Daiwa Carp 10ft Feeder Rod
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£34.99
Don’t let the wallet-friendly price tag fool you into thinking that the 10ft Carp Feeder is in any way a budget rod in terms of performance.
Indeed many of the design influences have filtered down from Daiwa’s flagship match fishing rods.
The two-piece blank has been designed to fish lines between 2lb and 8lb so it is capable of handling everything from roach to big commercial fishery carp.
Pick one up and the first thing you are likely to notice is how light the rod is – a mere 7.1oz to be precise.
The quivertips are unique in that unlike pretty much every other tip on the market they don’t feature a solid inch block painted on the end.
Instead they have small high-viz paint rings running down the quiver. These definitely seem to amplify cagey bites, making it the ideal choice for winter F1 work.
Drennan Series 7 Puddle Chucker 10ft Carp Feeder
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£79.95
The Drennan Series 7 Puddle Chucker 10ft Carp Feeder is an excellent fish playing rod that is absolutely ideal for carp on small commercial waters.
It is the shortest in a family of three Carp Feeder rods and is the perfect tool for short-range work or fishing in tight pegs. Despite only being 10ft in length it is still more than capable of casting light bombs and small feeders accurately and will get small to medium-sized carp to the net with ease.
With a high modulus carbom blank, it has plenty of power in reserve to steer carp away from any hazards in the pegyet is still soft enough to stop hook pulls or line breakages.
It has been designed to break down in to two equal lengths with one of the quivertip sections in place, making it really convenient to set-up and pack away quickly. A nice touch is that it comes supplied with a padded rod sleeve and neoprene straps.
Shakespeare Agility Wand 9ft Feeder Rod
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RRP £59.99
Labelled as a wand as opposed to an out and out feeder rod, the Agility is all about softness and finesse making it the perfect partner for delicate winter fishing.
Built around a slender carbon blank, the 9ft Agility will cast small feeders to islands on the average commercial fishery with ease.
If you need extra distance though, an upgrade to the 10ft model will give you that extra reach and a little more power, not that the 9ft wand is undergunned by any means.
It has a superb through- action that’ll prevent hook- pulls at that all-important moment as a fish nears the net but there’s enough ‘punch’ in the blank to land feeders in the same spot time and time again.
The real beauty of the Agility is its ability to use small hooks and light lines with complete confidence, bang on the money for winter carp and F1 fishing.
Preston Innovations Carbonactive Mini Plus 8ft 6in Carp Feeder Rod
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£129.99
Short rods have proved a huge hit with pleasure and match anglers targeting commercial fishery carp and F1s, especially when using straight lead and feeder tactics.
Not only does their reduced length promote casting accuracy, ideal when a hookbait may need to be delivered with pinpoint accuracy, the quivertip ends can be tucked out of harm’s way down the side of a platform, preventing them from bouncing around in the wind and making it easier to see shy bites.
There are many different makes, types, lengths and styles of these petite rods to choose from with all popular tackle manufacturers producing them in droves.
When faced with such a bewildering array it can be difficult to make the right choice but I would always opt for proven reliability, and this is where Preston Innovations Carbonactive Mini rods really stand out from the crowd.
The Telford-based company was among the first to make reduced length commercial fishery rods with the Carbonactive Mini series proving a huge success and quickly becoming the market leader.
This superb rod collection is now in its second generation, after Preston recently introduced its latest Mini Plus range, of which this 8ft 6in Carp Feeder is the shortest, rated to fish lines of 3lb-8lb and supplied with glassfibre push-in quivertips of 3/4oz and 1oz.
However, don’t think for one minute that this bantamweight tool couldn’t handle a tussle with a decent sized kipper, because the whispish pencil-thin, two-piece blank is more than capable of dishing out a fair amount of punishment, something I found out while live testing it at the ever popular Makin’s Phase Two Reptile Lake.
Like all commercial lakes in winter, the fish in Reptile shoal up and sit tight, often in the hardest areas of the lake to reach. But if you find them a good day is on the cards.
The winning tactic is easy enough; you simply need to drop a light bomb or tiny feeder, with a couple of maggots, single grain of corn, or punched bread on the hook, on top of the fish.
