Free Spirit CTX Carp Rods
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£99.99-£139.99
Those of you who already know their Tempests from their Titans and their Delkims from their Microns should also be familiar with the company Free Spirit and its Hi S Carp rods.
These have been star products for many years – hardly surprising considering that Free Spirit boss Simeon Bond, as well as being a top carper in his own right, boasts more than 25 years of rod-building experience.
Just a few months ago his brand launched its, let’s say, slightly more affordable CTX range of rods, and these have gone on to become arguably the fastest-selling specimen rods around, finding favour with the budget-conscious big-carp angler.
The CTX series covers a dozen models in all, catering for just about every scenario, from small runs waters (as used for the live test) through to extreme-range casting venues, where the special S.U. models are called for.
With test curves starting at 2.5lb and progressing up to 3.5lb, with 12ft and 13ft models as well as matching Spod and Marker rods, there really is something for everyone.
Without going too deeply into the technical blurb, it’s safe to say that each rod is built to exacting specifications, using a complex manufacturing process that integrates two different tonnages of carbon cloth before an X-Wrap goes on for additional strength.
The process results in an extremely strong, ultra-light and slim blank, much as you would expect from a firm whose products are so much in demand.
The new CTX rods’ cosmetics and furnishings are impressive by anyone’s standards. Understated graphics are tastefully positioned on the non-scratchgunmetal Perdurable-finished blanks. Fitted as standard are original Fuji DPS reel seats incorporating stainless steel collars and 40mm and 50mm ‘S’-Lite butt guides. These lend a great modern yet classic chic to the range.
Looks are all very well, but these days carp rods needs to to walk the walk as well as talk the talk. With a huge upsurge in day-ticket runs waters, all carp rods these days are likely to catch lots of fish, and those with little or no fish-playing or casting clout ge found out double-quick!
Now, it just so happens that close to the Angling Times offices is a cracking little runs water called East Delph, just outside the Fenland town of Whittlesey. On this type of smaller fishery I focus on fishing fun and enjoyment, so I always choose a light test curve rod – in this instance it happened to be the 12ft, 2.75lb Free Spirit CTX. This type of rod should serve a multitude of uses, having just enough backbone to cast 2oz leads with small solid PVA bags and being ideal for all chods, margin work and middle-distance casting.
It should also have a very tactile and softly progressive fish-playing action, to make the playing of a big carp an unforgettable experience. This CTX 2.75lb rod did the lot at a canter. Okay, I know it’s more in vogue these days to use 3lb or even 3.25lb test curve carp rods, but believe me, this one not only has the build credentials to match its top-end Free Spirit Hi S stable-mates, but it offers a performance to rival that of most other rods in its class.
Fishery details: www.eastdelphlakes.com
E-S-P Terry Hearn Classic 12ft 9ins 3.25lb carp rod
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£239
Carp deity Terry Hearn would rather barbecue and eat his thermal socks than put his name to a rod that didn’t measure up in every department.
So you can be assured that specialist big carp brand E-S-P is on to a winner with this signature Terry Hearn Classic, built to Terry’s own exacting specifications.
Terry, who over many years has logged an almost supernatural string of big-fish captures, including a British record, can lay claim to being the most famous carp angler of all time, but it doesn’t naturally follow that he would make an exceptional rod designer.
That said, I have been privileged enough to be in his company on a few occasions, and he has always struck me as the real deal. He exudes an air of calmness, doing things in a cool and calculated way, and is certainly not a man who would use an item of tackle that was less than perfect.
Last summer I had the pleasure of witnessing Terry playing and landing a very big kipper. He did it with what I thought at the time to be a really nicely-actioned rod that showed a great ‘feel’ for the fish – rod and angler were at one. At the time I couldn’t muster the cheek to go and take a closer gander at that rod of his, although I was very intrigued, as it did look a little longer than a normal carp rod.
Now that E-S-P has released its 12ft 9ins Terry Hearn Classic, my guess would be that what I saw a saw in action was an early prototype.
