Middy Reactacore XQ-1 10m pole review

AS ANGLING Times tackle editor I fish quite a lot – because testing rods, reels and poles, unless I’m beside the water, isn’t really going to mean much, or give you any idea of how they’re likely to perform.

I only mention this because of late, whether I’ve been out fishing weekend matches or testing new gear, it’s become abundantly clear that we have a lot of new anglers in our midst.

There they are, all perched on shiny new seatboxes or immaculate fishing chairs, waving around newly-acquired poles and rods and, more importantly, all catching a few fish. It’s wonderful to see, and I hope the trend continues for the rest of the summer and beyond.

When wearing my official Angling Times regalia I always try to have a quick chat with anyone who looks even remotely like a new angler. I’m not being pushy, I just like to see how they’re getting on, maybe give a bit of bait away, or chat about rigs and tactics. 

Let’s face it, talking fishing is easy, but by its very nature our sport is quite complex. Things like spooling line on to a reel, or what hooks and bait to use, are taken as read by the seasoned angler, but they’re not obvious when you’re new to the game.

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On the right lines

That said, having spoken with quite a few chaps and chap-esses, it seems most have been well advised by their mates on the kit front. Tackle shops too, to their credit, are sending people to the banks with the gear they need, without having them over.

Fishing tackle that comes at a sensible price is what most newbies are looking for, which is where this week’s live test item, Middy’s new Reactacore XQ-1 10m pole, hits the spot.

In my opinion it’s absolutely perfect for the rookie pole angler looking to spend a few hours bagging decent-sized carp on their local commercial.

Price-wise it’s bang on the money, and it’s tough enough to withstand the odd over-enthusiastic moment or two. Rather handily it comes with a couple of spare top kits, and it’s not heavy or unwieldy, which is a big bonus if you’re not used to handling a pole.

Off to the lake

The live test was on Decoy’s day-ticket Lou’s Lake, just the sort of place to cut your teeth on the pole. On warm days you can get bites up in the water, down on the deck and at all points between, not to mention the margins. Nor are the carp in this lake particularly fussy about what they eat, so little more than a tin of corn and a bag of pellets will suffice.

Most importantly, Lou’s has stable and level fishing platforms, with plenty of flat open ground behind you to position your pole roller – as a rule of thumb, around four paces behind your seatbox will be spot-on.

You could thread pretty much any size or type of elastic you wanted through the XQ-1’s top kits, but I kicked off the session up in the water, using a middle of the road 10-12 hollow elastic in conjunction with the short Phantom (grey coloured) top kit that comes inside the pole. 

The Phantom top kits

The Phantom top kits

I also rigged up the spare Margin Phantom top kit with a super-heavy 20-24 hollow that would hopefully seriously test the pole’s section strength and pulling power later in the day when I targeted the margins.

Heavy elastic would test the pole’s strength

Heavy elastic would test the pole’s strength

In truth is it hasn’t got quite the rigidity needed for slapping shallow rigs up in the water, but it’s stiff enough to allow you fish shallow comfortably enough using a catty and pellets. At its full length, just under 10m, it didn’t feel top-heavy or suffer the dreaded top kit pole droop.

The super smooth S-Slide finish made handling quick and clean, and it fairly sped over the roller. It didn’t suffer from sticking section joints, nor did they come apart other than when I wanted them to.

To assemble sections without pushing them on too far or hard, slide them together, give the uppermost section half a turn to the left or right and they’ll lock together but come apart again easily when required.

Middy Reactacore XQ-1 10m pole sections

Middy Reactacore XQ-1 10m pole sections

Having caught quite a few half-decent fish shallow, it was on with the heavy elastic top kit to see if I could drag a margin munter from its lair. No problems, and I didn’t think there would be, as the top kits carry a 30 elastic rating. 

One thing that makes the new Middy Reactacore XQ-1 stand apart from any other pole I have fished with at this price is its stiffness. Most power poles of this ilk have an action that spreads across the top four or five sections, and I’m sure that readers have seen lots of bendy pole shots on these pages.

However, take a longer look at the inset pole image and you’ll see that this model stays straighter than the road to perdition when a fish is hooked – basically it’s very, very strong.   

This is a very strong affordable pole

This is a very strong affordable pole

Price: £275 (but shop around)

Daiwa 13m Power Carp X pole bankside test

IT WAS feeling like an awfully long time since I’d been out to live-test some new kit.

So when lockdown restrictions eased, I couldn’t get back out there fast enough to put a new pole from the all-powerful Daiwa stable through its paces.  

The car’s satnav was programmed to home in on Izaak Walton fishery in Chebsey, Staffordshire, a five-lake, fish-filled venue that I hoped would be perfect for providing the elastic-stretching action I needed to give the 13m Power Carp X a proper workout. 

I knew that the venue’s Bottom Lake in particular was paved with hard-fighting carp, including some well into double figures – the perfect adversaries – so after choosing a peg I began setting up my kit in the early summer sunshine. 

But I wasn’t here to get a tan. I wanted to see just how good the pole, which carries a pretty reasonable price tag of £425, would be at dealing with the fishery’s resident stock. 

In a world where a top-end pole can easily set you back several thousand quid, the look and feel of budget-priced models can leave you a little underwhelmed.

But I was feeling  hopeful. This new all-carbon offering from Daiwa certainly looked the real deal, with its classy black livery giving the impression of a bit of kit costing three times as much. 

The package is pretty impressive, and the pole comes supplied with a mini reversible Phex section which, when fitted into the end of the butt (eighth) section, takes it to its full 13m length. 

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Alternatively, it can also be fitted into the end of the 11.5m (seventh) section to provide a bit of extra length, as well as acting as an elbow guard, preventing the section from being cracked or snapped  if you’re occasionally a trifle heavy-handed on the strike.

My initial impressions were that the Power Carp X certainly looked and felt like a powerful pole that would be perfectly at home at just about any commercial carp water. 

But never mind the looks,  what does it fish like, and how does it handle? These must always be your primary concerns when choosing any new pole, whatever your budget may be.

Well, as the name suggests, the Power Carp X is primarily designed for catching big fish using heavy elastics – in my opinion up to a maximum size 20, or the ever-popular Daiwa red Hydro. 

I chose to fish it at its longest 13m length, and while not the lightest pole on the market at 1,245g, it was remarkably easy to handle. Its rigidity and section stiffness were particularly impressive. The shipping out process was an entirely wobble-free experience, and I managed to get my tip-fitted pole pot out to the spot without any premature spillage whatsoever. 

Feeding 8mm pellets and fishing the same on the hook, it didn’t take all that long for a few greedy carp to turn up in the swim for a nosebag. 

As it happened, the first bite of the day turned out to be a foul-hooker, which is always a sure sign that you’re feeding too much, so I cut back what I was putting in by half.

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As many of you will know through experience, foul-hooked carp take off at an alarming rate of knots and can often be pole-breakers, especially when that unbridled first burst of acceleration is backed up by body mass. 

To begin with it was a case of holding on and hoping that this wasn’t about to become the shortest live test of all time. 

With the heavy hollow elastic streaming out of the tip, the pole hooped over and I suggested to my cameraman Tony that maybe now was the time to take a shot before everything came to grief amid a shower of carbon shards. 

How wrong I was! Although I couldn’t yet start shipping back, the pole and its robust elastic started to slow the fish’s initial run, and inch by inch I gained ground until the pole’s side puller top-2 kit was safely within my grasp. 

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Now the roles were reversed. I stripped the elastic slowly at first, piling the pressure on to the fish, which eventually came up tail-first and was safely scooped up into the mesh of the pan net. 

Not quite cricket, I know, but the encounter had certainly proved the pole’s mettle and instilled in me a huge degree of confidence in its abilities. 

