Frenzee Pro FXT Match+ rod
Frenzee's latest 10ft 6ins Pro FXT Match+ rod, at £78.50, is easily one of the best I’ve used in this modest price bracket.
The two-piece carbon composite blank isn’t made for casting heavy pellet or splasher wagglers to the horizon on big open waters, but it chucks their smaller relatives out very proficiently. What’s more, it’s lightweight and comfy in the hand, something hugely important in a pellet waggler rod. Otherwise, constant casting, along with regular feeding via a catapult, can quickly become an irksome chore rather than the fun pursuit it should be.
The need to feed while holding the rod is a vital element of pellet waggler fishing, and proved a very necessary skill when I was live testing the Frenzee rod on Decoy’s fish-packed Beastie Lake. At 5ft-6ft deep, Beastie is an ideal pellet waggler venue. Sadly, though, it’s often plagued by an annoying side wind sweeping down the lake, making presentation a bit of a mare.
Once the float hits the water, it’s almost instantly dragged out of position by the wind – and carp, no matter how hungry or daft they may be, aren’t going to chase sideways-moving pellets with a life of their own. I started the day by fishing a 6g straight crystal waggler at mid-depth (around 3ft) with a hair-rigged 6mm banded pellet.
The wind was behaving true to type, and although I did foul-hook a few fish which shot off like finned cannonballs, every one of them parted company with me. They did, though, make me appreciate how much power this rod has in reserve, and that’s despite its pleasing through action – you can feel the blank bending all the way through to the handle.
With a few fish swirling on the feed pellets as soon as they hit the water, a change to a shorter, dumpier float, and a reduction in depth to just 12ins, was called for. I could only get bites on the drop, which meant casting and feeding every 15 seconds. Not only did the rod never leave my hands, but I needed lightning-fast strike reactions to zip line from the surface in the blink of an eye. Only then did I connect with the bites.
Neither constraint proved much of a problem for the FXT Match+, which was indeed a comfy rod to hold and quick to pick up line on the strike. But it’s not much use having the right rod if your reel’s not up to the job. This is where Frenzee’s new FMR MK2 3000 comes in. Used with its single handle option, it’s the perfect pellet waggler partner for the FXT.
Its large but lightweight Airlight bail-arm flicked open and closed every cast, and the clutch was soon fizzing as Beastie Lake’s strain of lean, fit carp made spirited runs and fought like fish three times their size. The reel’s double handle is more of an advantage when feeder fishing, helping to balance the reel when setting the quivertip.
THE VERDICT
This is an ideal pellet waggler rod for most commercial carp fisheries. Its through action is capable of safely handling the largest fish without worrying about hook-pulls or snapped lines. It will also cast wagglers up to 15g without a problem, and can be matched with hooklengths as fine as 0.14mm. All in all, for the price it’s one of the nicest pellet waggler rods currently out there.
PAY AROUND
£78.50
Mark Sawyer