Nash H-Gun Retract
PAY AROUND
£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.
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 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.
Shakespeare Agility EXP 12ft Specimen Rod
PAY AROUND
£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.
Leeda Rogue Specimen Rods
PAY AROUND
£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.
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.
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.
Daiwa TDR Match and Feeder Rods
PAY AROUND
£225
These latest top-end Daiwa rods are built from a high-performing new carbon material. Best suited to commercial venues and tactics, the impressive range covers seven rods, all with powerful progressive actions and perfect for speed fishing. All feeder models are supplied with two carbon quivertips of 1oz and 1.5oz.
Shakespeare Agility Pellet Waggler
PAY AROUND
£49.99 (11ft), £54.99 (12ft)
This super new Pellet Waggler rod, soon to be available in 11ft and 12ft lengths, is sure to become one of Shakespeare’s best-selling products of 2015.
The two-piece carbon rods are easy to transport made-up, and have a flawless progressive action free of flat spots. That, together with their keen price, quality lined guides, EVA and cork handles and new screw-down reel fitting, makes these rods among the best bargains around.
Shimano Super Ultegra AX Feeder Rods
PAY AROUND
£139.99 to £209.99
The distinctive Super Ultegra livery is immediately recognisable, and the rods are much appreciated by match anglers for their outstanding performance and reliability.
Next year Shimano will be adding five new feeder models to the range, and whilst the pokey 14ft versions are probably best suited to the European match scene, the new 11ft Precision model looks and feels ideal for an all-round application.
Shimano Super Ultegra AX Match rods
PAY AROUND
£159.99 to £189.99
Three new additions to the popular Ultegra AX match rod range include 13ft and 14ft models which are ideally suited to all silver fish and float fishing techniques thanks the their responsive yet balanced actions.
There’s also a 15ft Specimen which packs a real punch making it perfect when targeting really big fish in any type of running or still water.
Daiwa Tournament 11ft Feeder Rod
PAY AROUND
£385
Unlike most other participant sports, match fishing gives you the opportunity to compete against world champions if you so wish. You can also use exactly the same equipment that they do.
The accusation ‘all the gear and no idea’ is often levelled at those who invest lots of their hard earned in the best kit that money can buy. However, there’s lots to be said for fishing with tackle chosen by world-class anglers, and 99 per cent of the time, if it’s good enough for them it will certainly be good enough for you.
I have heard the naysayers proclaim that top matchmen ‘obviously’ only ever use their backers’ products, even when they don’t really believe in them. Well, I can’t speak for everyone, but when it comes to the current World Feeder Champion Steven Ringer nothing could be further from the truth.
Here is an angler who knows exactly what kit he needs, how it should perform, and where, when, and how to use it. Compromise is not an option for Mr Ringer – so when he won the World Feeder Champs using the new Daiwa Tournament Pro11Q feeder rod teamed with the largest of the famous TDR reels, the 3012, it wasn’t because someone at Daiwa had forced them on him – they were quite simply the champion’s choice.
Interestingly, though, most matchmen – myself included – would have considered the 11ft Tournament Pro and TDR reel more of a flatbed Method feeder combo for medium-sized commercials, rather than a pairing that could cope with the soft-mouthed skimmers, hybrids, and roach of Ireland’s massive Inniscarra Reservoir.
As I had already live tested this rod and reel, and fished regularly with them since their introduction last year, I was eager to learn what the mighty Ringer had seen in them – perhaps something I might have previously overlooked? So when the opportunity arose I headed down to my local Grimsby Reservoir in Banbury for a taste of what it was like to use a world-beating combination on a venue very different to what I would normally associate with this kit.
The rod, like all Daiwa Tournament Pro models, has a build pedigree second to none. The blanks, made in Scotland, are at the cutting edge of carbon technology, delivering flex and action without compromising accuracy or casting power. There is, though, a pain barrier to go through, and it’s located in the wallet. This rod will set you back around £35 per foot, but if you think of the cost in this way it’s not too bad after all.
The jet black blank with its red-edged whippings simply oozes class. It comes with two of Daiwa’s unique Megatop carbon quivertips, so flexible that unless you actually slam them in a car door you’ll never break one.
But back to the fishing. Set up with an 8lb mainline matched with a 30g open-end feeder to cut through the niggling side wind, the pencil-thin blank seemed close to its maximum casting weight and in my hands it maintained accuracy to a distance of around 40m. That might well be increased in Mr Ringer’s hands, but I sensed the blank was at full stretch. That said, an 11ft rod is never going to break distance casting records, even if it is of the flagship Daiwa Tournament marque.
