Preston Carbonactive Distance Master rod review
ANYONE whose fishing trips don’t always go exactly to plan can relate to this week’s live test. And that means all of you!
Traditional match fishing lore dictates that in the chilly waters of winter we should cut right down on how much bait we use. And okay, I confess that my sixth cast in 20 minutes using a big Method feeder full of micros might have been over the top.
The truth is, I was struggling. There’d been a frost that morning, an easterly wind was howling across the water, and I didn’t really know much about the Big Lake at Bain Valley Fisheries in Lincolnshire, where I’d pitched up to put Preston’s turbo-charged 13ft 2ins Distance Master rod through its paces.
I clocked the chap two pegs away who’d turned up about an hour earlier. Perched on a tatty old fishing chair, he looked friendly enough, so I gave him that ‘who knows?’ shrug of the shoulders familiar to all anglers who haven’t got a clue what to do next.
Talk about being taken down a notch or two. Without even looking at me he muttered: “Thee can put it in, but thee can’t take it out,” alluding to the fact that I might have been a bit gung-ho with the bait.
Feeders ahoy!
I was determined to put on a show for my critic, and I figured that a mesmerising long-distance cast would surely impress. Standing up on my seatbox footplate, I adjusted the line drop to halfway down the blank and made sure I caught his eye while unleashing a monster cast.
A lightning-fast swoosh of the rod followed, using every inch of its extra-long handle. It was casting perfection, proper textbook stuff, or so I thought.
The ‘crack’ of snapping line was audible in the next county as my 45g Method feeder flew straight up through the ozone layer. After what seemed an eternity, the old boy broke the silence. “Thee’s loosefeeding feeders now then as well?”
In my eagerness to impress, I hadn’t noticed the coil of line that had worked itself around the back of the spool! Cue the arrival of photographer Lloyd, who asked my tormentor if he’d caught anything.
“No, but it’s entertaining just sitting here watching your pal,” he replied.
Casting perfection
When you need to find a fish, staring at the water can sometimes be your salvation, and sure enough, I saw one show way out in the lake.
I didn’t wish the niggly neighbour good luck as I hurriedly bundled everything back into the car, and two minutes later I was round the other side of the lake. I already had full confidence in the Preston Distance Master’s casting capabilities… it was my own that needed sorting out. Changing from a Method feeder to a 60g straight lead and a hefty 12lb shockleader, I reckoned popped-up bread discs fished as 18ins-high zig rigs would surely do the business.
The slightly thicker knot between mainline and shocker whizzed through the rod’s oversized guides as the steely mid-section kicked in, fairly sizzling the lead out well past 100 yards.
For such a supreme casting tool, the rod felt remarkably responsive and tactile, and the crisp tip section generated very little in the way of recoil or post-cast bounce. I was mightily impressed. Barely had the reel line tightened against the 2oz quiver I’d chosen to use when its eye-catching fluoro-orange tip dropped back. It was a typical bite on popped-up bread from a winter carp.
Because I was using a suspended hookbait, rather than snatching the rod from its rest, I wound down cautiously until I made contact with the fish which, feeling the pressure, bolted in a bid for freedom.
Perfect build
At moments like that you realise why all the best 13ft-plus Distance Master Feeder rods are made with short carrier sections. It enables the top section to respond with just enough cushioning to make hook-pulls highly unlikely, even from carp and bream hooked at the longest of ranges.
And there was no danger of such a thing happening with this pretty hefty carp, which I was able to lead towards my waiting net with the absolute minimum of fuss.
The Distance Master comes with 2oz, 3oz and 4oz carbon quivertips, all boasting large diameter rings, and a couple of inches of reinforcing around the top of the carrier section joint point to a rod that’s been designed by top anglers who really know what they are doing.
Make no mistake, this is a ‘keeper’ of a rod that will become a firm favourite the first time you use it. And, compared to many of its ilk, it offers superb value for money.
Price: £245.99,
www.anglingdirect.co.uk
Preston 10ft Supera SL feeder rod review
NOT all rods are designed to launch a bait over the horizon – and Preston Innovations’ two new Supera SL Feeder rods are the fishing equivalent of middle-distance runners.
Both the 10ft and 11ft versions deliver those shorter casts when bream, roach and skimmers are the target.
A soft, seamless through action prevents hook pulls that can lose you a match, yet the rods double up as the perfect winter commercial fishery tools for F1s and carp on maggot feeder and straight lead tactics.