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I’m confident that’s just what you’ll discover too if you invest in the Power Carp X which, in my honest opinion, represents astonishing value for money.

Price: £425 (but shop around and you may find it even cheaper)

Maver Signature Pro 821 pole review

Pulling into Decoy Lakes in Cambridgeshire for the latest live tackle test, I was glad that I’d layered up my thermals. It was a decidedly frosty start to proceedings, but as I unloaded the usual mountain of tackle from my car, I knew that before too long the venue’s prolific stocks of hard-fighting carp would be giving my circulation a much-needed boost.

I was there to put Maver’s new flagship pole, the 16m Signature 821, through its paces. Damson Lake – my focus for the day – is stuffed with small carp to around 5lb, as well as plentiful numbers of feisty F1s, so I knew that the pole would be getting a thorough workout.

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This latest offering is a proper top-end bit of kit, and at just under two and a half grand, I know that many of you will be thinking ‘I could go on holiday with the family for a lot less’. That’s probably true, but the fact remains that a few short weeks later you’d be back, sat on your seatbox in your peg, using your same old pole, enviously eyeing the sleek carbon being wielded by the angler in the next peg along.

The Signature 821 may well fit firmly into the object of desire bracket, but in many respects it represents great value and, believe it or not, in the long run could end up saving you money.

Impressive add-ons

First up, unlike many poles on the market, the 821 comes complete with a mightily impressive spares package that includes no fewer than 11 top kits and a cupping kit, so you won’t have to shell out a penny more on post-purchase extras going forward.

You also get two short four sections, two Bi-Conical extensions to fit sections 6-7 and 7-8, plus clever little Pole End Protectors that fit into the ends of the 11m, 13m and 16m butt sections to stop them from splitting. Fit them with skid-bungs and they’ll perform even better. All these kits come with pre-bushed PTFE tips and side puller slots, too. The savings keep adding up.

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Serious stopping power

After setting up in a peg that had served me well in recent matches, it was time for me to start the session.

With a pair of rollers in situ, pole sock in place, and with two top kits fitted with No6-No8 hollow and heavier No10-No12 elastics, I tied on the appropriate float rigs. The heavier of my two set-ups, using the single section Power Kit, was perfect for any big fish that might turn up down the margin to muddy the waters.

This kit has a much wider PTFE bore size than the standard commercial kit, and is designed for use with really beefy hollow elastics up to a 20. Incidentally, match up the single-section Power Kit with the short four section supplied, and it handily comes out at the same length as the two-piece Commercial Kit. This Power Kit stiffens the whole pole up, but you do obviously lose a little length.

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There, though, the similarity between the two top kits ends. The Power and short fourth combo is the ultimate whopper-stopper, but doesn’t throw the pole out of balance the minute you ship out past 11m. For catching hippos on steroids, this is just the ticket!

All-round ability

The lighter elastic set-up in the Commercial Kit is a pure joy to use, and it will easily handle up to 8-14 Dual Core elastic. Striking and tip recovery are lightning quick and that, plus the steely linear rigidity and lightweight feel it exudes, make this pole a seriously impressive bit of kit for all styles of commercial fishing. 

As if that’s not enough, the Suncore anti-friction surface on the pole allows even the most ham-fisted of pole anglers to ship in and out with consummate ease throughout the session, even when being used at the pole’s longest 14.5m and 16m lengths.

During my four-hour morning session on Damson Lake, it performed every task I asked of it with absolute aplomb. Bite after bite was met with a crisp strike, and I didn’t lose a single fish to a hook-pull. 

I finished with a superb net full to bursting with small carp – the like of which I wish I’d landed the last time I fished a match at the venue. Then again, I wasn’t using the Maver Signature 821 on that visit!

Maver is a company with a rich history in producing excellent poles in all price brackets, and classic marques such as the Jurassic Carp, Super Lithium and Elite ranges are well-known and loved by all, from pleasure anglers to world champs.

Pound for pound, in spite of its high asking price, the Signature Pro 821 is a stand-out performer and looks sure to follow those legendary bits of kit into the pole angling hall of fame.

Price: £2,499.99

Middy reactacore XZ65-3 Pole Review

A top-of-the-range pole you should definitely make a beeline for at fishing shows or in your local tackle shop is Middy’s new Reactacore XZ65-3 World Elite.It’s very special indeed... with a lordly price tag to match.

However, with various deals and finance packages on offer through the shops, owning a pole costing in excess of £4,000 is now a reality for the serious angler, and if you pick the XZ65 it’s doubtful you’d ever need to invest in anything else.

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This pole takes all the excellence of the original XZ65 and its predecessor, the XZ65-2, and builds on it with reduced weight and increased overall length, without an ounce of strength being lost.

Each Reactorcore pole is packed with features, many unique to Middy, perhaps the most important being the use of four-layer Quad carbon technology. Each layer of cloth is precision-placed over the others at specific angles to achieve a fast response on the strike and superb rigidity.

Power and longevity come with the addition of Maximus Wrap to strengthen each section joint while reducing wear and making each section overlap slightly less to give an increase in overall length. But away from the power and stiffness, a few cosmetic features add further to the brilliance of the XZ65-3.

All butt sections (13m, 14.5m and 16m) are printed with numbers spaced 5cm apart so you know the precise distance you are fishing and catching at. Middy has also created Spineline section alignment to get the very best out of the pole.

It’s also well worth talking about the top kits and extras that the Reactacore comes with. They make for impressive reading. Buy the 16.5m pole and you get two Safe-Zone Mini Butts with full Maximus Wrap. Each Mini Butt and all No4 and No5 sections are fitted with soft EVA Dome Top Ends to protect the pole.

For your hard-earned you’ll get six Reactacore Ultra-Control Two Kits, power models with spots that can be drilled to fit a side puller slot, plus a grey-coloured Reactacore Ultra Control Phantom Kit and a Max8-SL Match Three Kit inside the pole. These are unbushed, however, so you’ll need to fit them with PTFEs. All top kits and pole sections are compatible with previous XZ65 and XZ65-2 models too, so if you already own one of the above, your old kits will fit to give you more options. 

Cupping kit issues are taken care of, with the Reactacore Ultra-Control Cupp Kit and Flat Base Click Cup set offering pole cups in a range of sizes. If all that wasn’t enough, there’s a Reactacore Short No4 section.

The final smart feature of the XZ65-3 are the two Reactacore Adapative Q Parallel Short No3 sections, which fit on to the end of a top kit to give you a slightly longer reach when needed without having to add a Mini Butt or longer extension.

To give this thing of beauty of whirl I was off to Jay Lake at Rookery Waters, in the heart of the Fens. A typical snake lake putting the far bank 15m away, this allowed me to play about with the Mini Butts and Adapative Q Parallel Short No3 sections for that extra distance past the standard 14.5m mark.

Whole worms and bunches of maggots fished tight to the far bank soon produced a run of hard-fighting angry carp and the XZ65-3 soaked up absolutely everything, even the never-ending surges of carp hooked in the tail or pectoral fins.

Here’s an admission. I hate fishing really long distances on the pole. It’s hard work, my rig often tangles around the pole-tip, the feed spills out of the tip-mounted cup and I just can’t get into any type of rhythm. I was keen to see if having one of the best poles money can buy would make a difference.

Well, I only occasionally turned the air a royal shade of blue, but none of that was down to the pole. It was more about foul-hooked carp pinging off at the net! Shipping the XZ65-3 out to beyond 14.5m is so easy. The rigidity through every section means no bounce or wobble, so the rig remains just where it should be.