So, what could a mere mortal like myself expect to gain from using this magical masterpiece? To find out, it was off to a local runs water. Capturing another Mary (Terry’s legendary but sadly deceased Wraysbury forty) wasn’t on the cards, but perhaps the odd Sharon or Tracey or two would put in an appearance.
Tactics and testing on the day ranged from using solid PVA bags and mesh sticks, through to distance casting with running lead and chod rigs. The Classic proved very capable of handling leads and bag weights of 4oz-plus with consummate ease. And at 12ft 9ins, those extra nine inches really do make a difference in terms of adding a few yards to the cast.
As you might expect from E-S-P, nothing is left to chance with the build of this rod. The high modulus carbon blank is reinforced with a tough woven overwrap for added strength, and it boasts a fine array of quality furnishings.
Noteworthy are the single-leg ceramic-lined SiC guides, specially chosen to reduce overall weight and improve the rod’s action and balance. They are perfectly positioned along the blank, tapering from a 40mm butt guide to a 12mm tip ring.
The very slim EVA handle, just 0.75ins in diameter and 26ins long, has a flared collar above the original Fuji DPS reel seat. A machined stainless steel butt cap and moulded E-S-P line clip complete the rod’s classy accoutrements.
Over several hours of testing I managed to slide a few fish over the net cord, topped off by a game upper double which put up an impressive scrap and perfectly revealed the rod’s forward, almost tippy progressive action.
Oodles of extra poke waits to come through its lower middle to butt sections, should you need to dish out some real punishmentor cast to the max. But this is not at the expense of feel… this is a very tactile fish-catching tool and, just like the legend who has put his name to it, quite exceptional.
Stillwater Pro Matchstix Carp Feeder Rods (10ft and 11ft)
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10ft Carp Feeder £31.99, 11ft Carp Feeder £34.99
The two Carp Feeder Rods boast all the same features as the shorter 9ft Bomb version, but with the added length and power needed for longer casts.
The 10ft version is still an ideal length for many feature-filled commercials but offers a little more versatility, while the 11ft rod will handle larger feeders if required. Both versions (with tip fitted) come in equal length sections so they can be stored ready made-up for instant action.
Stillwater Pro Matchstix 9ft Carp Bomb
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£29.99
This pencil-thin, featherweight bomb rod has a delightful action and still manages to pack a punch! It’s perfect for casting small Method and pellet feeders to islands, and taming the large carp that hang around them.
A two-piece rod with three quivertips, it is able to handle mainlines up to 6lb.
Stillwater BPX Slim Carp Rods
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£30
Look out of the window right now and fishing on balmy summer evenings seems a million miles away – but when the days start to stretch out faster than light pole elastic,
These super-affordable BPX Slim carp rods from Chapmans Angling are sure to be in high demand.
The 12ft rods, in test curves of 2.75lb, 3lb and 3.5lb, feature flared handle grips, quality reel seats and 40mm or 50mm butt guides, depending on the model you choose. Their classy understated matt black finish really makes them look the part.
These rods punch well above their weight in the casting and fish-playing stakes, and for the novice or junior carper they really are going for a song – ‘Chirpy Chirpy Cheap Cheap’ perhaps? The RRP ranges from £89.99 to £109.99, but I am reliably told that they can be picked up for as little as £30 apiece…. what a bargain!
Nash H-Gun Retract
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£65.99
Nash’s shorter Scope and Dwarf rods have proved massively popular in the last couple of years, but not everyone is ready to abandon their 12-footers.
Enter the Retract rods, which remain 12ft long but have a collapsible butt section, like the Dwarf and Scope range, so they can pack down to just 155cm (61ins). There is a full range of test curves and a 4.5lb spod/marker rod too.
Sonik Gravity X
RRP from £249.99
The boffins at Sonik are proud of this flagship creation, and they have every right to be.
Made from NanoAlloy, these rods are incredibly slim yet massively powerful. The recoil on the tip is also lightning-fast to boost casting capability.