That much I’d already been told through reading the blurb, but to confirm these claims I treated myself to a day’s live testing of the 10-footer on Decoy Lakes Fishery near Peterborough.
The famed Beastie Lake plays host to plenty of skimmers and roach, while its gravel bottom is paved, not with gold but with F1s, barbel, and a truckload of fit and fat carp. However, like many fisheries that get bashed by matches all weekend, Monday is go-slow day for the inhabitants.
I plonked myself on a peg renowned for its head of skimmers – the fact that it had also delivered 100lb of carp the day before meant I felt confident of getting a few pulls, while also getting a feel of the very rod Lee Kerry used to win the Feeder Masters final last year. I tried to ignore the weather – it was cold enough for icicles to form on a polar bear’s bum.
There are a couple of commercial fishery tactics you can rely on in the cold – a straight lead set-up with corn, or a small blockend carp feeder with maggots. Both have their moments, but the maggot feeder seems the better bet for silvers when you’re faced with cold and slightly coloured water.
Given these conditions, most matchmen favour lightweight feeder or bomb rods – normal carp or Method feeder rods don’t have enough finesse to be teamed with light hooklengths and small hooks. What you really need is a rod with a softer action – enter the Supera SL.
My session was progressing very slowly, so I began to fine down my end tackle to a point where I might reach critical mass if a decent-sized carp rocked up.
As I was pondering this, round went the 0.75oz tip, not to the delicate inquiry of a roach or skimmer but the full-frontal assault of something far meatier.
It was clear to me at this point that the rod had undergone some serious field-trialling from the talented Preston match team – the blank’s seamless action was peerless. Not only did it deal brilliantly with the little chaps, but the carp squad too. Neither overgunned and pokey, nor sloppy and soppy, it performed like an A-list celeb.
Classy Sea Guide rings are perfectly placed along its two-sectioned high modulus carbon body, while a reduced length cork and EVA handle make it manageable to cast and set up. It comes with three graded quivers of 0.5oz, 0.75oz and 1oz.
Summing up, the Supera SL is an ideal all-round winter commercial lead rod with plenty of flexibility. In its 10ft incarnation with the lightest 0.5oz quivertip fitted it’s a proper little charmer, ideal for snake lakes (naturally), small pools and ponds, in fact anywhere that demands light lines, small hooks and short casts.
Mark’s verdict
IT’S true that many matchmen use the same feeder rod both summer and winter, but these are the same people you’ll hear bawling out expletives when they lose a fish at the netting stage.
Take it from me, this isn’t going to happen when you fish with a Supera SL, and you’ll be so much more popular with the angler at the next peg. Who needs splashy dramatics from your near neighbours when there’s coin to be won?
Price: £159.99 (but shop around)
Preston Innovations 9ft supera feeder rod review
Short feeder and bomb rods are much in vogue on commercials, for many good reasons.
Their reduced length means that they are easy to get down the side of your peg out of the wind, and they are that bit easier to manipulate while you’re sheltering under a brolly, as often happens in winter.
Then, as long as you are not faced with a long chuck, short rods are superb at close quarters for fishing tight up to islands and far-bank margins on smaller waters. But arguably most importantly, because of their casting accuracy, they can drop a feeder on a sixpence time after time – perfect for fishing on a pole line, or just past it.
Used with a softish quivertip, and either braid or pre-stretched mono mainline, they offer enhanced bite indication. And that, matched with their casting accuracy, can make them winter match winners.
In my opinion, one of the best all-round short feeder rods on the market is Preston Innovations’ wispy CarbonActive Supera 9ft model.
It easily handles casting weights up to 40g, and has a flat spot-free progressive through action. The blank bends with no suggestion of locking up, so no hook-pulls are likely.
As you might expect of a top-end rod, the shortest in the 11-strong Supera range boasts a comfy flat-topped ergonomic cork and EVA handle with casting grip. To that you can add lightweight custom-built guides and a high modulus carbon blank that uses a blend of carbon cloths to achieve the famous Preston CarbonActive action. It comes with graded 1oz, 1.5oz and 2oz push-in carbon tips.
On the bank the 9ft Supera is a fine all-rounder for all tactics and fish species. Bottom line is, if you regularly fish commercials stocked with carp, F1s, skimmers, bream and roach, its forgiving action makes this rod an excellent addition to your feeder fishing arsenal.