The overall low weight of the pole is pleasing, too, and easy on the arms and back – even in a gusty crosswind, fishing the XZ65-3 one-handed was easy and I could even strike at sharp bites with just the one hand, the pole is that crisp. 

And it’s strong too, very strong, the type of pole you can give the big ’un to without it showing any signs of exploding or even letting out a creak of protest.

Verdict:

Weighing in with a price tag akin to that of a good secondhand motor or a blowout Caribbean holiday, Middy’s flagship Reactacore XZ65-3 pole is well worth the layout of all those banknotes. 

It’s simply faultless in every single aspect that you’d expect a top pole to possess – balance, stiffness, strength, weight, speed on the strike and the package. If you’ve won the pools or have been squirrelling the cash away for a top-end pole, the XZ65-3 simply has to be on your list to take a good long look at. I’d be staggered if you were disappointed!

The Package

• Middy Reactacore XZ-65-3 16.5m pole with Max8-SL Match Three Kit inside

• 6 x Reactacore Ultra-Control Two Kits

• 1 x Reactacore Ultra Control Phantom Kit

• 1 x Reactacore Short No4 section

• 2 x Reactacore Adapative Q Parallel Short No3 sections

• 1 x Reactacore 11.5m/13m Safe-Zone Butt section

• 1 x Reactacore 14.5m/16m Safe-Zone Butt section

• 1 x Reactacore Ultra-Control Cupp Kit

• Flat Base Click Cup set

• Middy pole holdall

Price: £4,134.98 – shop around

First Look at MAP C1 & C2 Poles

Match anglers looking to gain an edge down the edge need look no further than MAP’s latest TKS C1 and C2 carp poles.

Both feature the same ‘legacy fit’ top kits that are the backbone of the whole TKS concept. These will fit all TKS poles ever produced, while the remaining sections are interchangeable with several of MAP’s other popular key models.

Both the new poles make use of high performance Japanese Toray carbon, to offer perfect balance, a quick response, and uncompromising section strength. Like all power poles in the TKS line-up, the C1 and C2 are rated to a robust No20 elastic that will put the cuffs on the hardest-fighting carp. 

The C1 will appeal to owners of the MAP TKS 401/501 models, with fully interchangeable sections all round, while the longer C2 is the perfect accompaniment for anyone
who uses a either a TKS 601 or 901 pole.

As with all of MAP’s TKS 3G range, all top kits come fitted with depth markers, PTFE bushes, and a unique side puller bush, as well as printed increments for measuring up
rig depths. 

The C1 comes with two additional top kits, while the C2 has three. Section alignment markers are a useful feature, and there’s a smooth anti-friction finish for effortless shipping in and out. 

Both poles are supplied with a reinforced mini-extension and deluxe pole holdall, and are very handily covered by a 12-month guarantee.

Price: TKS C1 13m package £499 | TKS C2 14.5m package £849

C1 Package

Two pre-bushed V1 Power kits with fitted side pullers (one on pole)

Mini-extension
Deluxe pole holdall

C2 Package

Three pre-bushed V2 Power kits with fitted side pullers (one on pole).
Mini-extension
Deluxe pole holdall

Prestons Protype X300 14.5m pole review

While back I tested one of the original Protype poles from Preston Innovations and was highly impressed with it.

So when the new X300 arrived I was keen to see how much better this upgraded version would be.

At a penny under £750 it will never break the bank of the most prudent of anglers and has all the trimmings of a pole double that price tag in terms of top kits and features.

The X300 has been designed for the pleasure or match angler who never gets the butt sections of their pole out of the bag, hence the 14.5m length that’ll reach the far bank of snake lakes or islands on most commercials fisheries or handle up in the water scenarios in the summer.

On its website Preston is keen to stress the strength and response of the X300, but how does it measure up in reality?

The only way to find out was to give it a thorough going over, and the F1-packed Swallow Lake at Westwood Lakes, near Boston, was the venue of choice. The plan was to fish shallow at the full 14.5m to test rigidity and response on the strike, then have a crack at the margins to see how the pole handled ‘proper’ carp!

First impressions of the X300 are a reassuring solidity to each section. They’re very strong, with no give, but when slotted together the overall weight is surprisingly low for such a powerful pole. Before fishing I gave the pole a waggle at the full length, and while there’s a little wobble at the top end, it’s nothing to get stressed about.

Kicking off with banded pellet, it was easy enough to slap the rig or lift and drop one-handed while feeding with a catapult. First bite, and an F1 dragged the elastic out of the top kit, hooping the pole over. It didn’t get very far, though.

The power soon kicked in and fish number one was in the net. Two dozen more followed in quick succession, most of which produced a bite that needed striking at. Just a lift of the knee would set the hook. Try that with a pole that’s unbalanced and the whole thing would just wave up and down with no chance of hooking the fish.

Fortunately, the X300 has plenty of balance and enough stiff ‘spine’ to crisply lift the rig into a fish, but there’s also enough give in each section to let fish power off without any danger of a hook-pull. Slowly but surely I was enjoying fishing with the X300!

With enough fish in the bag at long range, I moved back to 6m and carried on bagging shallow. At this length the pole was even better and super-fast on the strike, a real carp cruncher whether up in the water or using meat or corn on this short line. To be frank, many anglers opt to fish as close in as they can for speed and comfort, and the X300 is just as perfect on a ‘top kit and two’ line as it is at the full 14.5m.

I’d love to say I caught a raft of units down the edge, but those F1s wouldn’t let them! 

The peg was solid with them at 5m down the edge but, with reeds and sedges to contend with, the pole made short work of gently encouraging hooked fish into open water. So, with shallow, short and the margin boxes ticked, how about the spares package?

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It’s pretty damn good for the price, with a pre-bushed Match top-2 inside the pole and four of Preston’s Roller Pulla Power top-2 kits fitted with 3.7mm internal PTFE bushes and boasting the Roller Pulla system in the side puller slots for total control over hooked fish. There’s also a same-length Kupping Kit with two Kups and adaptors, all in a Protype X300 holdall.

Yes, the X300 is a bit of a belter and a true all-rounder for fans of commercial carp fisheries.

Is it better than the original Protypes? Good god, it knocks them into a cocked hat! 

If you’ve got £750 to spend on a new pole and do a lot of heavyweight carp fishing throughout the year, forget about shopping around – go get the Protype!

Package details:

• 14.5m Protype X300 pole with a Match kit fitted inside

• 4 x Roller Pulla Power top-2 kits featuring 3.7mm internal PTFE bushes

• Kupping Kit with Kups and adaptors

• Protype X300 pole holdall

• Price: £749.99


Preston Innovations protype x400 16m pole review

Preston Innovations’ superb new ProType poles are priced to suit all pockets. 

All four models have enough section wall and linear strength for energetic carp-bagging, yet retain enough rigidity and lightness of touch to be used for silvers as well.  

 PRESTON INNOVATIONS PROTYPE X400

The new 16m flagship ProType X400 pole, at a penny under £1,000, comes with four of Preston’s proven Roller Pulla top kits and is clearly aimed at the serious club or open match angler. 

As it falls into the all-rounder class, I thought that a live test requiring some subtlety was called for, and Northamptonshire’s picture postcard day-ticket Stanwick Lakes sprang to mind. 

Coot Lake is home to some seriously big bin lids, as well as some cracking tench. The fish sit well out into the lake, making it quite a difficult venue to tackle with a pole. Setting the hook in deep water requires something more aggressive than the regular quick lift, so you need to balance your elastic accordingly. 

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Starting the session by shipping out a weighty potful of chopped worms and casters to 14.5m was the first test of strength the new ProType X400 faced, and it passed that well enough. 

A good pole should ship out feed without bouncing around wildly, and as the process also transfers a fair amount of upward force to your hands, the finish needs to be just right. A big tick here for the X400’s Easy Ship finish.

