Browning Commercial King 8ft F1 Wand
TECH SPEC
Length: 8’/2.45m
Sections: 2 + 3 Tips
Casting weight: 2 – 4 lbs
Travel length: 1.27m
Weight: 150g
PAY AROUND
£59.99 both models
If you feeder fish snake lakes that don’t require massive casts then this wicked little rod should have your name on it. And here’s why…
Browning has further improved and refined its Commercial King Rod range to include these two gossamer 8ft Carp and F1 Wands, both of which eradicate hook-pulls while having the capability to land any big bonus fish.
The pencil-slim, through-actioned blanks bend all the way from their tips through to their cork handles. The F1 model, on live test duty, has the more forgiving action and is rated at around 20 per cent softer than the slightly beefier Carp Wand.
I favour short rods with actions like this because they can transmit every flick and flutter from fighting fish of all sizes, yet effortlessly cushion the most fragile hooklengths and tiny hooks.
They allow an angler to present really light rigs to finesse bites from shy-biting winter F1s and skimmers that have seen it all before, and they more than justify the asking price for use on hard winter commercials, where you might be fishing for just half-a-dozen bites in a match. Their reduced length allows you to easily tuck them out of harm’s way down the side of a platform, well out of the wind.
The F1 Wand is built to fish with reel lines of 2lb-5lb, while the Carp model can handle slightly heavier mono from 3lb-8lb, with appropriate hooklengths, but I wouldn’t go much below 0.10mm even with the F1 version.
I paired my test rod with a 4lb mainline that blended sweetly with the two-piece, 8ft blank. Three fine glass quivertips of 0.5oz, 1oz and 1.5oz come with each rod. These will register delicate bites while still managing to accurately throw feeders and bombs of up to 2oz. Reduced length rods are reckoned to give much greater accuracy over long ones when making the short-range casts required on many commercials these days. They’re also definitely easier to use in tight swims hemmed in by vegetation.
I took the test rod to the prolific Greensands snake lakes fishery near Sandy, in Bedfordshire, to fish a small 15g flatbed feeder loaded with dampened 2mm pellets and fine fishmeal goundbait with a 6mm hair-rigged banded pellet and size 16 hook.
The first thing you notice is how light the Browning Commercial King F1 Wand feels. The next is how easy it is to cast overhead, plopping the feeder accurately hard up against the far bank, or features such as islands or aerators, at distances from just beyond pole range to around 30 yards. On many day-ticket venuesbeing as little as 12ins off target makes all the difference between a good day and an average one.
No worries – it’s my bet that with this pint-sized belter sitting on your rod rest, you’ll be bang on the money every chuck.
VERDICT
This super pair of 8ft Wands from the Browning stable are ideal for commercial snake lakes and small pools. The F1 model, in particular, would be hard to better for this kind of fishing. It would make an exceptional winter maggot, feeder and small-hook F1 tool.
Mark Sawyer
Shakespeare Sigma 10ft Commercial Feeder Rod
The Shakespeare Sigma Commercial rod range features two-piece carbon blanks with powerful, but progressive, actions. These rods are designed to allow for accurate casting and making the playing of hard-fighting fish easier and faster.
THE RANGE
Sigma Commercial 11ft Float
Sigma Commercial 10ft Float
Sigma Commercial 11ft Feeder
Sigma Commercial 10ft Feeder
PAY AROUND
£39.99
Every match or pleasure angler who catches big fish on commercial pools should have a rod like this in their holdall.
Carrying a full recommended retail price of just £39.99 (although you’ll find it even cheaper if you shop around a bit), it’s eminently affordable.
With two equal-length sections, the 10ft rod is easy to carry ready rigged for action. Its composite carbon and glass construction generates a fast casting action, and it plays fish firmly yet forgivingly.
I was soon to experience its qualities at close range as I ran the rule over this Shakespeare 10ft Feeder, part of the famous firm’s new four-rod Sigma Commercial range.
The kind of venue I would choose for a feeder/lead rod of this type is a small to medium-sized commercial pool of between 20 and 40 pegs, with required casting distances of 15m-40m. The open-water strip lakes at fish-filled Decoy Lakes near Peterborough fit the bill perfectly, and so armed with some timely advice from Angling Times deputy editor Kevin Wilmot, I aimed for a peg at the top end of Oak Lake.
A few exploratory casts down the lake with different weights of feeder confirmed the casting credentials of the new Sigma, which are amazing for such a short rod. The fast tapering blank has a high weight loading point, matched with impressive poke from its butt section, and will cast feeders and straight leads of up to 40g more than 35 metres. This is more than enough for most commercials.