For the live test I took the 9ft Supera to Stretton match lake, a standard small day-ticket mixed fishery where accurate casts are rewarded with the most fish.
However, the short pub chuck my chosen peg required has always made me uneasy – I feel I want to swing the feeder out underarm. Overhead casting, on the other hand, invariably overshoots and deposits the feeder in the undergrowth.
The trick here is to clip up the reel and push the rod forward on the cast so the feeder lands spot-on every time. Use a soft quiver and there is no need to tighten the line – it lands straight every chuck. BItes are signalled by the line lifting, rather than the classic yank-round, but the end result is the same…. fish on!
Fishing to a clip at short range can be a nail-biter when carp are the likely outcome, but the softness of the Supera and its hidden elasticity cuts the user some slack (even with a tight line!). With a couple of turns back on the reel, it’s plain sailing.
Mark’s verdict
This cute little Preston number ticks all the boxes. Its anti-lock cushioned action is perfect for small commercials, with just the right amount of backbone if you hook a decent carp but sufficiently forgiving to coax in skimmers and F1s.
Completely problem-free, the rod is super-accurate and you’ll land your feeder with pinpoint accuracy time after time.
As long as you don’t overload it or attempt to blast a feeder to the horizon you’ll be chuffed to bits with its outstanding all-round performance.
Price: £169.99
Preston Innovation's Tyson Rods
Preston Innovations is all set to launch more new tackle items than ever before in 2019, Angling Times can reveal.
The Telford-based firm, along with sister brands Avid, Korum and SonuBaits, will unveil tens of dozens of exciting new lines for next year in a couple of weeks’ time at its annual international trade show.
However, in this exclusive preview Angling Times offers you a sneaky peek at just a few of match brand Preston’s ‘must have’ new gear offerings for next season.
Included in a cornucopia of new kit are three new XS Response poles, delectable new Superfeeder and Tyson rods, and two outstanding reel ranges –Extremity and Inertia.
TYSON MODELS
Preston’s Tyson branding tells you these rods are up for a fight, and built to take on all-comers!
A wide range of lengths and styles covers all scenarios, but common to all is a progressive action, dependable furnishings and a classy finish – all, needless to say, at knockout prices!
9FT CARP FEEDER
Designed for casts of up to 25m, the 9ft Carp Feeder can be used with confidence to target match-sized carp and F1s. You’ll be glad of it on small snake lakes when fishing to the far bank in windy conditions.
Price: £49.99
10FT CARP FEEDER
Perfect for slightly longer casts of around 30m, the 10ft Carp Feeder is a great all-rounder for commercial carp up to double figures. The soft action blends into the butt section, which powers up progressively.
Price: £54.99
11FT CARP FEEDER
The 11ft Carp Feeder is powerful enough to beast carp well into double figures, but is a beauty for playing smaller F1s and skimmers too. It’s suitable for casting Method feeders out to around 50m.
Price: £59.99
12FT METHOD FEEDER
Roll out the big guns – this is a distance-casting rod that will propel Method Feeders beyond the 60m mark and take on any carp. Perfect for large open-water lakes, with its soft tip action it will handle smaller F1s and skimmers too.
Price: £64.99
11FT PELLET WAGGLER
Suited to pellet waggler fishing with floats of up to 10g, its slightly through action will ensure that carp and F1s are easily tamed, while its responsiveness helps to hit bites at range. It can also be teamed with smaller standard wagglers for closer-range work.
Price: £54.99
13FT WAGGLER
A great all-round rod for mixed species, this one is also capable of handling bigger carp.
Ideal for use with standard wagglers at long range, its tip speed and responsiveness will help to hit shy bites. It is also an excellent river rod for use with wagglers and stick floats.
Price: £69.99
Preston Innovations Monster Wandzee Review
Preston Innovations’ monster wanzee is a rod that’s just the thing to pub chuck a bomb or feeder beyond the pole line.
This joint-free 5ft 9ins commercial cutie can be fitted with 1oz, 1.5oz or 2oz Monster push-in carbon quivertips which take it to a tad over 7ft in total.
Still quite a rarity on the bank, single sectioned rods have plenty of positives. Remove the quivertip and the Wandzee can be transported inside virtually any fully-zipped rod or pole holdall. Match it to a smaller 2500/3000 sized reel with a flat-fold handle and it can be slipped unobtrusively between your top kits in their plastic tubes.