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At 14.5m it’s pleasingly stiff with a decent enough tip speed, and still very fishable at its full 16m length. I was impressed with the reinforced butt sections which are unlikely to let you down, even if you’re given to the odd ham-fisted cloud-piercing strike. 

As the float’s blaze tip disappeared from view, the moment of truth arrived. No crack-bang disaster here, but a huge bream – the X400 had clearly passed all the tasks I had set it.  

Summing up, I’d say that this pole represents very good value for money. 

It’s certainly durable enough to be used for commercial hauling and big fish and, as I proved, it’s also a good all-rounder with a sensible price tag.

Price: £999.99 (but shop around)

PRESTON INNOVATIONS PROTYPE X100

AT 13m, the entry-level X100 is ideal for the newcomer to pole fishing, and will serve equally well as an upgrade from a margin pole where extra length may be required. 

Super-strong, with a very acceptable level of rigidity, key features of this workmanlike pole are shared with all other ProType poles and include section alignment arrows, Easy Ship finish, reinforced butt sections, pre-bushed top kits, Roller Pulla side system and holdall with tubes. 

Price: £429.99

Package

ProType X100 13m pole with Match kit included Two Roller Pulla Power top-2 kits featuring 3.7mm internal bush

PRESTON INNOVATIONS PROTYPE X200    

The perfect all-round 13m pole, the X200 is suited to a variety of venues and styles of fishing, thanks to its enhanced rigidity and wall strength. 

It’s the perfect step up from a margin pole, and will suit those who never need to go out beyond 13m. 

As with all the ProType X poles, the X200 benefits from section alignment arrows, Easy Ship finish, reinforced butt sections, pre-bushed top kits, Roller Pulla side system and a dedicated holdall with tubes.

Price: £549.99

PACKAGE

ProType X200 13m pole (Match kit included) Three Roller Pulla Power top-2 kits featuring 3.7mm internal bush Kupping kit with kups

PRESTON INNOVATIONS PROTYPE X300  

The ProType X300 pole offers a fantastic spares package of four Roller Pulla Power top-2 kits and a Kupping Kit. 

At its full 14.5m it is extremely strong yet responsive, making it the perfect all-round pole for the angler who requires no more than 14.5m of carbon – a perfect upgrade from a 13m or margin pole. 

The ProType X300 benefits from all the key features of the poles already mentioned.

Price: £749.99

PACKAGE: Protype X300 14.5m pole (Match top-3 kit included) Four Roller Pulla Power top-2 kits featuring 3.7mm internal bush Kupping Kit with Kups.

PRESTON INNOVATIONS PROTYPE X400 

THIS top-of-the-range ProType X400 pole (reviewed in full on these pages) is extremely rigid, even at its full 16m length. 

Designed as true all-rounder, thanks to its added strength and rigidity, the X400 comes with a fantastic spares package, making it an obvious choice for the serious match angler. 

All key features are shared with the other members of the ProType X family.

Price: £999.99

PACKAGE: ProType X400 16m pole (Match top-3 kit included) Four Roller Pulla Power top-2 kits featuring 3.7mm internal bush Kupping Kit with Kups.

16m Preston Innovations Response XS50 Review

The new Preston Innovations Response XS50 16m pole falls into a price category where things start to get serious – writes Tony Grigorjevs.

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Anglers in the market for a pole priced between £1,000 and £1,500 expect something that ticks all the boxes. It’s generally expected that there will be shortcomings in cheaper poles but this is the price bracket where the full kit and caboodle is expected.

A generous spares package, bags of strength and a responsive action are just a few of the essential qualities required.

With that in mind, the 16m Response XS50 needs to impress from the off, and it’s fair to say it did just that when I was lucky enough to get my hands on it.

On opening the bag I didn’t know where to start, there was that much carbon staring back at me! The package includes four Roller Pulla top-2 kits, two Roller Pulla F1 kits and a Match top-2 inside the pole. 

There’s also a cupping kit with cups and three mini extensions that can be used when fishing short or long. As well as giving you that little bit of extra reach, they also provide protection to the ends of the main sections.

Curborough Fishery in Staffordshire was my venue of choice, and the hard-fighting carp in Oak Lake were sure to test the other features.

Shipping out to 16m, the finish was impressive. There was no struggle or stuttered shipping and it was easy to get smoothly out to the full distance.

Although it was perfectly fishable for periods at 16m, it was when I dropped back to 14.5m that I felt I could hold this pole for hours on end without feeling the strain.

Once the float dipped, the 13H elastic zipped to my right – it was inevitable the lily pads in that zone would be an attractive proposition to any hooked carp!

The old M50 pole, which the XS50 replaces, was criticised in part for lacking the required muscle power, and there’s no doubt Preston’s designers have taken this feedback seriously.

There was no indication it couldn’t handle the strain and I had no hesitation in piling on the necessary pressure to win each battle. A quick inspection of the sections instantly told me the walls were solidly built, with little give when I squeezed the end of each one.

As with every Preston pole there were plenty of little extras that win additional brownie points with purchasers.

Each top kit comes pre-bushed and with a Side Pulla already installed. The sections have aligners which enable you keep the spine of the pole lined up, enhancing performance in the process.

Preston Innovations prides itself on creating top-class tackle at an affordable price, and the company has certainly stuck to that mantra. If you are buying a pole between £1,000 and £1,500 you’ll struggle to find anything else that will measure up to the Response XS50.

TONY’S VERDICT

As with every item of tackle I sample from Prestons I had high expectations, and the Response XS50 definitely met them. It’s strong, comes with a fantastic package and ships like a dream. 

There’ll also be no issue with hitting quick bites as it is responsive, even when fished long. You’ll have worked hard to up for a new pole and you can be assured that you’ll have no complaints if you make this your new pride and joy.

Price: £1499.99 | Expect to pay: £1,300-£1,400

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Browning Sphere Zero-GF1 PT Review

Back in April 2017, I got to exclusively live test what was, at the time, Browning’s flagship pole – the 16m Sphere Zero F1+. 

For technical carbon innovations, design, lightness, stiffness and its generous spares package it had few, if any rivals. It was, and still is for that matter, a stunning pole, and a strong contender for the world’s best. 

So imagine my surprise when, on my annual December pilgrimage to Browning’s German HQ, I was told there was going to be a new and apparently improved Sphere Zero. I didn’t see that one coming!

Sure enough, at 2018’s The Big One show Browning did unveil the new Sphere Zero-GF1 PT+... and what a pole it is! 

It packs a little extra ‘oomph’ to handle bigger fish, although it follows very much in the footsteps of its famous predecessor as being a superbly light and stiff pole, aimed at the accomplished match angler who wants the very best. 

The new PT+ includes the same full range of unique features that made the Sphere pole so special, and is hand-built from the highest quality Japanese carbon. 

The critical middle sections have been strengthened by around 15 per cent, making a small difference to the pole’s overall weight, although its ‘on the bank’ performance is said to be very close to that of the original F1+. 

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The Sphere Zero-GF1 PT+ includes Multi-kits, which allow top kits to be used either at the conventional 2.5m length or as 1.75m one-piece kits, with no loss of overall pole length. All top kits are pre-fitted with adjustable Duo-bushes, alongside a special version of Browning’s unique Square Ergonomic Pole Protector sections which make fishing at long lengths and in windy conditions comfortable and stable. 

Unique Tactile Precision Points are raised areas on the butt sections which can be felt as you ship the pole out. These allow for accurate fishing without looking down for painted lines or numbers, and they act as a ‘stop’ by marking the end of the pole. 

Like its predecessor, the PT+ does not specify an elastic rating, and indeed this is no real measure of a pole’s strength. 