My casting target on the day was actually little more than 25m, enough to position a 15g flatbed Method feeder tight up against the only feature in the lake, a paddle-type aerator. Pinpoint accuracy was needed, and the sparky little Sigma didn’t disappoint.
The blank is recommended for use with reel lines up to 8lb – quite heavy, in other words – and hooklengths from 0.12mm upwards.
The rod’s most outstanding asset, though, has to be its splendid progressive action. Far from being wetter than a haddock’s bathing costume, it manages to blend a soft tip with a fast-tapering mid-section, which makes the playing of big fish quick and easy, never stiff or overpowering.
My first fish of the day proved the point when the quivertip (two graded carbon tips of 1.5oz and 2oz are supplied) slammed round hard as a big kipper made off with my double corn hookbait. The rod did its job nicely, absorbing every lunge and run all the way to the net.
This is normally when most big fishtend to come off the hook, but not this time! The blank kept the fish under close arrest without any worries that it was about to slip the handcuffs and escape.
VERDICT
A very impressive rod from Shakespeare, and impossible to fault, given such a low asking price. It casts well, has a super power-playing progressive action, and could turn its cork handle to conquer most feeder and straight lead commercial fishery situations.
Mark Sawyer
Middy 4GS Micro Muscle Waggler Rod
TECH SPEC
- 11ft Super slim Supplex high-modulus carbon two-piece blank
- Soft-touch EVA thumb grip
- Ergonomic lock-down reel seat
- Hook retainer
- SIC Feather-Lite gunsmoke guides
- Max mainline 12lb
- Max hooklength 8lb
- Casting weight 25g
PAY AROUND
Price (RRP): £139
Shop-around price: £99.99
I take my hat off to Middy, and I’ll tell you why. Not that long ago, very few serious matchmen would have believed the Derbyshire firm capable of producing commercial fishery pellet waggler and float rods to the high standards they demanded.
However, that’s all water under the bridge. Since Middy introduced its original, superb and hugely successful X Flex 3G Pellet Waggler rod series the company has firmly established itself as a market leader for rods of that ilk.
The all new Middy 4GS offerings definitely continue the tradition, with several key improvements, including Supplex carbon technology.
This leads to a refined tip action, allowing fish to be landed even more quickly, as extra power is available through the butt section without risking hook-pulls or snapped hooklengths. Other improvements include an upgraded, progressive fish-playing action and better handling and balance.
All very impressive – but why would Middy need to make changes to a model that was voted rod of the year a couple of seasons back?
Any doubts along the lines of ‘has Middy mended something that clearly wasn’t broken in the first place?’ were all laid to rest as I spent a few hours putting the new 11ft 4GS Micro Muscle Waggler through its paces at Oakfield Fisheries’ day-ticket Red Kite lake.
The ultra-wary carp in here grow big, really big… which is handy, as the new Micro Muscle is rated more than capable of dealing with zoo creatures into double figures.
At first glance the ultra-slim and very lightweight 11ft blank didn’t look capable of dealing with an awful lot more than disorderly dace, rampant roach or badly behaved bleak. But, as they say, looks can be deceiving, and beneath the rod’s cold gunsmoke grey finish beats the heart of lion. Here we have a lean, mean, mauling, brawling battler – disguised as Clark Kent.
It has power to burn through its middle section, and just look at the main picture – have you ever seen a sweeter, more progressive fighting curve in a rod? Certainly not on one that can be found for just under a hundred quid, as this one can.
Another thing that had bothered me a bit about this rod also resolved itself during the live test. Why didn’t it get the obligatory ‘Pellet Waggler’ label? The answer was simple enough – and it was no oversight on Middy’s part. Basically, the softer tip allows it to be used with a much wider range of floats, and it will cast normal and pellet wagglers up to 25g.
Casting distance was pretty good too. With full compression, a maximum range of around 25m can be achieved. Middy gives it a mainline rating of up to 12lb, way too high in my opinion. You’ll get far more performance out of it with 6lb-8lb line.
Fittings are all top-notch, with a comfy lock-down reel seat on a cork and EVA handle, and quality matching gunsmoke grey SiC Feather-Lite lined guides. Ideal for all short to mid-range work on commercial fisheries, this rod is without a doubt another winner from the Middy stable.
VERDICT
THE 11ft Middy Micro is one of the finest rods released this year. Its almost elastic ‘never ending’ progressive fish playing action is right up there with the best I have used,
but at a price that belies this lofty accolade. If your mate owns one, and lets you have a go with it, it’s a given that you’ll have one in your holdall by the following weekend.