Fair do’s, this rod isn’t going to cast much beyond 30m, but its seamless and flat spot-free parabolic action suits it to everything from small F1s through to fatso fish with attitude. Those of you not normally able to hit a bottle-top area every chuck will be be surprised how accurate you can get with the Wandzee.
This week’s live test took place at Decoy’s fish-heavy Horsehoe Lake which, at around 20m wide, is ideal for this type of short-range lead rod.
Straight off the bat, I’d say that the Wandzee would be more likely to find its way into my holdall for winter leagues, rather than midsummer matches. But this newest member of the Monster clan did turn in a jaw-dropping performance, and undeniably has year-round talents.
The rod feels reasonably crisp and very light. Some may find its through action a tad bouncy on the cast, but unless you’re clattering out a feeder to the horizon does that really matter?
It will comfortably handle most anything that swims, yet it can be used with light lines and small hooks with no fear of premature evacuation if something hefty tugs your line.
Preston tags the Wandzee with a 35g maximum casting weight, which is there or thereabouts for a fully loaded 30g flatbed feeder, and the rod is indeed on its limits with that.
Bite registration has to be seen to be believed. I’d kitted up with a fast-sinking pre-stretched 6lb mono reel line, and bites were nothing short of savage.
Watching them develop was interesting. With the tip very much in view, I could see all those little plucks and twitches as fish moved in to feed close to the bait… an early warning system before the tip hooped round.
For winter F1 tactics with a maggot feeder and matching hookbait, timing of the strike on those niggly little knocks you tend to get could be helped greatly by this rod’s shorter length.
The playing action is sweeter than a Wagon Wheel dipped into a jar of syrup and dusted in icing sugar, and will leave you drooling for more. In the wonderful world of non-locking parabolic actions, the Wandzee re-writes the book, handling anything from a newly-stocked F1 to a grumpy war vet of a carp with equal aplomb.
Verdict: I can foresee Preston’s new Monster Wandzee becoming a must-have rod.
It will find a place in my winter pole holdall, for times when the pole line is made unfishable by the wind.
It would be as much at home casting a straight bomb with bread discs for bigger fish in open water as it would be pinging a maggot feeder up the far bank of a snake lake for F1s. I suspect a certain Mr Des Shipp had a hand in its development, and the boy done good!
Price: £74.99
Preston supera 10ft Pellet Wag Review
Preston Innovations bills its Carbonactive Supera range as the ultimate all-round rod collection.
The eye-catching ensemble, in a jet black gloss finish, features short 9ft and 10ft feeder rods – the 10-footer stepping up for live test duty – as well as 11ft 6ins and 12ft 6ins models. An 11ft pellet waggler rod completes the set.
And if you think that little lot favours feeder over float, remember that these days feeder rods outsell their floatfishing counterparts by at least six to one.
My initial thoughts were the four feeder rods shared a softly progressive, through action.
Soft blanks cushion against hook-pulls when targeting skimmers and bream, or chub and roach with small hooks and light hooklengths.
Followers of my Live Test slot might point out that I seem to be stuck in a bit of a rut right now, reviewing so many short feeder rods. In my defence, these are extremely popular for winter commercial tactics, offering pinpoint casting accuracy and an action perfect for dealing with F1s, stockie carp and the odd lump.
All this brings me nicely on to the live test venue – Stretton Lakes, just off the A1 halfway between Peterborough and Grantham. This peaceful and well-kept fishery has four day-ticket lakes that are more popular with pleasure anglers than matchmen.
The rectangular carp lake holds fish of all sizes, every one of them scale, fin and mouth-perfect.
These commons and mirrors show a definite taste for baits presented on a Method feeder cast to within half a rodlength of one of two small islands. This tactic tests a rod’s casting attributes.
In the 10ft Supera Feeder’s case they are just what you’d expect from a top-end Preston Carbonactive model – arrow straight. This rod will cope with up to a 30g loading, and its effective casting distance tops out at 35m-40m. Much past that and you’ll find your feeder or lead wandering off line.
However, any lack of distance-casting prowess is made up for by a seamless, non-locking action. This takes a bit of getting used to, but it’s something rather special.
The rod has a pleasing sense of transmission and ‘feel’ when dealing with your fishy quarry.
A new style of handle, with an enhanced EVA grip block on its end, provides a firm, non-slip grip, but that may well prove a Marmite moment for some.
To that you can add three graded, colour-coded push-in quivertips which all blend seamlessly into the carrier section without any flat spots, and top-end low profile lined guides throughout.