With titanium guides and some striking blue cosmetics, these rods deliver the perfect blend of looks and performance.
Fox Torque rods
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£119.99-£129.99
Fox Torque carp rods are intended to bridge the gap between the entry-level Warrior S and the top-end Horizon ranges.
Thanks to advances in carbon technology, Fox has been able to produce one of the strongest yet lightest rods ever in this price bracket. Understated cosmetics give them a custom-built look, and you could quite easily believe you are using a rod twice the price!
The range comprises three abbreviated handle models plus two full, skinny Duplon handled rods, a 4.5lb Marker Rod and a 5.5lb Spod Rod, both with abbreviated handles. All rods in the Torque range feature 18mm Fuji reel seats with black fixing hoods, black Slik guides and 50mm butt rings as standard.
Preston Innovations Carbonactive Mini Plus 10ft 6ins Carp Feeder
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£159.99
Preston Innovations’ Carbonactive Mini rod series - short, ready-rods tailored to catching match carp and F1s on feeder and float tactics – has proved amazingly successful.
They were first introduced more than seven years ago (how time flies) and back in the day they set the bar high as being the best two-piece, reduced length commercial rods available. To this day they remain very sought-after.
So the obvious question is, why fix something that doesn’t appear to be cracked, let alone broken? Preston’s brand manager Scott Geens explained: “The company felt the range had become a little dated as materials and build specifications evolved, so the blanks have been improved to produce even more power and casting accuracy.
“They of course retain that familiar progressive non-lock-up action associated with the whole Carbonactive Mini range.”
So, the official line would seem to be that improvements have been made all round. In addition, there are a couple of new rods to look at, both 10ft 6ins long – the Mini Method and Power Float. Both are very much in keeping with modern commercial rod trends, offering the extra power and backbone required to cope with the ever increasing size of fish being caught from commercial waters.
The model on live test duty – the Mini Plus 10ft 6ins Carp Feeder – was used by England international Des Shipp to destroy the field in this year’s Maver festival at Whitacres. In a recent conversation with Bristol’s finest at the recent Tackle & Guns trade show my ears pricked up when Des told me that this was the best feeder rod in terms of casting accuracy and fish-playing action that he had ever laid his hands on. Coming from a man who not only fishes for England but could also complain for his country, that says a lot.
To prove the rod’s improved fish-playing clout I needed to do something a bit different from the usual commercial carp live test, so it was off to the top lake at Wold Farm fishery in Northamptonshire, home to some very big and fit barbell, to see how it would cope with some stillwater Bertie bashing. Unfortunately the lake wasn’t wide enough to fully gauge the rod’s accuracy and distance-casting qualities. However, the new Mini blank’s fast tapering recoil-less tip, matched to what is clearly a bit more backbone through the middle section, does give it a fairly stiff feel. I’m in no doubt that it would propel a 30g-plus Method feeder a good long way.
I can, though, confirm that the blank has a quite extraordinary ability to pile on the pressure without locking up, folding up, or snapping a hooklength. Its seamless flat spot-free progressive curve just keeps on bending, and then bends some more. It has that indefinable ‘just right’ feel, and I wouldn’t hesitate to use it with mainlines between 6lb and 10lb with hooklengths from 0. 12mm-0.22mm.
No wonder Des Shipp described it to me as ‘like having a single rod that can be used for five different styles of straight lead and feeder fishing, including distance skimmer work’. Quite some recommendation, that.
Greys Distance Marker Plus Rod
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£119.99
The 12ft 6ins fast-tapering blank of what is widely regarded as the ultimate marker rod for carp anglers will handle weights up to 5oz, and is widely regarded as one of the best long-range solid bag weapons around. Certainly it is much sought after by those fishing Oxfordshire’s big open-water carp pits.
The blank boasts a 50mm butt guide and a 16mm low-profile tip ring. But the real beauty of this awesome tool, with its solid carbon tip, is its ability to play a big fish without hook-pulls. If you get a chance to handle one, pick it up and give it a waggle – I guarantee you will not be disappointed.