Mark Sawyer
Maver Genesis Black Ice 11ft Match rod
• EVA twist grip
• High quality lined guides throughout
• Quality graphite screw reel fitting
• Folding hook keeper ring
• Action: Tip; Through action
• Casting Weight: 60g-90g
• Line Rating: 3lb-8lb
• Weight: 185g inc tips
• Featuring the stunning ‘Black Ice’ carbon finish and top quality fittings throughout. Supplied with three carefully graded tips.
Sometimes tackle can suffer from being labelled ‘one method and one method alone’. Margin poles are one example.
Pellet waggler rods are another, leading the customer into thinking that they can only be used for very specific tactics. The truth is often very different.
Match rods are a case in point. The tag may evoke images of stick float fishing on rivers with 2lb hooklengths, but with modern design, materials and build techniques your standard match tool can actually achieve a great many things. Maver’s Genesis Black Ice 11ft Match rod falls nicely into that category.
Don’t let the ‘Match’ part of its name put you off – this rod has been designed for pellet waggler fishing on well-stocked commercial waters, but its action and softness make it perfect for a spot of roach bashing on lakes and rivers too. It’s the ideal all-rounder for the angler who may only be able to afford or want one rod in their rod bag.
Made from high modulus carbon, the two-piece Black Ice packs a lovely through action, with ample softness in the tip to allow you to fish with light lines when needed.
However, Maver had both eyes on carp when building this rod, and it’s when you gear it up with a 6lb mainline and a loaded pellet waggler that the Black Ice really comes to life.
Soft it may be, but it’s not so sloppy that your casting will be all over the place. There’s enough poke to pick up line to hit fast bites, and more than enough guts to land big fish.
It’s also very light, weighing just 185g, so you can fish with it in your hand all day with no fatigue at all.
Testing took place on Magpie Lake at the up-and-coming Rookery Waters in Cambridgeshire, chucking a loaded 8g waggler to a bed of lily pads at around 40 yards.
Despite a brisk Fenland cross wind, the control that the Black Ice gives you on the cast sees the float landing time after time in the right place, essential when you’re building up a swim.
Landing the float is only part of the battle, though – some rods can fall down on the strike. Too sloppy an action and you simply can’t pick up the line in time, but the Black Ice is deceptively good at doing this.
Even with a bit of a bow in the line, a forceful strike made short work of those lighting bites that often come just as the waggler settles.
There’s also enough grunt to get carp away from snags quickly when you need to ‘hit and hold’ as soon as the hook is set. Get a fish within netting range, though, and the rod takes on a very soft action, bending right the way through the blank at times but never leaving you with the feeling that you’re in any way undergunned!
Finished with top-quality SiC guides, graphite screw reel fitting, EVA twist grip and folding hook keeper ring, the Maver Black Ice is the ideal rod to carry made up in a rod sleeve, all ready to take on whatever your summer of fishing is about to throw at you!
Richard Grange
Preston Innovations Carbonactive Mini Plus 11ft 6ins Method Feeder rod
PAY AROUND
£169.99
Preston Innovations has given its best- selling Carbonactive Mini-Plus rods a significant makeover and added this two-piece 11ft 6ins Method feeder tool to the range. Right from the start Mini-Plus rods were a hit with commercial match anglers, as the reduced-length blanks, with their trademark forgiving yet powerful action, were ideal for getting carp to the net very quickly.
Despite significant changes, all the new Preston Mini-Plus rods retain their non-locking action and trademark ‘iron fist in a velvet glove’ feel. However, they do appear to have been built around slightly faster tapering blanks. This, far from being a negative quality, gives them more casting speed at the tip when they are wound up, always a useful quality when going for extra distance.
Cosmetics and furnishings on the new rods have been upgraded too. The whippings on the glossy jet-black blanks now boast classy red trimmings, and depending on the model you get either single or double-legged low profile ceramic-lined guides.
The cork and EVA handle is fitted with a soft-touch reel seat which is not only pleasingly comfy to hold, but clamps the reel stem close to the blank. This is handy if, like, me you have short fingers. To round off the technicalities there’s a fold-down keeper ring, always nice to see.
So how did the Carbonactive Mini-Plus actually perform? After all, the two-piece 11ft 6ins blank is an unusual length for a Method feeder rod, which would more commonly be found in standard 12ft and power 13ft versions. Yes, even shorter method feeder rods are available, but these are really designed for fishing down the edge, not for distance casting.
A rare creature our test rod may be, but with the help of match aces Des Shipp and Tommy Pickering Prestons has come up with something that’s absolutely spot-on for commercials with islands and features at the 30m-60m mark.
That point was brought home to me when live-testing the model at Suffolk’s day-ticket Hinderclay fishery. Like so many others, this complex has centre islands on a couple of its lakes, and accurate 40m chucks to these are essential from the relevant pegs.