Price: £170.99
Verdict:
The new top-of-the-range Preston Supera 10ft Feeder rod is ideal for short-range commercial tactics, especially in swims just beyond a pole line. Build quality and furnishings are undeniably good. Casting flatbed Method feeders up to 30g with precision and accuracy is where it really scores, and its soft fish-playing action can see you land soft-mouthed fish that in winter can make all the difference between winning matches and becoming pools-fodder.
Preston Innovations 11ft Monster Pellet Waggler Review
BUY NOW for £94.99 at Chapmans Angling
Preston Innovations has recently introduced four rods aimed at anglers who fish commercials. The Monster range includes two Carp Feeders, a Method Feeder and a Pellet Waggler model.
All are packed with key features such as unique low-profile reel seats that bring the reel closer to the hand, making the rods easier to fish with. To these you can add EVA butt and thumb grips for added casting support, and low-profile lined guides that greatly reduce tangles and the likelihood of snap-offs on the cast.
Two equal-length high modulus carbon sections make the rods a doddle to carry to your peg ready made-up. All this adds up to innovative, well-built rods with plenty of key features, utilising the latest technology. Despite this they are priced sensibly enough not to cause the missus to throw a hissy fit when the Barclaycard bill hits the hall carpet.
Not that these rods are merely cosmetically pleasing – Preston has refined their performance, which results in a slightly beefier backbone than before. You get more casting clout and extra pulling power through mid-sections to show the biggest of fish who’s boss.
So, with the summer sun in full water- warming mode, and carp cruising about all over the surface everywhere I’ve visited, it was high time I took a much closer look at the new Monster Pellet Waggler.
This 11ft rod, the name of which says it all, has had plenty of input from world-renowned anglers Tommy Pickering and Des Shipp. Together they probably know more about how a fishing rod needs to perform than the rest of us put together.
My live test venue was Steve Gregory’s Horseshoe Lake, on the day-ticket Rushfield complex near Lincoln. Its heavyweight carp are suckers for their pellets, and always willing to feed close to the surface – ideal candidates for pellet waggler tactics.
My set-up was simple enough – nothing more complex than a 6lb reel line matched to a 6g pellet waggler float, 0.17mm hooklength and size 16 hook with a 6mm banded pellet.
The rod will cast floats up to around 15g, but there’s not quite enough whip in the tip for it to cope with anything much less than about 4g.
Firing in little more than half a dozen 6mm pellets every 20 seconds or so, it wasn’t long before dark shapes hove into view as soon as the feed hit the water. However, as often happens on a well-fished venue, as soon as the float splashed down, the fish disappeared.
The trick is to feed twice, immediately before and after casting. But you will also need to feather the line, so that the float lands with a gentle kiss rather than a sloppy smacker on the water’s surface. Get it right and bites will be savage. But you need to get your hooked carp out of the feeding zone as quickly and quietly as possible.
To do this you need the reel’s clutch set quite tight, but not locked up. Then, with the rod tip kept as low as possible to the water, lean into the fish. Without changing the rod’s position, pull and wind at the same time until your quarry is within netting range.
Once you’ve done this a couple of times, playing even the largest carp becomes pretty straightforward, provided you have full confidence in your kit. And this is where a rod with the performance of the Monster Pellet Waggler really earns its corn. Its progressive action will cope with all the lunges and head-shakes of a big carp with enough muscle through the middle to lower section areas to keep you in charge at all times.
Even when the blank is under full parabolic compression its non-locking action provides enough of a safety buffer for you to dish it out without hook-pulls or snapped lines.
The blank was able to deal equally well with other species. Plenty of smaller F1s and ide joined the party, and although they don’t have the fighting qualities of big carp they are still welcome weight-builders in a match. With some other pellet waggler models these smaller fish tend to come off at the net when the rod is held in a vertical position. But I can happily report that such irksome events don’t occur with the Preston rod.
Mark's verdict:
Preston Innovations’ new 11ft Monster Pellet Waggler rod is the ‘one size fits all’ answer to all commercial pellet waggler scenarios.
This to be fair, covers everything except perhaps long-distance work with heavy floats on open water venues such as Boddington Reservoir.
The progressive action is about as good as it gets in its price bracket, and it seems to have the happy knack of kicking in at just the right moment, giving the extra oomph needed to play big fish. Despite this steely side, the blank is light enough to be held for long spells without discomfort, an immense help when you are catapulting out feed little and often.