Korum Carp 10ft 2.5lb Two-Piece Rod
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£39.99
I know that loads of people love to fish a main pole or a float rod while having a big-fish ‘sleeper rod’ on an alarm at their side if fishery rules allow.
The idea is to keep busy catching smaller fish while still having the chance of presenting a boilie, large piece of meat or stack of corn on a self-hooking bolt rig and freespool reel for a bonus big ’un.
When the alarm sounds, you’ve got time to drop the rod or pole, pick up the sleeper rod and fight the fish. Easy!
If you fancy fishing a sleeper rod, or you’re looking for a decent and affordable rod for small ‘runs waters’ where you’re only likely to be casting from the margins to 60 yards’ range for carp from high single to low double-figure weights, I can thoroughly recommend this new, compact, two-piece, 10ft rod from Korum.
The matt charcoal grey blank has a 2.5lb test curve and breaks down into two equal lengths for easy transport fully made-up in a rod sleeve or quiver, ready for instant use. Under load, the powerful blank has a nice ‘tippy’ action that’s best suited to 12lb or 15lb mainlines and will happily cast leads and small PVA bags weighing up to 3.5oz over the kind of real-life ranges that most of us fish at.
The 10ft length makes it perfect for smaller runs waters and virtually all commercial fisheries – especially those where many of the match carp have grown to double figures and are difficult to land on ‘normal’ pole, float and feeder tactics. It also makes a great, close-range carp stalking tool.
I teamed my test rod with another two new Korum products that suit this increasingly popular style of fishing right down to the ground. Korum’s 6000-size, five ball bearing Free Spool reel (RRP £54.99) carries 300m of 12lb mono and perfectly balances with the Korum 10ft Carp rod. There’s also a slightly larger 8000 model for the same price.
If you do plan to fish a sleeper rod it is essential that you use a freespool reel, or completely slacken off the clutch on a normal reel to prevent the rod being dragged straight into the lake by what are often vicious and lightning-fast rip-round bites.
I also helped myself to the new-look Korum Bite Alarm, which is spot-on for this job. The alarm has a volume control, so there’s no excuse for annoying other anglers by having it set too high! The alarm costs £14.99 on its own, or you can buy a Bite Alarm and Indicator Kit for £19.99 which I really like, and used here.
Fishing a 2oz lead with a big cube of luncheon meat on a hair rig and a thumb-sized PVA bag full of pellets, I had five carp to 7lb on the sleeper rod while fishing the pole for smaller fish during a quick, three-hour afternoon session.
Casting just 35 yards to an aerator, the sleeper kit did the job faultlessly. I enjoyed catching about 15lb of small F1 carp, tench and skimmers on the pole, but the bonus rod must have put an extra 30lb of better fish on the scales. Result!
Leeda Rogue Specimen Rods
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£49.99
We think Leeda’s new, affordable Rogue range of specimen gear is one of the highlights of new kit for 2015 in terms of budget prices and performance.
These two-piece, 11ft light specimen rods in a choice of 1.75lb or 2lb test curves will probably sell for £49.99 apiece, yet have a multitude of uses.
They’re in their element for small-water carp, tench and bream or small river barbel and chub duties, or for surface floater tasks. Look out for a live test in these pages.
Daiwa Basia AGS Carp Rod
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£680-£750
Well here it is – the Bugatti Veyron of carp rods. Furnished with the latest and what must be the world’s most expensive AGS carbon guides, and built with an ultra-high-grade carbon core, armoured with a special X45 cloth, it’s a real thoroughbred.
The blank produces more feel than any carp rod I have ever picked up. The tip recovery speed post-cast is simply astounding, as, unfortunately, is its price. But if you have the money, go for it. It’s available in 12ft and 13ft lengths, with test curves from 3lb-3.75lb.
Daiwa Emcast Carp Rods
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£99.99-£119.99
For the price the new Daiwa Emcast rods are easily among the best of their kind released during this year’s trade show season.
