Fox Royale Specialist Barbel rod
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PAY AROUND
£72
This 2.25lb test curve model in the four-rod Fox Royale Specialist Barbel range is a true powerhouse, perfect for when you need to cast large bolt-rigged feeders, big PVA bags or heavy leads to hold bottom in strong flows. It’s more than capable of taming the biggest fish.
Another plus point comes to light when you’re fishing in flood or high water conditions. More often than not debris will gather around the line, jamming in the guides when you reel in.
However, the large and evenly-spaced SLIK guides used on the Royale Specialist blank go some way to stop this happening.
The rod’s white tip is highly visible in low light levels when you’ve got it set high and pointing skywards.
VERDICT
An out-and-out specialist barbel basher, the commanding 2.25lb Fox Royale is the rod to reach for when faced with heavy flows and weighty leads.
The powerful progressive action is more than capable of stopping the largest fish, but the blank retains enough feel to make catching them a pleasurable experience.
Fox Torque rods
PAY AROUND
£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.
Fox Royale Barbel Rods
PAY AROUND
£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.
Fox Horizon XT Rods
PAY AROUND
£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.