BUY NOW for £94.99 from Chapmans Angling
11ft Preston Innovations Monster Carp Feeder
TECH SPEC
- Casting weight: 15g-80g
- Line rating: 4lb - 8lb
- Length: 11ft (two equal sections)
- Guides: Low profile, ceramic-lined
- Handle: Cork hand & EVA
- Action: Powerful but progressive
Preston Innovations says its new Monster Commercial Carp rods are purpose-built to cope with the ever-increasing size of carp on many modern match waters.
BUY NOW for £94.99 at Amazon.co.uk
Big guns Des Shipp and Tommy Pickering have had an input into the design of all four, which don’t sacrifice any of their progressive fish-playing action despite being strong as Shire horses on steroids.
All rods are sensibly priced at under £100. There are 10ft and 11ft (on test) Carp Feeder models that come with graded push-in carbon quivertips of 1oz, 1.5oz and 2oz.
There’s also a dedicated 12ft Method Feeder rod, as well as what looks and feels to be a very handsome 11ft Pellet Waggler.
All four boast super-slim butt sections, cork and EVA thumb grip handles, secure screw-down reel fittings and quality low-profile ceramic-lined guides.
A useful keeper ring adds a nice finishing touch. Equal length two-piece blanks in all cases are easy to transport to your peg ready made-up.
The 11ft Carp Feeder, my Monster rod of choice for live test duty, is a tactically flexible feeder and straight lead tool. With an 80g (2.8oz) maximum casting weight, and rated to lines between 4lb and 8lb, it’s perfect for commercial fisheries where the carp have not signed up for Weight Watchers.
To prove its mettle, I needed to get the rod on to a water where bites come readily to a variety
of tactics, and few fit the bill better than the picture postcard day-ticket Lakeside Fishery near Towcester, Northants.
A swim opposite a small island gave me the option of a cast toward either corner or a long chuck out into open water to test the rod’s casting potential.
Setting up with Preston’s latest Inter-change feeder system allowed me to swap between different weights of Method and Banjo feeders, and with a straight lead line in the margins I pretty much had most of the tactics you would use with this rod covered.
Starting live test proceedings with a modest 15g flatbed Method cast tight to the island margin, I can report that at distances of up to 25 yards it casts sniper-straight, and that once you have clipped up, consistently hitting the target at anything up to 50 yards shouldn’t prove a problem.
This proved to be the case with feeders up to about 48g, after which the rod began to show its limitations. However, towards the end of the session I was still chucking a 30g Banjo 65-plus yards which, on most commercials, is like hitting a six out of the ground at Trent Bridge!
What the Monster does have going for it is a superb action, which has obviously come in for some serious scrutiny and field testing from the Preston Innovations team. Sweet as nut, and more fun than a day at the fair, it’s little short of commercial carp heaven.
It bends exactly how, when and where it should, with enough backbone to heave a reluctant lump over the net when you’re fed up with chasing it around the peg.
THE VERDICT
The latest Monster Commercial rods from Preston Innovations look, feel and fish just right. They are nailed on to become among the most popular commercial rod ranges on the market this summer, and are available at a price that won’t make anglers jump out of their skin.
Mark Sawyer
Preston Competition Pro Super Light 9ft Feeder rod
PAY AROUND
£89.99
There was a time when a ‘short’ rod was classed as 11ft maximum.
Nowadays a host of models in the 8ft, 9ft and 10ft class are available, including the Super Light 9ft Feeder from Preston Innovations. This is billed as a close-range tool for small feeders and bombs, and casts up to 30m.
It’s the baby of the Competition Pro range of feeder rods, which stretches right up to a heavy 13ft version. The Competition Pro is a definitely a series of all-round rods rather than out-and-out commercial tools, and although I could have taken it to a reservoir or a big lake and targeted small fish, it wouldn’t have been too much of a test. Instead it was thrown in at the deep end at Decoy Lakes’ ever-reliable Six Islands pool, which holds lots of carp in the 4lb-10lb bracket.
First, a note on the length. I absolutely love using a 9ft rod. Don’t get me wrong, it’s limited in terms of casting distance but for anything up to 35m or so it makes feeder fishing so effortless, especially with the hookbait tucked inside the frame of a Method or pellet version. A traditional open-end feeder with a long tail isn’t as aerodynamic, so a longer rod is needed to cast it properly.