The Mini-Plus will cast a small 30g fully loaded feeder with little effort on the angler’s part, and I would suggest that at a push it could propel a large 45g Method feeder a fair distance. That said, don’t buy it if you are just looking for an out-and-out power casting tool, which it isn’t.
The blank has enough backbone to keep a straight cast, even if you need to lean into the cast in the teeth of a strong headwind, and the lack of tip recoil and bounce helps as you approach the casting distance limit.
I am fast becoming a fan of the longer-than-normal quivertips Preston is using these days on its feeder models, blending as they do into the blanks with no flat spots. The Mini-Plus comes with a glass tip rated at 2oz and a 2.5oz carbon tip. In truth, because bites are usually bold wrap-rounds as the fish hook themselves against the weight of the feeder, I reckon an even heavier 3oz tip would be useful, and contribute to longer casts.
That said, the softer glass tip does make the rod a little more flexible, should you want to use it for open-end feeder work for bream. Thanks to the blank’s forgiving action, it is well suited to this tactic.
Preston Innovations Classic Series 11ft-13ft Feeder
PAY AROUND
£139.99
If you had to choose just one feeder rod to handle all legering situations, it’s my guess many would go for an 11-13ft configuration.
This versatile combination blank was, I believe, originally launched by Daiwa and made available in both medium and heavy versions, green or red whipping denoting the rod’s specification.
Since that time similar rods have been produced many times over, and not just by Daiwa – just about every tackle company includes an 11-13ft feeder as a ‘must have’ rod in their range.
The very latest to hit the market has just been introduced by Preston Innovations as part of its new three-model Carbonactive Classic Feeder series.
These versatile rods are intended for the seasoned angling journeyman and – dare I say it? – are almost old-school. Classic retro traits include fast tapering high-gloss jet black carbon blanks with matching 25ins extra-long push-in glass quivertips, full-length cork and EVA handle and, most importantly, a seamlessly soft, progressive action free frpm flat spots.
My original plan was to take the Preston Classic to a medium-sized mixed stock fishery and run it through its paces with open-end and Method feeders of varying weights, fished at different distances, using a variety of baits. This strategy would in turn hopefully attract fish of many species, proving the rod’s worth as an all-rounder.
That was until almost every sheet of water, from lake to puddle, froze absolutely solid. Obviously the rivers would still be a Plan B option, but the tea-stained raging torrent that passed for the idyllic meandering Thames around Oxford looked about as inviting as a cold bath in January.
And so to Plan C. What you need when everywhere else is iced up is an inland ocean, a vast sprawling open expanse of water that the wind ruffles enough to prevent the ice from forming.
There was a very good reason that the car park at Boddington Reservoir was devoid of angler’s cars for the first time in its history. It was so bloody cold that you’d have to jump start a reindeer. I’d also heard on the grapevine that bites here right now were rarer than a Ringer snap-off.
Still, needs must, and after setting the kit up in the early 70s, with freezing cold hands I threaded the line through the rod’s sturdy double legged ceramic lined guides. Rigs would need to be simple affairs, as open-end feeders were hardly likely to bring much action my way. Relying on small but heavy Method feeders and straight lead set-ups, I began the test.
With the rod set in its full ‘three section plus handle’ 13ft mode, Preston claims it is capable of casting Method feeders and is equally suited to heavy work in fast-flowing waters. I reckon it is more than capable of doing both reasonably well, but despite the fast-tapering blank it’s definitely not a long-range Method feeder tool. It’s all a little bit loose and languid for full-throttle distance work.
It is, however, ideal at its full length for all deep-water bream and skimmer fishing. With the dolly butt section – which houses a single guide and fits above the handle – removed, the blank takes on an altogether different feel and casting action.
At the 11ft length (11ft 2ins to be precise) it will easily cast weighty Method feeders and has a lot more casting aggression. The fast taper kicks in when the blank is fully compressed, and will propel any type of feeder a surprisingly long way for an 11ft rod. It certainly isn’t poker-stiff, so it’s still capable of coping with soft mouthed fish.
I also rather fancy this would make a super river rod, perfect for hooklengths down to 0.12mm, smaller hooks and any species of fish. This very much keeps it in the mould of the classic 11ft-13ft design.
Stillwater Pro Matchstix 13ft Float Rod
PAY AROUND
£34.99
A traditional three-piece waggler rod, this is perhaps the most versatile of the Matchstix rod range. It will punch out long-range pellet wagglers for large carp and yet has the subtlety to fish fine hooklengths for silverfish.
Light, slim and responsive, there is plenty of power reserve as you get into the butt section of the blank.
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.
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.
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.
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.