Suffice to say that in the hands of a skilled matchman the PT+ is perfectly strong enough for all match fishing situations. 

Two years ago I took the original Sphere Zero F1+ to Decoy’s Beastie Lake, where it performed flawlessly with some decent carp and barbel to around 8lb – so it seemed only right and fitting to take its successor to the same lake to compare performances.     

For those of you who may already own a Sphere, I can tell you that the new PT+ has exactly the same technical features as the original, and a hugely impressive spares package.

Mark’s verdict 

The price paid for added strength is that the pole weighs a little more. While this does give more stability in the wind, you do notice a bit more top-end tip weight. 

If I’m honest, Browning’s claimed 15 per cent stronger mid-sections felt more than that to me. But bottom line, if I owned a Sphere I would probably invest in the new PT 4th, 5th and 6th sections and use them when really big fish are on the cards. 

If, however, you don’t own a Sphere F1, and are in the market for the best commercial fishery pole that money can buy, then you need look no further.

Price: £3,999

For more information please visit: http://browning-poles.com/sphere/zero-g-f1-plus/

Or find a local retailer here: https://www.zebco-europe.biz/en/store-locator/

Middy Reactacore XP35-3 16m pole review

If you’re in the market for a budget-priced 16m pole but don’t need to use it at that length every trip, Middy’s latest Reactacore XP35-3 may be just the thing. 

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The two earlier XP-35 and XP35-2 models were very popular, but this new XP35-3 sets new standards for poles of this price. On commercial carp venues, where you need to mix and match your pole tactics with the odd excursion out to 16m, the XP35-3 will cope with anything and everything, from extracting margin munters, through to near-shelf paste tactics, shallow slapping, and fishing long against islands. 

How is this possible? Well, for starters there’s an exceptional spares package consisting of three Ultra Control top-2 kits, an Ultra Control Phantom kit, a Cupp kit, a Short No4 section, an Adaptive Q parallel short No3 and an 11.5m-13m Safe Zone butt.

The short fourth and Adaptive Q parallel sections stiffen the pole up considerably and make it ideal for tackling deeper water. The XP35-3 is more rigid, lighter and stiffer than many other mid-level poles, and as it’s rated to an 18 elastic it’s safe to use on commercial lakes for big carp, while still retaining enough finesse for silver fish and F1 work. Built using the latest ‘Quad’ carbon technology, the pole’s Safe Zone mini butts have domed ends to protect them when shipping through bushes. This feature also applies to the fourth and fifth joints, safeguarding them against chipping. 

All joints also have Middy’s latest ‘Maximus Wrap’ system which helps to keep wear and tear to a minimum, increasing the life of the pole. My work colleague Richard Grange live tested last year’s XP35-2 model and thought it a half-decent pole at a very affordable price, so I thought I’d run the rule over the latest model to see if it had undergone any significant changes. Well, other than welcome improvements to the spares package, the pole is still as strong as an ox and well up to commercial bagging sessions.

Stand-out features on the XP35-3

  • Adaptive Q mini extension extends top-2 kits to same length as the Match top-3.

  • Foam dome topped sections – protects and extends the life of the pole.

  • Maximum elastic ratings are clearly marked on all top kits to avoid confusion.

  • Numbered distance markers on all butt sections are a useful feature.

  • The pole is rated up to No 18 elastic for use with big carp on waters.

  • Reinforced side puller area on the 4th section will be handy in deeper swims.

  • The S-Slide finish makes shipping in and out an easy process in all weathers.

  • The short 4th section adds stiffness, useful when fishing deep swims.

Price: £1,099 (but shop around) 

Middy’s XM-10-3 Review

Twenty years ago, the words ‘entry-level pole’ would conjure up images of a several metres of distinctly floppy carbon.

The response on the strike would be measured in minutes, not seconds and its overall weight would soon see you booked into hospital for a hernia repair. 

Thank goodness that things have moved on since then!

Nowadays, if you want a basic quality pole that will do you proud over many seasons, there are plenty to choose from. Derbyshire company Middy is arguably at the head of the pack when it comes to no-nonsense tackle at a price you can’t argue with.

Of course, Middy manufactures top line kit too, but it has always had an eye on the beginner who works on a limited budget but still expects functional tackle that won’t let them down when they hand over their hard-earned.

The XM-10-3 pole is yet another Middy gem. Part of the much-talked about Reactacore range, the XM-10-3 is available in three different packages from 10m to 13m, each one having more top kits the more money you spend. 

At the classic entry level is the 10m pole with two top kits... one Match and one Carp. All, in fact, that the newcomer to pole fishing will ever need.

Weighing 692g at 10m, it’s not a brute to fish with all day and, like all poles in the Reactacore range, the XM-10-3 is built using Middy’s Quad carbon technology and Maximus wrap joints to add strength to those vital areas on each section. 

A new Spineline aligner system ensures maximum rigidity when lined up correctly, and the use of Foam Dome Top PS on the No4 and No5 sections is a nice touch to reduce wear and tear on section ends. It looks the part, too, with smart black, white and gold livery. 

An opinion off the bank is all well and good, but how does the pole actually handle when something big and angry is having a go at the other end? The carp and F1s of Westwood Lakes were about to find out as I picked Kingfisher Lake at the Lincolnshire complex for the test.

Packed with carp, F1s, massive ide and some surprise tench, bream and barbel, the lake is the classic mixed commercial fishery that the XM-10-3 was built for.

Warm weather made fishing shallow a sensible option and one that would also test the performance of the pole when striking at fast bites and shipping and out quickly. At 10m, the length is just about right for this type of fishing and after ladling in plenty of maggots, the first big F1 of the day ripped the elastic out.

The pole bends pleasingly but not alarmingly. You’re always in control and there’s a shedload of power in each section to make pulling hard-to-get fish out of danger safe and simple. Each section wall is made of strong stuff and I defy you to break one, however cack-handed you may be.

A string of quality F1s, big roach and even crucians were landed with the minimum of fuss, and for a pole in such a low price bracket, the balance and stiffness were a bit of a revelation. 

Initially I feared the worst, but needn’t have. Shipping out is easy, lifting and dropping the rig into place equally so and the reaction on the strike, although not lightning-fast, is plenty quick enough for picking off finicky F1s.

Of course, you may well not use the XM-10-3 for fishing shallow and I reckon that for general sport with baits on the bottom at a little shorter range than the full 10m it’ll be a winner. 

Strong, balanced, light in the hand and with a couple of top kits (one Carp and one Match) supplied, it’s plenty more than you could ever ask for at the price! 

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Verdict

If you’d offered me this pole when I began fishing many moons ago I’d have had your hand off! For the asking price it really is outstanding, and will catch you many thousands of pounds of carp in years to come.

Middy has put plenty of thought into the XM-10-3 rather than churning out a bit of a broom handle, and those neat little touches and design features all add up to a quality bit of kit. If you fancy beginning pole fishing or want a good back-up for days when heavyweight carping is on the cards, you have to give this the once-over.

RRP: £375 but shop around for best price


Preston Innovations Edge Monster margin pole review

There’s an old saying - ‘you get what you pay for’.

If you buy something on a budget then you shouldn’t expect it to perform as well as more expensive kit. But every now and again an item comes along that makes a mockery of this phrase. The latest pole from Preston Innovations being one such creation.

The 8.5m Edge Monster Margin has been designed to hook and land big fish at short range with ease. It’s much more than just a heavy handed power tool, though. Strength is certainly one of its many attributes and if any carp in your local fishery takes the hookbait when this pole is in use then it is likely to be on the end of a losing battle. 