With a 9ft rod, fish pop up under your feet for netting, as they do on a short F1-type top kit on a pole.
I clipped my line up for a short 16m chuck to the middle of the bowl at the car park end of the lake, where there is a sunken island. Believe it or not it’s quite difficult to discipline yourself to apply such a short cast – or it would be with a longer rod.
My 30g inline Preston Method couldn’t have been in the water much longer than 30 seconds when the 1oz tip I’d fitted pulled firmly round. A 5lb mirror carp was the culprit, and it was beaten in double-quick time. I quickly realised how much backbone and power this rod has, right through its faultless action. With several hooked carp I could feel the line grating through some submerged roots or vegetation on the bar, and I really had to give the fish some stick, standing up sometimes, to get them over it without breaking the hooklength.
Then I took the clip off and gave it a few good casts up the long sides of the lakes. This was surprisingly easy, helped by the large rod rings towards the base of the blank. I reckon you could punch a Method feeder 45m or 50m if you really went for it.
My final trick was at much, much closer range. I’d been throwing a few handfuls of pellets in the margins and a gentle underarm lob sent the feeder down there.
The rod was almost wrenched from my hands as I caught barbel and several more carp, including a double-figure common, which all made off towards a snaggy corner with an aerator. Despite a few hairy moments the Super Light Feeder took everything thrown at it, and smaller, softer rods like this mean fewer hook pulls too.
Preston Innovations Carbonactive Mini 11ft 6ins Method rod
PAY AROUND
£169.99
This super rod from Preston Innovations is designed for medium to long-range feeder fishing.
The two-piece carbon blank has power aplenty to launch a fully loaded Method feeder upwards of 60m.
But it’s not all brawn – the blank still has enough softness to absorb powerful lunges from big fish, doing away with hook-pulls at the net.
The rod comes with two fast-taper quivertips that give instant bite registration, and super-positive line pick-up speed even at extreme distances.
Preston Innovations Competition Pro 12ft Medium Feeder rod
PAY AROUND
Preston innovations Competition Pro 12ft Medium Feeder
RRP: £109.99 (but shop around)
PXR Pro 4000 reel
RRP: £104.99 (but shop around)
Not quite as cheap as chips, but more versatile than a Swiss army penknife, is this tasty pair from the Preston stable.
The three-piece 12ft Competition Pro feeder is as much at home dishing it out on rivers as it is battering them down at your local commercial carp venue. The all-carbon blank is nicely put together, and features an old-school full-length 25in cork handle with screw-down reel seat and EVA thumb grip.
Its seamless, flat spot-free progressive action is ideal when targeting big bream, carp, barbel, tench and, of course, chub. The lightweight blank has just about enough softness at its tip to make reel lines of 4lb-8lb with hooklengths down to 0.12mm diameter feasible and, like all good feeder rods, this one has a very high loading point.
This means that when a feeder is attached, the rod only bends from its tip, enabling its backbone to kick in and propel the feeder forward, rather than just lobbing it up and out, as happens when the weight loading area is too far towards the mid-section.
Other features on this Preston rod, which the manufacturers suggest will cast feeders up to 60 metres, are eight low-profile large diameter lined guides. The six equivalent guides on the two spare quivertips also have enlarged diameters, so if you’re off to Ireland, where heavy shockleaders are often used to cushion long casts and protect against zebra mussels, you shouldn’t suffer the annoyance of having the knots catching in the eyes.
The perfect foil for this rod would be its matching Preston branded reel, the award-winning 4000-sized PXR Pro. This model is ideal for winching in heavy feeders and is packed with features including a lightweight aluminium body, quick-release push button spool (plus one spare), precision front drag system, robust stainless steel hollow bail-arm and hard chrome-plated line roller.
Most importantly it runs smoothly and tirelessly on six stainless steel bearings and generates a 4.9:1 gear ratio.
Live testing tackle in winter can be tricky. With the bigger rivers out of sorts, but fed up with bagging commercial carp, where else could I take the Preston pair to prove their mettle? The light-bulb moment eventually came and we were off to Northamptonshire’s River Ise. A stealthy approach using a small cage feeder packed with liquidised bread, and flake on the hook, would hopefully prove successful. The set-up was simple. The reel was loaded with 5lb mainline straight through to a running feeder, stopped with No.8 shot 12in from a size 10 hook. First cast saw the tip tremble, and then it trembled again before pulling round in a classic chub bite. A spirited fight saw a fair sized fish lunging for the nearside reeds, but the 12ft Competition Pro Feeder had a bit too much backbone for any of that old malarkey, and quickly thwarted my quarry’s escape plans.