The trick is making your rig land with little more than a plop.
This is where really short rods like the Mini Plus Carp Feeder come to the fore, as once you have the distance marked, the casting accuracy they are capable of producing means you can hit exactly the same spot time after time.
Bites are normally slow pull-rounds, which on this particular model will seem exaggerated, mainly because of the thin and fast tapering profile. Strikes are rarely called for in this situation, as the fish are already hooked, the blank whipping the line from the water in the blink of an eye.
Once a fish is hooked the blank takes on a sharply progressive fighting curve, with the tip acting as a cushion and the rest of the top section soaking up all the pressure. The stopping power is delivered from the butt section and it produces enough grunt to quickly subdue the feistiest of fish.
Preston claims the rod is ideal for all snake lakes and small ponds, which undoubtedly it is, but I feel this is underplaying the rod, because for my money it has more than enough beef to cope with small-river chubbing sessions as well.
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.
Matrix Horizon S Class 12ft Feeder
The three-piece Horizon S Class Feeder is a traditional tool for bream and skimmer fishing. The high gloss black blank has a softly progressive action, but with enough power in the lower butt section to achieve casts up to 60m. Large-diameter guides throughout (quivertips too) allow the use of shockleaders with no fear of the leader knot jamming into a guide and causing a crack-off.
PAY AROUND
£149.99
THIS rod owes many of its superb specifications to the fishing talent and knowledge of Matrix boss Ricky Teale, who has spent years match fishing for bream here in the UK and in Europe, where long-distance bream tactics are seen as the pinnacle of angling achievement.
The Horizons S rod’s middle and tip sections are both longer than you would find on a standard three-piece feeder model, helping it to deliver a seamlessly smooth progressive playing action while maximising tip speed when going for a really long cast. A short butt section with an extra-long spigot joint adds to its casting clout.
During the live test Angling Times editor Steve Fitzpatrick, not noted for his smooth distance-casting style, had a go with the set-up and was so shocked at the instant extra yards he attained that he wouldn’t give it back.
During the trial it handled Method, open-end, cage and maggot feeders with equal aplomb, as well as dealing with casting weights from 15g-45g.
Preston Innovations Pro Competition 13ft Heavy Feeder
PAY AROUND
£129.99
All fans of feeder fishing should keep their eyes peeled for this latest rod range from Preston Innovations.
The Pro Competition series features six models that between them cover everything from short-range feeder and bomb work for silvers and F1s to traditional bream fishing on natural venues, carp on commercials and even barbel and chub on big rivers – so they will appeal right across the board.
Built from quality high modulus carbon, the pencil-thin gunmetal grey blanks have progressive actions and are finished with SiC ceramic lined guides and cork and Duplon grip handles. They come with combinations of push-in quivertips.
This rod’s powerful blank is ideally suited to big river work where it is often imperative to keep as much line as possible out of the flow, especially when using large, heavy feeders. This powerhouse of a model doubles as a big-fish Method feeder tool for long casts and specimen-sized match carp on big open-water commercials. Line rating 6lb-10lb.
Preston Innovations Pro Competition 12ft 6ins Medium-Heavy Feeder
PAY AROUND
£119.99
All fans of feeder fishing should keep their eyes peeled for this latest rod range from Preston Innovations.
The Pro Competition series features six models that between them cover everything from short-range feeder and bomb work for silvers and F1s to traditional bream fishing on natural venues, carp on commercials and even barbel and chub on big rivers – so they will appeal right across the board.
Built from quality high modulus carbon, the pencil-thin gunmetal grey blanks have progressive actions and are finished with SiC ceramic lined guides and cork and Duplon grip handles. They come with combinations of push-in quivertips.
For medium to long-range stillwater feeder fishing as well as heavy feeder work on any type of river, this rod has the rigidity and power to punch heavy feeders a long way very accurately, and enough backbone to tame hard-fighting carp and barbel. Line rating 5lb-8lb.
Preston Innovations Pro Competition 12ft Medium Feeder
PAY AROUND
£109.99
All fans of feeder fishing should keep their eyes peeled for this latest rod range from Preston Innovations.