The walls of each section ooze muscle power and no matter how much force you exert when trying to get the upper hand against your quarry, you can rest assured you aren’t going to suffer breakages, even when using the thickest elastics.

Hook a fish close to a snag and you’re going to need quick reactions to prevent it from delving into the maze of sunken branches. In order to do that you need a pole that slides through your hands in a quick and fluid manner. The gloss finish on the butt section and mini extension does exactly that and the transition into the rest of the sections is smooth. Put simply, you can ship the Edge Monster Margin back in a flash, rain or shine!

More often than not the weight of a margin pole is compromised to gain the necessary strength but that isn’t the case here. This is a lightweight tool that could be held in one hand for long periods with minimal effort, even when using it at its full 8.5m length.

While the name suggests it is built for bagging enormous mirrors and commons from the margins, it is also a brilliant piece of kit for those taking their first novice steps into pole fishing.

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Dropped sections and other slightly clumsy accidents are commonplace when you’re new to the game but the pole won’t splinter or snap as a result of these mishaps. 

All of the sections are interchangeable with Preston’s Protype range of poles making this ideal for spares if you own one.

If all that isn’t enough then the price is going to seal the deal. A pole that is strong, lightweight, has a brilliant finish and is packed with built-in features for less than £150. Wow!

Preston Innovations has a reputation for raising the bar when it comes to new launches and the company has continued that trend with the Edge Monster Margin.

Verdict: I’ve become used to tackle companies bosses waxing lyrical about their latest tackle and on some occasions the reality doesn’t match the hype. The team at Preston Innovations told me pre-test that the Edge Monster Margin would be strong, lightweight and easy to ship. It’s fair to say there was no exaggeration. It ticks every box and gets a big thumbs up from me.

Daiwa Connoisseur G90 16m pole package

You might find this hard to believe, but in all my years of tackle testing I have never waved a Daiwa Connoisseur pole over the water. 

Given that the evergreen and award winning Connoisseur has been Daiwa’s best-selling pole for nearly 30 years, that is a quite remarkable statement!

The pole has been produced under many guises, starting way back in 1991 with the original Connoisseur Ultra model. Subsequent decades have been graced with the G8, G20, G50 and the latest G90.

I may never have live-tested a Connoisseur or, for that matter, owned one, but I have been lucky enough to have fished with some of the UK’s best match anglers who were devoted ‘Connie’ disciples. To me that speaks volumes.

The Connoisseur is reckoned by matchmen to be Daiwa’s best power model, and therefore well suited to big-fish situations. However, this preconceived ‘firepower without finesse’ idea has always been a bit of a head scratcher for me, because I know two absolute top-of-the-pile speed merchants who could smash out literally hundreds of roach at lightning pace with a Connoisseur – proving it to be much more than a one-trick pony.

So, after years of waiting and wondering about this pole’s potential, the moment of truth finally arrived! And as I assembled the latest G90 on the well-worn banks of Decoy’s carp-infested Lou’s Lake, my mind drifted to watching Essex County’s awesome Garry Miller slaying big roach on the Trent Embankment with his own ‘Connie’.

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However, that was all back in the day stuff. Modern match tactics and venues require that the seasoned match angler will frequent a commercial fishery where bagging tactics, or big-fish pole methods, are the order of the day – hence Decoy, my choice of live test venue.

There is little doubt in my mind that Daiwa has developed the all UK-built Connoisseur over the years to keep pace with the demands of ever more stressful match situations, and to that end, this latest model is definitely the strongest, stiffest, most responsive and most powerful yet built. This is clearly reflected in its construction.

Daiwa’s Super MSG carbon cloths with Nanoplus resin technology combine to produce a high performance tool. 

It’s a fact that the pole handles better at 13m than it does at 14.5m or 16m, and that’s not rocket science. Poles that are super-quick and slick at longer lengths come with much heftier price tags than this G90.

That said, it is more than useable at any length. It’s proper tough, and will handle a purple Hydro kit with consummate ease. 

Daiwa’s packages allow you to keep your top kits all the same length, while having the right sized PTFEs for the elastics. 

The pre-fitted Interlastic side puller kits come with tip sizes of 4.7mm and 5.8mm, to cover every size of elastic you are likely to need to commercial work. 

The match kits – which really do help to impart a bit more stiffness and tip speed to the pole’s overall action when used with lighter solid elastics – are ideal for all silver fish work.

Verdict: This latest ‘Conny’ is a true all-rounder. The unmistakeably steely feel of a top-end Daiwa pole is there, and coupled with key features such as ITS taping across the top sections and a Diamond Satin finish on the larger sections, this make the pole quick and easy to handle in any weather.

The kit package and choice is hugely impressive too, and will provide you with enough kits for any match without having to shell out for any extras.  

Price (promo): £1,499 for the full package

Preston Innovations response XS90 pole review

Once you commit to owning a flagship pole you’re talking in the region of three grand, so you need to be sure your investment will be a sound one. 

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Never fear – Preston Innovations’ latest 16m Response XS90 pole is one of the best that money can buy. All you need concern yourself about is finding the model or package that suits you best.

Now, I don’t often mention the competition when live testing an item of tackle, but I’ll make an exception in this case because Preston’s new pole is up against some tough opposition in the flagship category. 

In no particular order of merit we have Daiwa’s Air Z, Middy’s Reactacore XK55-3, Browning’s Zero G Sphere, Matrix MTX Ultra 4, Drennan Acolyte Pro, Garbolino UK 1 Accomplice, Maver Signature Pro 1000, Tri-Cast Excellence, Sensas UK Nanoflex 1074, MAP TKS 1001 and Frenzee FXT 6E. Phew! I apologise if I have missed anyone out. 

Each has its own special merits, from stiffness and power through to comprehensive spares packages. I know matchmen are brand-loyal, and tend to stick with what they know and trust, so let me tell you why the new Response XS90 is up there with the best.

For a start you get bucketloads of the finest grade Japanese Torayca carbon in the shape of a stunning 10-piece pole. Following in the footsteps of its Response M90 predecessor, it’s a strong contender for the accolade of ‘stiffest pole ever’.

Changes to the carbons used make all sections stronger and more hard-wearing – although in the case of the M90 they were pretty tough in the first place. 

I haven’t seen my old match fishing mentor and great friend Des Shipp to ask him about the new pole (who said arch-rivals Dorking and Essex County couldn’t be pals?) but it’s my bet that the England ace has played a leading role developing the XS90.

The signs of a master craftsman’s touches are all there in the pole’s performance. It’s phenomenally stiff without feeling brittle, and superbly well balanced at its longer lengths.

I don’t mind if poles of this quality are made slightly heavier – I reckon they perform better and with more stability in the wind, and that’s very important. Commercial carp aren’t much given to chasing a pellet around a peg! Its shipping qualities are, as you might expect, ‘quicksilver’ and, in the right hands, it’s as fast as any pole on the market.

Slip on one of its 2.4m Roller Pulla Power top kits (capable of handling the heaviest of elastics) and the pole has section wall strength and linear flexibility in abundance to quickly tame the very largest commercial carp. 

My live test session on the lump-infested Horseshoe Lake at Decoy Fisheries confirmed the pole’s mettle in every department.

Fishing long into open water with corn at 16m, and despite a nasty side wind, rig presentation remained easy. 

That, teamed with a lightning-fast non-recoil tip action, meant missed bites were a rarity. Even with the odd foul-hooker, every tug-of-war ended favourably, and not once did I get the feeling the pole was being over-stressed, even with fish to 8lb.  

I had a go short on the maggot, where the pole’s Bi-Conical sections that fit on to sections 5-6 and 7-8 gave me the confidence to strike as though I meant it, with no fear of the episode ending in tears and splintered carbon. 