Through pouring rain, covered in mud, bread and fish slime, both the Preston items performed faultlessly and they get a huge thumbs-up from me.
VERDICT
If there were such a thing as a ‘one-rod does it all’ feeder model, Preston’s Competition Pro Medium Feeder would comfortable pass the test. Every bit as much at home on a commercial carp fishery as it would be bream-bashing on an Irish lough or fishing a big river for barbel, it’s a great all-rounder. As for Preston’s PXR Pro reel, you don’t have to spend long using one to see why the angling public voted it the best reel in its class last year.
Preston Innovations 12ft Pellet Waggler rod
PAY AROUND
£169.99
This 12ft Pellet Waggler rod is the latest addition to the best-selling Carbonactive Mini Plus commercial range from Preston Innovations.
Honed to perfection for casting splasher-type floats and big pellet wagglers on open-water venues such as Viaduct, Barston and Meadowlands, this rod was developed with input from talented match angler Andy Power.
Andy can list wins in the Maver Match This and UK Champs, as well as qualifying for three Fish O’Mania finals, in a long line of achievements.
In a chat I had with Preston’s brand manager Scott Geens about the ins and outs of the blank’s construction, he told me that Andy had netted fish to over 20lb from Viaduct during its field trials, so no worries on that score!
I was lucky enough to be given an exclusive preview of the new Preston tool, and I never pass up the chance of chucking a big pellet waggler around – besides, the sun was shining.
So I found myself pulling up in the car park of the Canal and River Trust’s day-ticket Engine Pool on the Earlswood complex, armed with little more than a few bags of 8mm pellets for bait and feed, and a box of distance-casting wagglers.
Engine regulars will know just how fickle this water can be. It’s very much feats or famine, but with rock-solid information that the pegs in the high 70s were rammed with fish, my confidence of nailing some proper lumps was riding high.
It was less buoyant after three-and-a-half hours of constant casting and feeding, feeding and casting, swapping between wagglers of the splasher, pellet, clear, loaded and unloaded kind, even some with popper discs.
Having gone through every permutation of floatfishing up in the water, all I had to showfor my endeavours was sore knuckles from what must have been a thousand raps from the pouch of my catty.
You could say my interest was flagging somewhat.
My photographer, Lloyd, had taken to doing ‘wildlife’ snaps – well, that’s what he called them, but I never realised that insects wore Lycra shorts and went jogging round lakes!
With time pushing on, what had I learnt? Well, the Preston 12ft Pellet Waggler rod has quite a fine tip for what is basically an animal tamer.
It will cast just about anything you care to tie on to the reel line, bar possibly a bagging waggler – anything else isn’t a problem.
Even the largest vaned pellet waggler from John Bonny (the Mad Hatter of float makers) can be cast completely out of sight.
I had matched the rod with a 6lb reel line – with 8lb your casting distances would suffer as the guides are all of standard match size to handle thinner diameter lines better. I’d recommend you to play your cards right and stick to 6lb line, not going higher or lower.
Then it happened. The float landed with an angel’s caress, to be greeted with a swirl as an Engine Pool brute couldn’t resist what was obviously my above-standard banded pellet presentation – or perhaps it was down to the fact that it was now getting dark. It matters not – the blank swept the line up in a none too sloppy manner from the surface, then kicked into its progressive fish-playing action.
Now I could finally see the benefits of all that field-trialling. Yes, the rod has unbridled power, but it’s all been channelled into the blank’s middle section. When you lean into a fish it absorbs then dictates… you know you’re in charge.
It’s a strange thing with carp that sometimes, if they feel they are on the losing side from the start, they all but give up. Right at the net, the Earlswood projectile made a half-hearted bid for the legs of the platform, but a smart side swipe from the rod brought it straight up on top and into the pan.
How good is that?
VERDICT
This classy rod from the Preston Mini Plus stable has plenty of brutish power tempered by just the right amount of finesse, and the build and finish are both top-notch.
It’s quite capable of dealing with the largest of fish, but it’s fun to use and sure to become a favourite with anglers visiting big open-water venues this summer.
Mark Sawyer
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.
Preston Innovations Carbonactive Mini Plus 8ft 6in Carp Feeder Rod
PAY AROUND
£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.
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.