The Pro Competition series features six models that between them cover everything from short-range feeder and bomb work for silvers and F1s to traditional bream fishing on natural venues, carp on commercials and even barbel and chub on big rivers – so they will appeal right across the board.
Built from quality high modulus carbon, the pencil-thin gunmetal grey blanks have progressive actions and are finished with SiC ceramic lined guides and cork and Duplon grip handles. They come with combinations of push-in quivertips.
As the name suggests, this rod is primarily for medium-range feeder fishing at distances of up to 60m on commercials, but it doubles up as a great all-rounder for rivers and large natural lakes. A blend of balance, strength and finesse makes it the ideal choice for all species. Line rating 4lb-8lb.
Preston Innovations Pro Competition 11ft 4ins Light-Medium Feeder
PAY AROUND
£104.99
All fans of feeder fishing should keep their eyes peeled for this latest rod range from Preston Innovations.
The Pro Competition series features six models that between them cover everything from short-range feeder and bomb work for silvers and F1s to traditional bream fishing on natural venues, carp on commercials and even barbel and chub on big rivers – so they will appeal right across the board.
Built from quality high modulus carbon, the pencil-thin gunmetal grey blanks have progressive actions and are finished with SiC ceramic lined guides and cork and Duplon grip handles. They come with combinations of push-in quivertips.
The Light-Medium Feeder is the perfect bream rod, with a deceptively strong yet soft action capable of casting fully loaded groundbait or Method feeder weighing up to 50g.
Ideal for use on natural lakes, ponds and rivers, the thin-profiled blank has sufficient reserves of strength to cope with big bream and carp. Line rating 4lb-8lb.
Preston Innovations Pro Competition 10ft Light Feeder
PAY AROUND
£94.99
All fans of feeder fishing should keep their eyes peeled for this latest rod range from Preston Innovations.
The Pro Competition series features six models that between them cover everything from short-range feeder and bomb work for silvers and F1s to traditional bream fishing on natural venues, carp on commercials and even barbel and chub on big rivers – so they will appeal right across the board.
Built from quality high modulus carbon, the pencil-thin gunmetal grey blanks have progressive actions and are finished with SiC ceramic lined guides and cork and Duplon grip handles. They come with combinations of push-in quivertips.
This 10ft rod is suitable for slightly longer casts up to around 40m, and has more power in reserve than the nine-footer for playing bonus fish.
It will suit all silverfish applications as well as winter fishing on commercials. The blank has a progressive tip action that is forgiving enough to cope with fine terminal tackle. Line rating 3lb-6lb.
Preston Innovations Pro Competition 9ft Super Light Feeder
PAY AROUND
£89.99
All fans of feeder fishing should keep their eyes peeled for this latest rod range from Preston Innovations.
The Pro Competition series features six models that between them cover everything from short-range feeder and bomb work for silvers and F1s to traditional bream fishing on natural venues, carp on commercials and even barbel and chub on big rivers – so they will appeal right across the board.
Built from quality high modulus carbon, the pencil-thin gunmetal grey blanks have progressive actions and are finished with SiC ceramic lined guides and cork and Duplon grip handles. They come with combinations of push-in quivertips.
For use with small feeders and bombs, this is the perfect rod for short-range work at up to 30m. Primarily intended as a silverfish model, it also lends itself well to light winter fishing on commercials for F1s.
The super-slim, lightweight blank is very responsive, perfect for light lines and small hooks. Line rating 3lb-6lb.
Matrix 12ft 6in Horizon S Class Feeder Rod
PAY AROUND
£149.99
Since their launch, the S Class feeder rods have become a bit of a cult classic for bream anglers fishing at distance on large lakes and reservoirs but when a bit of extra range was needed, the originals weren’t quite long enough – enter the new 12ft 6in model to solve all of those woes!
Featuring the same quality and performance of its shorter cousins, the new S Class has a short butt section with an extra-long spigot joint to generate more casting power in the lower section while the middle and tip sections have a lovely action to prevent hookpulls while still setting the hook at range. The rod comes supplied with three carbon quiver tips of differing grades to suit any conditions.