All female section ends have been internally reinforced, while there are now extra weaves on the male joint ends which greatly reduce carbon fatigue and wear. This pole’s real ‘wow’ factor, though, has to be its nonsensical degree of stiffness. 

I have been lucky enough to see and handle poles with this degree of rigidity before, not necessarily in the UK, but let me tell you, they never had any sort of elastic rating and were likely to snap in half in the event of anything more shocking than the sun disappearing behind a cloud.

Take my word for it, in the XS90, Preston Innovations has a very special pole on its hands, and it ought to be in yours too.

Verdict: No-one who has seen or handled the new Response XS90 would argue that it is Preston Innovations’ best yet. It’s sharp as a tack, with the reaction speed of a striking cobra. Built from the finest Japanese carbons, its steely strong sections inspire the kind of confidence that you only get from using the very best. Plus, it comes with the most impressive array of pre-bushed side puller top kits and carbon add-on sections you will find anywhere.

Price: £2,999.99

Middy ReactAcore XI20-3 Competition Match Carp Pole

Middy’s new Reactacore XI20-3 Competition Match Carp Pole might well be named the WIndbeater, such is its resilience in a gale.

Weighing in at just 980g at 13m, it’s no telegraph pole, making it viable to handle when the wind is blowing. So, with a late January gale bending trees double, I made my way to Nottinghamshire’s Janson’s Fishery for the live test. 

On this very exposed venue, only one peg on the entire complex had escaped being lashed by the wind, and that was on Munroes Lake which has a central island at around 13m and is well stocked with carp and F1s.

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The X120-3 has a bit of a luxury feel to it when you get it out of the bag, with a lovely S-Slide micro-ground fast-shipping finish, Spineline alignment on each section, and dome-topped joint protection on the fourth, fifth and mini butt sections. A DNS distance numbering system for precise feeding and fishing is a nice touch and importantly, the pole has a satisfyingly solid feel to it when you give those key No4 and No5 section walls a squeeze. .

The four Max22 Karp 2-kits come with CKB colour-coded PTFE bush-fit bands so there are no dramas when it comes to cutting back tips too far. Who among us has not committed this irreversible sin in the past? Reinforced pull-it areas on the top kits can be drilled before being fitted with side pullers. 

So, rigged up and ready to go, I popped a small pot on to the end of the pole – acid test number one. If a pole is sloppy, it’ll bounce all over the place when shipped out and you’ll be left with no bait in the pot when it reaches its destination. That didn’t happen with the new Reactacore XI20-3, even in the wind. 

This is a hard feeling to put into words, but if a pole is too heavy, you’ll feel like Atlas with the world on his shoulders. Here, even when the pole was dragged way off course by rogue gusts, it took little effort to manoeuvre it quickly back into position again. Likewise, lifting and dropping the rig was hassle-free. The stiffness of the pole makes lifting delicate floats almost instant, with little bounce and even less droop as the pole is raised – and the same applies to hitting bites.

Winter F1s and carp often only give you a tiny ‘dink’ on the float, and if the pole is bending like a fiddler’s elbow you’ve got no chance of connecting with the fish. A short but solid lift with this pole though, and I was laughing. Even when a bite was missed, the rig was straight back in and fishing again, such are its recovery values, even at its maximum 14.5m. 

But what about the strength, I hear you ask? Well, the XI20-3 has plenty of it, and although no real brutes were caught, battling the wind was a great test in its own right. When a gust came, holding the pole deliberately against the blast taught me all that I need to know about the X120-3’s power. Sometimes, you can only turn your head away and wince as carbon meets the wind and pray the pole doesn’t come off second-best, but my early fears about whether this one would end up in several more pieces than it arrived in were soon kicked into touch.

In fact, as the session wore on I was actually beginning to enjoy myself, free of those fears. 

The pole is strong, seriously strong, and impressive in all aspects and I would even go as far to say that you could fish it down the edge in the summer in search of big doubles without any danger.

For your typical all-round mixed commercial fishery, it’s bang on the money!

Verdict: This is the second Middy Reactacore model that I have fished with in recent weeks, and I have to say how impressed I am by their technical attributes. 

Spineline alignment sees the pole always fished in its optimum position, while numbering on the butt sections, and depth line markers, do come in handy once you’re fishing. 

The XI20-3 should be a much sought-after pole for any club match angler who spends much of his time on commercials. Its top kit package offers plenty of flexibility and scope. Spare top-kits and sections, incidentally, will all interchange with Middy’s previous Shock-Core and Nano-Core pole ranges. 

If your fishing sees a lot of work at around 8m to 10m with the occasional visit with a longer length to fish against an island, the X120-3 is the one to pick – and when the wind blows it will certainly be first out of the holdall!

Price: 13m £999.99, 14.5m £1129.98. But shop around for even more competitive prices

Browning Black Magic gold II Review

The original Browning Black Magic was an iconic pole that passed into match fishing history but is fondly remembered as the stuff of legend. 

When it first appeared in the mid-1980s, Bob Nudd – the man everyone tried to beat – championed it. Frankie had Two Tribes, Oxford bag trousers were all the rage away from the bank, and the Ford Sierra estate was the fishing vehicle of choice.

The first Black Magics to arrive in the UK superseded Browning’s Red Spiral Titanium pole, which back in the day would have set you back a whopping £800 or so.

However, many anglers still bit the bullet because when it came to long-lining on deep venues such as Ireland’s lower River Bann, the Black Magic power pole delivered in spades. With its put-in joints and super-slim profile, it was strong and easy to use... a must-have tackle item of its time. 

It also had enough linear action to swing out a hefty float, and would have been fitted with long, solid carbon flick-tips (preferred to elastics back then because hook-ups were quicker and fish could be plucked from the water and swung to hand double-quick). 

The fishing in Ireland went a bit pear-shaped not long after that, and big sponsored events such as the Embassy Pairs dwindled as their advertising budgets evaporated into thin air along with the cigarette smoke that had made them possible in the first place.

Happily, though, things have changed. The Irish festival scene is back on track, and quite possibly healthier than ever before… all of which brings me nicely on to Browning’s latest incarnation, the Black Magic II Gold. 

The seven-sectioned 12.5m pole is built from the same carbon fibre, and to the same high standards, as its more expensive Xitan cousins. Yet it carries a price tag of around £459.99, or £399 for the 11m version… and for that you get three spare pre-bushed (no cutting back needed) top kits and a cupping kit.

Venue for the live test was the ever-reliable Willows Lake on the Decoy complex near Peterborough. Several easy-to-reach islands lend the water nicely to medium-length pole fishing on the 11m line.

The latest Black Magic Gold shares some of the original pole’s traits, being strong, with a good section wall thickness. This enables it to cope with big fish and the occasional ‘agricultural’ strike. 

Its stiffness at 11m is more apparent than at its full 12.5m, as it does have a bit of bounce and play during shipping. But it’s nothing less than easy to fish with. Its flexible power-playing action makes it ideal for targeting big lumps in the margins, or fishing up against snags. 

Other big plus points include an exemplary gloss finish that sees the pole run through your hands like a greased grass snake. Its put-over joints come together and apart with a reassuring swish, and never jam. 

Three spare top kits and a cupping kit enable you to fish the margins, up in the water, or with a paste rig, so it’s ideal for commercial fisheries.

The verdict: This latest Black Magic II Gold bears very few similarities to its predecessors. But it is nicely on trend for the modern commercial angler, and very well suited to the keen club matchman. Built with abounding strength that will cope with the largest commercial fish, it has faultless, reliable section joints and is definitely built to last. 