The real magic happens every time you hook into a fish – the blank’s outstanding forgiveness is a wonder to behold, yet it can shift up several more gears if necessary. Mr Ringer has undoubted sussed out that as long as your hook is big enough, this rod isn’t ever going to wrench it from a fish’s mouth. Yes, it will be every bit as good with natural-water bream, skimmers, tench and roach, as it is with commercial F1s and carp.
Did I miss anything out first time around? I think not. Back then I thought the 11ft Tournament Pro Feeder was the best rod Daiwa had ever produced, and the fact that it went on to become a world beater in the hands of the best feeder angler in the entire world came as no shock.
Tri-Cast Trilogy X4 Specialist Feeder Rod
PAY AROUND
10ft-11ft model - £244.99
11ft-12ft model - £249.99
I can’t remember the last time I used a swingtip. For that matter, I can’t remember the last time I saw anyone else using one either.
This retro method that was once synonymous with bream fishing on big lakes and slow-moving rivers seemed to fade away without so much as a whimper, replaced by the more versatile and easier quivertip.
So when I heard that Tri-Cast were producing what they billed as a ‘better-than-ever’ swingtip rod based on the best models from that bygone period, I was half unsure but half excited with dewy-eyed nostalgia. There’s never been anything to beat watching a swingtip nod a couple of times before sailing majestically upwards as a bream takes the bait.
The rod that arrived was labelled the Trilogy X4 Specialist Feeder. In truth it is a multi-purpose feeder tool, coming complete with two separate top sections.
One of these can be used with the supplied 1oz or 1.5oz glass quivertip, while the second is completely dedicated to the swingtip, of which two are supplied. One measures 11 inches with a medium-stiff right-angled rubber connector making it ideal for most fair-weather fishing conditions. For windy conditions, the shorter 8ins swingtip is better. In fact Tri-Cast refers to this one as their ‘wind beater’ model.
So accompanied on the drive by the soundtrack from The Who’s Quadrophenia album from the late 1970s - when swingtip fishing was all the rage - I was really getting into the vibe and looking forward to some proper bream action at the majestic Ferry Meadows complex just down the road from the office
This is prime swingtip territory, consisting of two large windswept lakes full of ‘proper’ bream and millions of skimmers that needed a fair chuck to catch. I also had some inside information from deputy editor Kevin Wilmot - permanent peg 101 on the Gunwade Lake was apparently the place to be!
Now for the uninitiated amongst you, using a swingtip can be best likened to attempting to fish with a broken rod end. It doesn’t feel quite right, it certainly doesn’t look right and for the opening hour of the live test it just wasn’t right.
Hitting the reel clip with any sort of consistency seemed nigh-on impossible, partly due to my own rustiness with the job in hand. But slowly, I got used to the feel and action of the rod and with confidence growing, accuracy and casting at distance became more acceptable. Never has the phrase practice makes perfect been more apt than when applied to using a swingtip!
Tri-Cast has been quite clever with this rod’s design as it has enough stiffness through the swingtip section to cope with the additional weight and movement caused by attaching a tip to it. The high-modulus carbon blank has been built with enough backbone to cast a decent sized fully-loaded feeder while a bonus is that this mid-sectioned casting power has been combined with a sweet parabolic fish-playing action.
The Trilogy X4 is never going to be a long-cast tool but then it doesn’t need to be. It’ll cope with hand-sized skimmers up to huge dustbin lid bream with equal aplomb.
The only unanswered questions are why and when you would use a swingtip? The answer to the first question lies with the way that bream feed. They upend to pick up bait and at this point you will get a solid enough indication on the tip.
However, now is not the time to strike. This is when ‘sitting on your hands’, so well described by the master of the swingtip, the late Ivan Marks, comes into play. Wait until the fish starts to right itself and then moves off. The swingtip moves slowly and inexorably toward its horizontal plane, and it’s at this moment that the bite becomes unmissable. Using a swingtip defines this movement in a way which no other bite indicator will; it is visually exciting and something which all natural venue anglers really should experience.
Where would you use it? Well, the method was invented by Boston matchman Jack Clayton for use on slow moving bream waters such as the Rivers Witham and Welland where a forward-facing rod was perfect for pointing through gaps in the nearside weed as well as ‘reading’ those bream bites. And the same holds today. In fact, Peg 101 on Gunwade was a tightly-enclosed swim and ideal for the swingtip if you didn’t fancy wading several metres into the lake.
