago, it’s strong and dependable, it will handle any size of fish or elastic, and it’s priced so as not to put you into a state of shock as you reach for your credit card.
So imagine my shock when I learned that this best-selling gem of a margin marauder was to be re-jigged and re-released early in 2020. Why a pole that’s already so good?
The reason is quite simple – for some time Preston had been inundated with requests to bring out a longer 10m version of the Edge Monster to give that bit more reach along the bank and enable you to fish up against the next platform along on most commercial waters.
This, as everyone who fishes them will tell you, is a great area in which to target really big fish, especially during the last hour of a match, or during the late afternoon/early evening if you’re on a bag-up pleasure session.
If you’re wondering why Preston didn’t simply release an extension section for the original pole, let me explain – and at the same time dole out some well-deserved praise to the company for not merely releasing a random butt section to achieve that extra length.
Without a proper re-design that would have made the pole overly bouncy and top-heavy, posing problems when fishing with a short line between float and pole.
Instead, Preston has tightened up the all-round stiffness of the Edge Monster Margin in order to compensate for the added weight of the extra 1.5m of pole length.
The good news, however, is that the latest version is formed around the same mandrel as the original, and that means The Edge Monster oozes strength, and I could pile on the pressure – not perfect, admittedly, but it will still perform perfectly well if you don’t want to splash out for the complete new model.
It made sense to run the rule over the new 10m Edge Monster Margin on a lake holding plenty of big fish, where the next platform was far enough away to present the pole at its full 10m length. The Cedar strip lake at Decoy Lakes, near Peterborough, was perfect.
The first thing I wanted to test was whether that extra stiffness had turned the Edge Monster from the UK’s best-selling margin pole into an elongated broom handle, with all the balance of Humpty Dumpty attempting to sit on the wall after a heavy night out on the town! I can allay your fears straight away on that score.
Having fished it at its full 10m length, with the mini extension fitted into the end of the new butt section, I’d agree that it’s been stiffened up through its mid-sections.
This is indeed a whopper-stopper of a margin pole, but it still has some finesse across its top sections.
Tough, hard-wearing section walls are a given, as are top kits that can be used with the heaviest of hollow elastics without fear of an expensive carbon explosion.
Of course, this isn’t a top-end pole, but it’s still very comfortable to hold over the full course of a match and not overly bouncy to fish with.
You must remember, though, that because its reinforced top kits are incredibly robust and quite long at 2.9m (9ft 6ins) it doesn’t deliver the quickest of tip speeds. It does dip a little on the strike/lift too, but the positives outweigh the negatives by a long chalk.
It will handle the largest of fish, although if I were considering using it with an elastic rated 18 and above, I’d cut the tip section back a little to take a larger diameter 5mm-plus diameter PTFE bush.
Preston’s own assessment of the pole as being suitable for ‘super-strong margin work’ is pretty accurate, though. Hook a giant carp down the edge and you’ll have no trouble gaining the upper hand as you ease it away from a tackle-busting snag and over the landing net.
At Decoy, when the float did dip under I was impressed with how well the Edge Monster Margin responded.
There was no cringeworthy wobble of the kind that can lead to bumped fish. The Edge Monster oozed strength, and I could pile on the pressure knowing that the fish would give up long before the pole did.
The finish is good, too, and in dry conditions it moved through my hands well as I shipped it in and out.
Price: £199.99, 10m extension £79.99
www.prestoninnovations.com
Tri-Cast Trilogy 2 Power Margin Pole
TECH SPEC
Elastic: Rated to a No25
The package: Trilogy 2 Power Margin 9m pole with spare top-2 kit, cap, towel and holdall
Additional spares: 10.6m extension £109.99; 12.2m extension £114.99; Big bore top-2 kit £69.99; Top-2 cupping kit with two cups £68.99; No3 section £59.99
PAY AROUND
£359
November isn’t normally the greatest month for margin fishing. Falling temperatures and morning frosts spell crystal-clear water, and fallen leaves blanket the bottom of our lakes.
But when Tri-Cast brand manager Steve Hopkinson told me of the imminent launch of the company’s latest Trilogy 2 Power Margin Pole – which is now in the shops – I knew I had to get out on the bank with one straight away, whatever the conditions.
To stand any chance of catching in the margins at this time of year your swim needs to be at least 3ft deep, and if there’s any cover alongside it, so much the better.
Luckily Kingsland Reservoir near Coates, in Cambridgeshire, is absolutely perfect. Its reed-fringed margins are more than deep enough to hold a few fish. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
First, let’s take a closer look at some of the technical attributes of this latest Tri-Cast pole. The standard 9m Trilogy 2 Power Margin is said by Tri-Cast to be streets ahead of both the original Trilogy Margin and its iconic XRS Power Margin, which for years was considered to be the ultimate bagging tool for down the edge.
The Trilogy 2 is made from a unique military grade of carbon cloth which is both strong and reliable. This is formed around the exact same mandrel as was used for the first Trilogy Margin, so if you’re simply looking to upgrade your existing pole, all your top kits and sections are interchangeable.
