Middy Nano-Core XT15-2 13m pole package
RRP
£525
Even I would agonise over what to buy if I had £400 of my own money to spend on a pole.
But I’ll tell you something: Middy’s Nano-Core XT15-2 would be high on my shortlist. Most of my fishing is done on commercials, but because I’d still rather catch 25lb of roach on casters than 100lb of carp on pellets my pole would have to double for silverfish work at reasonably long lengths.
So a strong carp-capable 13m weapon, well-balanced, easy to ship and at home with delicate rigs and light elastics is right on my radar. The Nano-Core XT15-2 will deliver all that and more.
It weighs in at just 720g at 11.5m, so its handling qualities are quite exceptional for a pole at this price.
How can this be possible, I hear you ask? Well, the carbon cloth undergoes a unique curing process under extreme pressure, forcing out tiny air imperfections. This gives the pole a consistent linear action and increases section strength. The graphite used in this pole can also withstand temperatures equivalent to over 3,000ºC which does help to keep all nine sections stable and fishable even in the roasting summer heat.
Other key features include a section alignment system, top kits interchangeable across the entire Middy Nano-Core range, and a new distance numbering system on the butt section for precise fishing and feeding.
Colour-keyed bands show exactly where you need to cut the tips when fitting bushes. And, like all Middy Nano-Core poles, this one comes with a Safe-Zone mini reversible butt. This fits both the 11.5m and 13m sections, and the EVA domed end protects the pole when shipping it back.
The spares package includes a Match3 G-16 top kit ready fitted, an F1 G-16 top kit and a Karp2 G-22 top kit. You also get Hi-Viz elastication kits and and Xtreme pole holdall – not an eye-popping package, but one that suggests the bulk of the asking price has gone into the pole itself, rather than added extras. If you do want more top kits an F1 G-16 costs £39.99 and a Karp2 G-22 £47.50.
So, under a sun-drenched sky with fish cruising all over the surface of Old Wood Lake on Newark’s Portland Waters, I fished a 12/14 elastic through the resilient Karp2 G-22 top kit. Bites were easy to come by as a procession of small roach, ide, crucians and F1s proved only that the pole is nicely balanced and quite at home shipping in silvers and other small fish without so much as a wobble.
Using a slapping rig to attract the larger carp proved a harder test for the pole’s rigidity and tip speed, but although it was a little bit bouncy it wasn’t all that difficult to handle. Soon elastic was streaming from the tip as a larger fish grabbed the hard pellet hookbait. Side strain stopped it running through my neighbour’s peg, and the Karp2 top kit was powerful enough to make short work of the netting process.
For the money (it’s available for well under £400 if you shop around) the XT15-2 has all the features I would look for.
VERDICT
Middy’s Nano-Core range has undergone a transformation, and these poles are now reckoned by many to be as good as anything else on the market. There’s something for everyone, no matter what your angling status or skills set. The XT15-2 would make a great second pole for the keen club or pleasure angler. It’s easy to use, comfy to hold and will cope with both silvers and carp. At such an affordable price, who could reasonably ask for more?
Garbolino UK5 Procarp Match 13m pole
PACKAGE
Top kits: Three Power Lite Puller kits fitted with PTFE Pullers; Power Lite top-2 kits
Extras: Half-reversible multi extension to fit 11.5m and 13m sections; Two-piece Potting Kit and Pots; 10 PTFE bushes with large internal bores; Deluxe holdall
PAY AROUND
RRP £999.99, SSP £799.99
A few months ago I live tested Garbolino’s stunning new UK4 Power Carp pole. This basically backs up the company’s iconic G Max Power Legion, the first pole ever to be launched with a built-in puller kit.
The UK4 pole excelled under the spotlight – well balanced with power to burn – and proved capable of putting together big weights in double-quick time.
So when the opportunity arose to take another of Garbolino’s new UK Carp poles to the bankside for a workout, I jumped at the chance. However, before you join me at Stretton Farm Lakes for the live test, allow me to explain a little about this five-strong collection.
Poles are available to suit everyone’s needs and pockets, starting with the entry level 13m UK7 ProCarp, yours for under £500. It offers strength and rigidity, and is very easy to handle.
The UK6 ProCarp comes in at around £675, and has a super slip-and-slide finish which makes it easy to ship in and out in all weathers.
You can use it at its full 13m all day long without getting weary.
The already live-tested UK4 Carp Power should be on the radar of all serious bag-up merchants.
It’s as powerful a pole as anything I have ever handled, but its balance and rigidity make it a real joy to fish with.
So that just leaves us with the ‘on test’ 13m UK5 ProCarp Match. This pole is claimed by its manufacturer to be the stiffest and lightest of the new series.
To achieve weight reduction Garbolino has used higher grades of carbon-fibre cloth, but with special attention paid to all the key section stress areas and joints. This is exemplified in the super-strong ‘anti-ovalling’ female joints with reinforced areas picked out in blue – they are tough as old boots.
The pole also has impressive wall strength. Having put the squeeze on all nine sections, it’s obvious to me that most of its power is generated from the bottom three, which are nothing short of brutally uncompromising. It will take a lot more than the odd mistimed or overly enthusiastic strike to put so much as a dent in them.
All joking aside, there’s plenty in power in reserve even when you’re really leaning into this pole, which makes it fishable in the unruliest of weather and ideal for any open water venue affected by the wind.
It didn’t take much to keep my rig perfectly presented as a pleasant summer breeze ruffled the surface of Stretton Lakes’ day-ticket carp pool.
The UK5 coped effortlessly with a splasher rig, flicking the light float over with ease and speed every time without causing the pole-tip to smack down annoyingly on to the surface.
It was also nicely responsive when used in conjunction with a full-depth rig, allowing a full potful of pellets and corn to be shipped out without spillage.
Later in the day, and with the larger carp muddying the margins, a change to a heavier rig saw plenty of lively action and a healthy bend in the pole, which by then had come through the day ticking all the right boxes.
VERDICT
This Garbolino offering represents great value for money in a very popular sector of the pole market.
It’s very comfortable to fish with at its full 13m length, with enough clout to be used safely with heavy hollow elastics, and it comes with an enviable spares package which includes a reversible half extension to fit both the 11.5m and 13m sections.