Preston Innovations 9ft supera feeder rod review

Short feeder and bomb rods are much in vogue on commercials, for many good reasons.

Their reduced length means that they are easy to get down the side of your peg out of the wind, and they are that bit easier to manipulate while you’re sheltering under a brolly, as often happens in winter.

Then, as long as you are not faced with a long chuck, short rods are superb at close quarters for fishing tight up to islands and far-bank margins on smaller waters. But arguably most importantly, because of their casting accuracy, they can drop a feeder on a sixpence time after time – perfect for fishing on a pole line, or just past it.

Used with a softish quivertip, and either braid or pre-stretched mono mainline, they offer enhanced bite indication. And that, matched with their casting accuracy, can make them winter match winners.

In my opinion, one of the best all-round short feeder rods on the market is Preston Innovations’ wispy CarbonActive Supera 9ft model.

It easily handles casting weights up to 40g, and has a flat spot-free progressive through action. The blank bends with no suggestion of locking up, so no hook-pulls are likely.

As you might expect of a top-end rod, the shortest in the 11-strong Supera range boasts a comfy flat-topped ergonomic cork and EVA handle with casting grip. To that you can add lightweight custom-built guides and a high modulus carbon blank that uses a blend of carbon cloths to achieve the famous Preston CarbonActive action. It comes with graded 1oz, 1.5oz and 2oz push-in carbon tips.

On the bank the 9ft Supera is a fine all-rounder for all tactics and fish species. Bottom line is, if you regularly fish commercials stocked with carp, F1s, skimmers, bream and roach, its forgiving action makes this rod an excellent addition to your feeder fishing arsenal.

For the live test I took the 9ft Supera to Stretton match lake, a standard small day-ticket mixed fishery where accurate casts are rewarded with the most fish.

However, the short pub chuck my chosen peg required has always made me uneasy – I feel I want to swing the feeder out underarm. Overhead casting, on the other hand, invariably overshoots and deposits the feeder in the undergrowth.

The trick here is to clip up the reel and push the rod forward on the cast so the feeder lands spot-on every time. Use a soft quiver and there is no need to tighten the line – it lands straight every chuck. BItes are signalled by the line lifting, rather than the classic yank-round, but the end result is the same…. fish on!      

Fishing to a clip at short range can be a nail-biter when carp are the likely outcome, but the softness of the Supera and its hidden elasticity cuts the user some slack (even with a tight line!). With a couple of turns back on the reel, it’s plain sailing. 

Mark’s verdict

This cute little Preston number ticks all the boxes. Its anti-lock cushioned action is perfect for small commercials, with just the right amount of backbone if you hook a decent carp but sufficiently forgiving to coax in skimmers and F1s.

Completely problem-free, the rod is super-accurate and you’ll land your feeder with pinpoint accuracy time after time.

 As long as you don’t overload it or attempt to blast a feeder to the horizon you’ll be chuffed to bits with its outstanding all-round performance.

 Price: £169.99