It’s slighter lighter than the original, but significantly stiffer and more responsive, even at its full 12.2m length with the two extension sections fitted.
I began the live test by fishing the Trilogy 2 at its standard 9m length, and with experience of both its predecessors I can confirm that it is stiffer and more responsive than either of these.
It’s astonishingly quick at the tip, and completely bounce-free at its 9m length – very much in keeping with how all the latest margin poles are designed to be. But even these laudable qualities pale into insignificance compared to its fish playing power. Unyielding section strength is enough to pluck the largest and stroppiest carp from any snag-strewn pit. The pole handles well, shipping effortlessly in and out, and its lightness and sense of balance are pure class.
Taking the pole up to its 10.6m and then full 12.2m lengths, should you wish to invest in additional extensions, you will have a margin pole to reach well past the next platform on most commercials – in fact it’s a very decent all-rounder at a crackingly competitive price.
VERDICT
A superb example of Tri-Cast’s ability to build a super-powerful pole that’s light and well balanced, and sure to find its way into the rod-holdalls of many top-class match anglers who demand the very best.
Daiwa Yank 'n' Bank 950 Power Margin pole
PAY AROUND
£225
FEATURES
Top kits
The pole comes with three Power top-2 kits with 4mm internal diameter tips and second sections that are fitted with a carbon-reinforced area to drill and fit side-puller kits.
Elastic Rating
The new Yank ‘N’ Bank 950 has a manufacturer’s elastic rating of 20. This means it can be used with Red Hydro and the heaviest of hollow elastics when big carp are the target.
Wall strength
Despite its ability to absorb heavy lunges, each section of the pole has a virtually impenetrable wall strength. This makes it ideal for heavy hauling tactics on commercial fisheries.
Section aligner arrow system
Each joint is marked with alignment arrows. Keeping these straight helps to align the pole’s spine, providing optimum performance at all times.
Graphics
The new Yank ‘N’ Bank 950 pole has had a makeover for 2016 and now has the same graphic style and colour as Daiwa’s top-of-the-range Tournament range of poles.
Finish
Each section is finished with Daiwa’s Easy-slide paint job that makes shipping a quick and smooth operation in any weather conditions.
So far 2016 has been a bumper year for the release of margin poles.
A trend has been to replace an ‘old school’ all-through action – which sees the pole bend like a tree branch – with a far stiffer, more aggressive build that relies heavily on the elastic to absorb lunges and bring in fish.
Such new-breed margin poles, with improved linear rigidity, faster tip speed and superior
all-round handling, work best for big fish in snaggy swims.
However, with an appropriately matched top kit the old-fashioned bendy poles allow anglers to tame hefty commercial carp in the margins, and have worked a treat for years, saving the shattering and explosive end of many an expensive carbon section.
This nicely sets the scene for the introduction of Daiwa’s latest
Yank ‘n’ Bank 950 Power Margin pole, launched 10 years ago and now in its third incarnation.
Lifetime Daiwa rep Simon Wheeler can lay claim to coming up with the name Yank ‘n’ Bank, and although it’s not a lot to show for 25 years of service to the firm it seems to make him happy!
The new 950 Power Model is definitely of the old school bendy persuasion, but has undergone a full cosmetic and materials makeover. The silver-on-black graphics on the 8m and 9.5m butt sections remind one of Daiwa’s top-end Tournament poles, giving it a thoroughbred look.
It boasts numbered section alignment, top kits with pre-bore reinforcements for drilling and fitting pulling kits, and decent-sized 4mm internal tips – although fitting larger hollow elastics (it’s rated to 20-plus) does mean trimming a bit off the tip ends.
The new Yank ‘n’ Bank is reasonably light, with pleasing handling qualities, but in reality it’s all about the power. Its seven super-strong sections have impenetrable wall strength that almost beggars belief when they are put under severe pressure.
I found this out while live testing the pole in a quiet corner of Six Island Lake at the Decoy complex near Peterborough. The large carp and barbel in the margins here are far from stupid, so you need to present a bait tight into the bank or against a feature. In this swim it happened to be a paddle aerator.
I was not taking any chances with these doughty denizens, rigging up a beefy 16/18 elastic with a matching take-no-prisoners pole rig. I would rather not have a single bite than get one, only to lose the fish.
Tipping a potful of pellets and corn tight against the reeds at the back of the paddle, it didn’t take long before the mettle of the new Spank the Plank was put to the test. A full-throttle bite was met head-on with a pole-tip travelling in the opposite direction, and there could be only one winner. The fish was dragged unceremoniously out of harm’s way and into open water.
Time and time again the pole performed the fishy equivalent of dragging a reluctant Rottweiler from its kennel, and as my confidence in the Yank ‘n’ Bank grew apace, even barbel were won over in the twitch of a whisker.
VERDICT
Daiwa’s latest Yank ‘n’ Bank has all the outstanding hallmarks of the originals, and plenty more.
It’s super strong, and is safely usable with the heaviest of elastics. Its ability to soak up punishment is truly impressive, if a tad daunting at first. But once mastered it’s a dangerous commercial fishery tool – think of it as a Lightsaber, and may the Force be with you.