Korum 12ft Barbel Quiver 2 Piece
PAY AROUND
£49.99
Getting your hands on a good barbel rod, or a matching pair if you are a real Bertie enthusiast, is a bit like buying a suit.
One option is to have it tailor-made (or, in this instance, custom built). Then you can specify its action, which could be sharply progressive for fast, deep water and long casts, or maybe more forgiving, for battling it out with the leviathan whiskers now found in many of our smaller rivers. Whatever length, test curve and action, not to mention furnishings such as guides, reel seats, and handles you go for, a bespoke rod will set you back a pretty penny.
The other route, which most mere mortals go down, is to buy a straightforward off-the-peg number. Just about every major tackle company with rods on its books produces them, and while you undoubtedly get what you pay for, there are some quite lovely branded barbel rods out there.
The frustration for the keen barbel angler comes when river conditions suddenly change, or you find yourself on a venue that demands different tactics. At this point you end up investing in yet more rods to cover all eventualities, often making do with inferior models that are either too stiff or too soft, can’t handle enough weight, or simply can’t cast far enough. At worst you could find yourself attached to a lifetime best fish, only to lose it – because the rod wasn’t up to the job.
At this point may I present Korum’s seven-strong Specialist Quiver and Barbel rod range, with specific actions and test curves that run from around 1.5lb for the 12ft Specialist Quiver right up to a beefy three-piece 13ft monster, said to be able to cast up to 8oz – perfect for big rivers in flood.
Incredibly, all but one of these Specialist rods are priced at just £49.99, the exception being the 13ft Barbel at £79.99. Now you can own a matching family of three or four rods to tackle any water, anywhere, for less money than you’d spend on just one ‘Savile Row’ job!
Even the most discerning tackle tart would have to admit that these understated rods, with their retro cork handles, matt grey finishes, full white quivertips and lined guides, could pass for custom-built models. The full carbon blanks have casting and fish playing actions that fully live up to their specified performance. The 1.75lb, 12ft two-piece Barbel rod on live test duty handled feeders and leads up to 3oz with ease, and showed a pleasingly soft but progressive action, with a firm middle section ready to kick in when needed.
In my view it’s the ideal small-river roving rod, able to cope with hasty changes in terminal tackle when you’re on the move.
Shakespeare Agility EXP 12ft Specimen Rod
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£59.99
Versatility with a capital V is what Shakespeare’s two new 12ft Agility EXP Specimen rods are all about.
Both rods – 2lb and 2.5lb test curve - have been developed to cover all general carp fishing tactics including method feeder, straight lead, PVA bags and mesh sticks, as well as floater fishing methods.
However, the lighter test curve model is said by its manufacturers to also make the perfect heavy barbel or long range stillwater bream and tench tool.
To make this possible, the clever rod designers at Shakespeare have come up with a four-piece blank with an interchangeable middle section, enabling it to be set up for your chosen tactic.
If you want to cast further, or need to beef-up the rods power a bit for snag fishing - you simply change the middle sections over.
For instance the 2lb test curve version with its stiffer middle section fitted, makes a great short distance or margin style carp rod, ideal for Method feeder and straight lead tactics whereas with its lighter section in place you have a more than tidy small-river barbel or carp floater rod.
The action is definitely a lot more old school through style, than Shakespeare’s claimed progressively powerful, but this shouldn’t necessarily be taken as a negative – there’s less casting potential, but less chance of losing fish during the fight or at the net.
The heavier 2.5lb test curve model has a fair bit more casting potential, but still has a slight lack of backbone. It is certainly strong enough to cast out a PVA bag or Stick, and as long as you don’t want to cast to the horizon, it shouldn’t ever let you down.
Armed with the 2lb rod and a matching Agility FS reel I headed to Barston’s busy main lake and with so many anglers on the bank I felt the fish were always going to back-off towards the middle of the lake, so selected the more beefy of the rod’s middle sections.
Talk about going through the book! Straight lead, method feeder, and even PVA mesh sticks all proved unsuccessful as the fish simply refused to play ball through the early morning but with the sun climbing ever higher, the odd fish stated to show on the water’s surface.