Price: £599 (12.5m) or £499 (11m), cheaper if you shop around. Spare Power top kits are available for £45.95  

Fox Matrix MTX 1 Power Pole review

Having recently run the rule over Matrix’s classy top-of-the-range MTX 4 Ultra pole, I was keen to find out if the somewhat more modestly priced entry-level MTX 1 Power Pole could offer a comparable performance. 

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Obviously, the differences in pole lengths, balance, weights and prices would need to be taken into account. After all, the flagship 16m MTX 4 will set you back around £2,999.99 whereas the 13m MTX 1 will relieve you of less than a quarter that amount, at £500. 

All four versions of the new Matrix MTX poles are pitched as viable all-rounders, with a slight leaning towards commercial fishery tactics with regard to the two cheaper Power models. Moreover, from what I have seen, Matrix has called that about right. I can assure you that no corners have been cut in terms of materials and workmanship; in fact, attention to detail comes shining through. All models boast the latest hi-tech carbon materials, finishes and decals. The poles also feature a series of extras such as mini extensions, cupping kits, and pre-bushed side puller Power top kits as standard, which combined offer the angler a very high level of tactical flexibility.

So to the live test itself, and there few better venues for this style of all-round commercial Power Pole than Lincolnshire’s Rushfield Lakes complex. It offers multiple lake choices all requiring different tactical approaches from deep-water with pellets and corn on Horseshoe Lake, through to shallow far bank work on Canal and Mallard Pools. You can add in a fair amount of margin tactics on all of the lakes, making the new entry level Matrix, that incidentally comes with a raft of spare kits, the ideal tool. 

With a midweek match on Horseshoe Lake, and Mallard Pool busy with pleasure anglers, I settled into a swim on Canal, which, like most snake lakes, is bossed by a far-bank approach using ‘rat-hole’ tactics with pellet, corn, maggots or bread hookbaits. The pool is quite small with an average width of around 13m, and hosts around 30 pegs. It still holds some seriously weighty finned inhabitants, and the venue is super-popular with local anglers and gets fished most days, so the carp have seen it all before! 

It’s all about the far bank where the depths are fairly shallow, from 1ft-18ins. When you hook a fish, it pays to get it out of the shallow water as quickly as possible, before it gets a chance to spook everything else in the swim.

Having said that, almost everything that you do hook tears off down the canal at an astonishing rate of knots. As the fish are also able to dive back towards the near bank this can cause havoc with your top kits, especially if you’re using a hefty hollow elastic. The pole needs to be fast through the hands, and have enough stopping power to cope with a fair amount of downward stress if it’s not all going to end in tears and expense for the angler. You’re left with little choice but to employ bully-boy tactics. However, on such a hard-fished water you’re unlikely to even get a bite using heavy line and big hooks. You need to get your kit perfectly balanced to stand a chance of catching a few. 

My arsenal of choice was a hollow size 11 elastic, 0.15mm hooklength line and a size 16 hook with a banded pellet hookbait, which is standard stuff for most commercial fisheries. 

The MTX 1’s pre-bushed, and new Revolve side puller Power top kits proved ideal for this type of normal commercial set-up, and could easily be fitted with much heavier elastics. 

Starting by fishing across to the far bank at the pole’s full 13m length with its mini extension fitted into the back of the butt section, the MTX 1 shipped smoothly enough to be able to feed accurately with a small pot.

The pole proved stiff enough for me to be able to feed with a catapult while holding it. It isn’t unduly wobbly, top-heavy or unbalanced. Playing fish proved a doddle as the MTX1 is indeed a Power Pole. Understandably, it isn’t as rigidly stiff or lightweight as the flagship superstar MTX 4. However, it is a very impressive all-round commercial venue performer considering its price!

Verdict: If you’re into commercial fishing for fish of all sizes, and you don’t need to fish beyond 13m, then the Matrix MTX 1 Power Pole at its asking price has to seriously looked at. As an introductory model its one of the best I have used, stiff, well balanced, and pleasingly lightweight (940g at 13m) so it’s not going to give you any backache or gip. In addition, Matrix’s new Revolve side puller kits are quite superb, and it comes as standard with three of these, plus a match kit inside the pole 

Price: £500.

Bob-Co Sensas Nanoflex 855 Power Match 16m & 14.5m poles

Every so often an item of fishing kit passes across our tackle desk that represents outstanding value for money, with a massive saving on recommended retail. 

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That was certainly the case when I got wind of the Sensas 855 Power Match pole designed exclusively for tackle shop Bob-Co. There’s a choice between a 16m or 14.5m out-and-out power pole at way below half the normal asking price. A 16m pole for £599... now that surely demanded further investigation!

Bob-Co asked for a power pole armed only with pulla power kits, something you won’t find in any other pole package in the current or older Sensas ranges. The French giant duly obliged, and the end result is a top-flight long pole at a jaw-droppingly low price.

Whether you go for the 16m or 14.5m package, you get the same list of goodies. The main pole comes with a Pulla kit inside plus four spares, a rigid cupping kit and pole cups, all stashed away in a Sensas pole holdall. 

The kits are rated to No18-No20 elastic and feature a reinforced side puller slot. Another bonus of the 885 is that it is totally compatible with other Nanoflex poles in the Sensas range.

The test

Leighton’s Pool at the recently redeveloped Yoke Hill Fishery near Oundle, Northants, is a typical mixed fishery – 16m wide and stocked with more than a dozen species. 

It’s just the job for an on-the-bank test and the plan was to fish the pole at its full length to the far bank, then come shorter for a bit of shallow fishing. These approaches would ask different questions of it.

Potting in a little groundbait and corn at 16m, there was little bounce in the pole as it snaked out to its full length. I can’t lie and say the pole was arrow-straight at 16m because there is some droop, but certainly not enough to make fishing with the 855 a chore.

First drop resulted in a bite and a crisp response on the strike. You need to put a bit of effort into the lift, but nothing Herculean, and with a small carp dispatched into the net I was soon back out and nobbling another. 

The average stamp was around 1lb, and good fun they were too on a light elastic that allowed the fish to power off and put a real bend in the pole. I could now feel the power of the pole – it’s got a very solid feel to it, with no creaking or crazy bending that leaves you feeling the least bit out of control. 

Now, it’s often said of long poles that they lose a bit in terms of balance and response when you go out to 16m, but take a section or two off and they become a different beast. 

I gave that theory a crack to fish at 14.5m on the deck and 13m with a shallow rig, and found it indeed to be the case. 

Any droop and bounce vanishes, and reaction time on the strike is vastly improved.

The shallow rig produced plenty of F1s around the 1lb 8oz mark, and these can be real fast-biters. The Yoke Hill fish are no different, but the speed of the 885 on the strike is reassuringly quick – and it’s rigid enough to keep lifting, dropping and slapping the rig without busting a gut.

Eventually, something bigger found the banded 6mm pellet and tore off for a tour of the peg. Steering the fish away from snags was easy and, like all good power poles, the 885 lets you really pull and transfer the effort you’re putting in through the pole to be in total command. A 5lb carp was soon in the bag. Super stuff!

Not only is the pole great to fish with, but it’s robust into the bargain. 

I can be a little ‘enthusiastic’ with a pole, and the 885 was also thrown around a fair bit. Not a mark was left on it, and it went back into the bag looking as though it had never been used.

Verdict:

If you want a long pole for carp fishing then get hold of one these as soon as you can, as I doubt they’ll be in stock for too long! 

Strong, robust, balanced and responsive, the 885 does everything that you want from a pole for carp fishing. While it may not be the best at full length, for fishing back from the 13m length little will beat it for the price.

How to buy:

To get your hands on these incredible pole deals, visit the Bob-Co website at www.bobcotackle.co.uk, give them a call on 01132 499943 or pop in and see them at their Leeds superstore.