The only drawback with a swingtip I think of would be for very long casts, which are better suited to a quiver. However, for moderate, easy casts, or chucking down the middle of a slow river, this rod comes into its own.
TF Gear Delta NT Rods
PAY AROUND
£109.99 a pair
The attractive ‘buy one, get one free’ offer on these excellent carp rods means you can pick them up from a squeak over £50 apiece.
But, far from being entry-level fodder that’ll merely do the job until you can afford something better, I reckon even experienced anglers will be happy to fish with these professional, high modulus carbon blanks.
The slimline, fast-taper, 12ft, two-piece rods have a lovely, crisp feel about them and cast well to around 70 yards with reel lines of between 10lb and 15lb.
There are six versions to choose from. Opt for 2.75lb, 3lb, 3.25lb or 3.5lb (50mm butt ring) test curve variants. There are dedicated Spod and a purpose-built Marker model to complete the set.
Prices range from £109.99 to £129.99 for two rods, depending on test curve.
The lighter 2.75lb and 3lb options are tailor-made for typical, compact carp venues where you need to cast leads up to 3oz with small PVA bags or stringers.
Distance demons or anglers launching heavier PVA loads should go for the stronger 3.25lb or 3.5lb options.
The minimal cosmetic satin grey blanks are dressed with sturdy silicone guides and secure DPS screw-lock reel fitting. At just 15mm, the end of the shrink-wrap butt section is ultra-slim.
Strangely, this slim diameter proved my only gripe with the rod. It’s so thin that it sometimes seems hard to grip securely when you’re going for the big cast.
I chose to fish the 2.75lb test curve model (£109.99 for two) and teamed my two test rods with TF Gear’s 10 ball bearing Speedrunner 8000 (RRP £49.99) Freespool reels loaded with 12lb mono.
The rod has a lovely progressive action that’s perfect for the kind of mid double/low 20lb fish that many runs waters and small pits are full of these days though, in open water swims, it will happily land far bigger specimens on any venue.
I fished a 2.5oz Method feeder at a comfortable 60 yards but could have gone further if I’d pushed it. The rod coped beautifully with carp to low doubles, but had plenty of power in reserve for bigger fish.
Maver Genesis Black Ice Xtreme Distance Feeder
PAY AROUND
£94.99
The lads at Maver bill these as ‘the ultimate rod for long distance feeder fishing’ and boy, you can’t half hit the horizon with them!
They’re available in six different XD (Xtreme Distance) types from a 12ft XD, 3.5oz casting capacity model, RRP £94.99, to a monster, 13ft XD, 5oz+ casting capacity variant with a price tag of £99.99.
Extreme 100 yard-plus ranges with large payloads are a definite reality in the right hands with these power-packed blanks.
Between them the six models will cover every job from putting a Method feeder further than your neighbours on sprawling stillwaters like Drayton Reservoir where distance wins matches, to the largest rivers.
Launching 5oz feeders for floodwater barbel on the Trent or Severn and cranking back powerful ‘beards’ against the current will be a doddle with the heavier models.
The rods have a recommended reel line rating from 4lb to 10lb but I think the heavier models will handle much more.
Each rod has a traditional three-piece design consisting of a mega-powerful butt and middle section, plus a quivertip carrier section and four, graded, push-in quivertips to give a good range of bite registration.
I chose to test the 12ft, 150g model (RRP £99.99) and teamed it with a Maver Tica Sportera GR4507 freespool reel (RRP £64.99) loaded with 10lb mono.
If, like me, you plan to blast a heavy rig into the next county it’s imperative that you incorporate a shock leader – in my case, 30ft of 25lb mono to soak-up the shock impact of casting to prevent potential crack-offs.
Quivertips supplied were rated at 1oz, 2oz, 3oz and 4oz and, with the 3oz tip in place, I opted to fish an old-fashioned frame Method feeder which, when loaded weighed a good 3.5oz and looked like a mini-coconut!
Fishing the three-acre Pit at my local Fields End Water Caravan Park Lodges and Fishery at Doddington near March, Cambs (01354 740199) I could reach any swim on the water.
The feeder blank is one of the stiffest I’ve ever used, but you can wind it up with very little effort to catapult the payload impressive distances. Carp fight hard at this venue but the rod tamed fish almost into double figures with impunity.