A quick change to a zig-rig was called for and moments later the alarm sounded as one of Barston’s larger residents ripped-off across the lake.
The change of tactic had paid off handsomely and, as I slipped the net under a stunning mirror, I reflected that the Shakespeare EXP Agility had handled a diversity of tactics nicely enough, and that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend either rod as a good all-rounder for the would be specialist angler.
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.
Frenzee Match Pro FXT 10ft Feeder Rod
PAY AROUND
£54.99
From the Welsh valleys, Frenzee has just introduced three quality rods for the commercials, starting at a very modest £55.
The Pro FXT series includes 9ft and 10ft Feeder rods and an 11ft Waggler. All boast cork and Duplon handles, screw-down reel seats, and high quality SiC lined guides.
How does Frenzee do it for the price? It’s all down to the blanks, which are a blended carbon composite material that is much cheaper than carbon itself. But before you dismiss these tidy little rods as being inferior or second-rate, let me tell you that under certain circumstances a composite material is every bit as good, and at times even better, than thoroughbred carbon.
You do have to accept that the Pro FXT rods aren’t power casters, but that said, most modern commercials are not vast expanses of water. Casting accuracy, rather than chucking over the horizon, is of more value.
One such venue where this type of rod comes into its own is the tiny day-ticket College Lake at Aynho – handily close to my Oxfordshire home, although I must confess I’d never fished it before. However, I’d always seen anglers dotted along its banks whenever I drove past, so I reckoned it must hold a fair few fish.
So when the opportunity arose to live test a short-range feeder rod I thought I would take a closer look at the venue. A quick walk round revealed a comma-shaped lake several hundred yards long, fishable only from one bank, and 20m-40m wide, peppered with beds of rushes and lilies. However, despite all these obvious fish-holding spots, many years of match fishing on snake lakes has taught me that casting up to a bare bank with a Method feeder tends to work well on narrow watercourses like this.
So, ignoring the obvious fishing spots – much to the amusement and disbelief of Angling Times cameraman Lloyd Rogers – I opted to fish a short section of featureless open clay bank. Faced with a cast of around 30m, the two-piece Frenzee 10ft Pro FXT Feeder rod felt quite soft in the hand, without being floppy, and proved more than capable of casting a 30g feeder the required distance. The carrier section is stiff and quick enough in its recovery to make very accurate casts at short range, perfect for my far-bank tactics.
A few casts and half-an-hour later, while Lloyd was still chiding me about ignoring the blindingly obvious spots to fish, the tip simply dropped back as the feeder slipped down the shelf. In response I wound down quickly – the line pick-up was quick and clean as the Frenzee Pro FXT pulled into the fish. It has a seamless fighting curve without flat spots, and what could be best described as a softly progressive action.
There’s enough grunt in the blank’s bottom end to deal with big carp, and it has lots and lots of pulling power, but this is not at the expense of ‘feel’, which is why this rod is such a pleasure to use.
Fox Royale Barbel Rods
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£69.99-£94.99
As the Bertie-bashing season reaches a crescendo, Fox International has released a new range of barbel rods under its Royale brand. They come in test curves of 1.75lb, 2.25lb and 1.5lb (the latter only available as part of a multi-rod system) in lengths of 11ft and 12ft. Nicely finished, with superb trimmings all round, the 12ft 1.75lb and 2.25lb versions will be live-tested very soon.
Daiwa Harrier Match and Feeder Rods
PAY AROUND
£49.99-£59.99
The iconic Harrier rods have been reincarnated as well balanced carbon blanks, with a fast action suiting everything from pellet waggler fishing through to heavyweight feeder fishing.
All eight rods in the series (other than the 13ft Waggler) are rated for use with up to 8lb mainlines.
Daiwa Yank ’n’ Bank Match and Feeder Rods
PAY AROUND
£74.99
As the name suggests this six-rod series has been developed for bagging-up. High catch rate commercial waters often respond best to pellet waggler and feeder tactics, and these rods really are built to deliver.
With Daiwa’s latest powerful progressive actions, the pencil thin two-piece blanks come in padded ready-rod carry bags.