Most come in 12ft lengths, with test curves ranging from 2.75lb right up 4.5lb, although a 13ft, 3.5lb distance-casting model is also available – I would suggest that this one would make a good spod rod. Other than that, features include 50mm butt guides, original Fuji reel seats and abbreviated shrink tube handles.
Nash Entity Carp Rods
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£109.99 to £175.99
Arguably Nash’s best rod to date, the Entity has proved to be an extremely popular choice for many carp anglers. The latest blanks are now built with full cork handles and come equipped with Fuji reel seats, carbon line clips and laser-etched butt caps.
An Entity Duo Spod and Marker rod is also now available.
Fox Horizon XT Rods
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£199.99
The original Horizon XT has built a formidable reputation over the past three years as one of the best distance-casting rods ever produced in its price bracket.
Thanks to developments in carbon technology, the team at Fox has been able to take the performance of the XT to the next level and make a few cosmetic tweaks at the same time.
The Horizon XTs have a fast taper blank, which gives fantastic tip recovery – meaning no valuable yards are lost on the cast from tip wobble.
A full 1k diagonal carbon weave has been used in the construction, while increasing the resin content to the maximum has allowed the rods to be incredibly strong yet still very light.
The strength is further increased by reinforced whippings on the spigot, while cosmetic changes include black Fox Slik Guides throughout, plus a black 18mm Fuji reel seat.
Within the range there are 12ft 3-5oz (£299.99) and 13ft 3-5oz (£309.99) rods, and to get the best casting performance out of these it’s recommend that you use leads of at least 3oz but no heavier than 5oz.
Fox has also released two Spod Rod models - 12ft (£199.99) and 13ft (£209.99), both with a 5lb test curve – plus a 4.5lb Marker Rod (£199.99).
Both the Spod and Marker rods are styled to complement the fishing rods perfectly.
Chub Outkast 10ft Compact Rod
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£79.99
As well new Spod, Marker and Small Water additions to the well-liked Chub Outkast rod range there is also this exceptional two-piece 10ft Compact model.
The 3lb test curve rod has more than enough backbone to cope with short-range PVA bag and stick methods, making it suitable for all close quarter snag work. With a customised look and feel, the jet black blank boasts a full length shrink-wrapped handle, mono-friendly contoured line clip and quality double-legged SiC guides throughout.
Wychwood C-101/C301 Rods
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C-301 £169.99, C-101 £59.99
New carp rods have been a little thin on the ground so far this trade show season, so the new Wychwood C-101 and C-301 are especially welcome.
The top-end C-301 comes in three popular test curves, all with progressive actions. Having had a quick cast with the souped-up 3.25lb version, I can vouch for its distance-casting potential. The C-101, with 50mm butt guides, looks to be a great all-rounder, delivering performance at an affordable price.
Chub Outkast Small Water Rods
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£79.99-£94.99
These new Chub rods are primarily designed for close-in carp fishing. The two-piece blanks, with a fast, crisp, progressive action, are complemented by an impressive raw carbon sanded finish which, along with black laser-etched butt grips, keeper rings and SiC lite guides throughout, makes it one of the best rod launches we have seen this year.
Greys AirCurve Carp Rods
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£239.99-£279.99 (depending on handle style and rod length)
These new AirCurve rods are reckoned by many top carp anglers to be the best that Greys has introduced in a very long time.
The carbon blanks, in development for over three years, are the first to utilise the company’s latest Toreon® Nano composite material technology – a process that ensures uniform dispersion of minuscule particles throughout the resin that binds the carbon fibres together.
However complex all this rod-building alchemy may seem, the end result is a much stronger and lighter carbon material that gives the two-piece blanks superb casting power and fish-playing action.
Judging by the number of these rods I have seen in use at places like Linear and Bluebell they have a bright future. AirCurve rods are available in in four different test curves and lengths, to suit all the fishing styles and tactics of modern-day carp angler. They come with a choice of Japanese shrink rubber, abbreviated or full cork handles.