Alex Bones ventures into the world of Shimano’s latest Aero poles for an exclusive look at its all-new models. There are five to choose from, so here’s a quick overview of what’s on offer.
Chief tester Roger Mortimore has handled many reels over the years and is impressed with the build quality and performance of the new Akios range. When three Akios multiplier reels arrived on my desk – the smaller 656CTM and the larger 757CTM and 757CS – my first impression was how solid they felt. When I removed the side plates for a closer inspection, I could see that they are extremely well made from quality materials. There are currently six reels in the stable; three in the 656 size – the CS, CT and CTM for shore and light boat fishing – and three of the larger 757 size for boat or heavy shore fishing, also CS, CT and CTM.
For 2014 Browning has introduced two new poles.
The Z10 is manufactured on the flagship Z12 mandrel and boasts a different mix of carbons to deliver increased strength over the Z12. It’s available in ‘standard’ and ‘professional’ package versions costing £2,299 or £2,599 respectively. For that money you get 17 metres of pole plus a whole host of additional top kits.
A Kind Of Magic!
Tom Scholey joins Bob Nudd on the banks of the River Yare to try out a very special piece of kit!
Bob spent a long time designing this latest tool to do a demanding job!
I have always read with envy about the weights that are caught on long pole to hand tactics in Ireland. Indeed, in the glory days of the 1970s and 1980s weights in excess of 200lb of roach were recorded from some of Ireland’s more prolific waters, and still today, pole to hand tactics figure on many festivals. Sadly, most of the fishing that we have on offer here in the UK rarely calls for such demanding tactics, and for this reason I am largely unfamiliar with them. One man who does know his onions when it comes to this kind of fishing, though, is Bob Nudd – and because he was instrumental in designing the original iconic Black Magic pole, I thought it made sense to ask him to not only talk me through this latest offering from the Browning camp, but also offer some advice on how best to use it.
In a world of its own!Match Fishing brings you Browning’s hottest new flagship pole, claimed to be the best Browning has ever made…
When a company claims that it has produced something better than anything else it has ever seen, you simply have to get excited! Match Fishing was invited to the revealing of Browning latest flagship pole at Aston Park Fisheries in Sheffield this month… but was this top-end tool all that it was made out to be?
The Target…
The Browning Sphere Zero-G F1 Plus is designed with serious pole and match anglers in mind. Browning is more than happy to state this. The features, package and performance of the pole are tailored towards this audience. So, just what can you expect from this weapon?
Match-Winning Performance?
On arriving at Aston Park, you could certainly tell where the main attraction was… right where the crowds were! Set up at 13 metres, the pole looks sublime and super stiff.
Tiny Ticklers!Jake Fowles gets out on the bank with the Commercial King Tickler range of rods from Browning…
Since starting here at Match Fishing a lot of my tackle testing has revolved around poles, so when features editor Matt Godfrey tasked me with testing the latest bite-size rods from Browning, I welcomed the opportunity with open arms. The Commercial King Carp Tickler and lighter F1 Tickler are 7ft rods, with the construction being one main section and an interchangeable tip section, with the choice of either a 0. 5oz or 1oz tip provided as standard. This allows for a quick and easy setup, with storage in a ready rod bag or the provided rod sleeve made simple.
Browning poles really are fantastic and this latest mid-range offering truly is superb.
Handling at the full 14. 5 metres is brilliant and its rigidity is likened to a pole of a much higher value. Browning’s reputation with poles is constantly growing and with models such as this it is easy to see why.
Jake Fowles gets to grips with the powerhouse of the Browning Xitan range.
I am finding myself increasingly impressed with what tackle manufacturers are able to introduce to the market; the advancements in what bang we get for our buck has improved drastically, even in the 10 or so years since I was working as a sales assistant down at my local tackle shop.
Although most of these developments span right across the board, there is no one area that impresses me quite as much as the mid-range pole market, such is the standard of what is now available, and despite it being, in my opinion, the most competitive and difficult to conquer price point for poles.
It is the £1,499 priced Browning Xitan Z7-2 (Power Special) that I have at my disposal today, a pole that slots itself nicely into the mid-range pole bracket.
Ferocious wind, hard-fighting fish and snags to pull them away from in every direction… if Carlsberg did pole tests…
Rookery Waters in Cambridgeshire is my venue of choice to put the eagerly awaited Colmic Airon F66 through its paces, and more specifically the venue’s Magpie Lake. Like all of the lakes here at Rookery, Magpie has a healthy stocking of mixed species with carp being the most prominent species on offer, and hard-fighting ghost carp a key target for visitors to the venue.
During the summer months the lake’s surface is largely covered by picturesque lily pads, and although they dwell below the water’s surface as we exit winter and make our way into spring their stems and emergent buds still remain below and form a safe haven for any hooked fish to dive straight into.
Sitting myself on Peg 35 gave me a swim smack bang in front of the largest area of submerged lilies on the lake.
Joe Carass gets on the bank with Daiwa’s latest carbon marvel.
To kick off this review I will take you back 13 years. I was a 16-year old match angler who was eager to ‘make it’. I knew that to compete I needed the best pole that I could lay my hands on.
The Acolytes. . . after 14 months of hammer! -Matt Godfrey has been putting Drennan’s Acolyte poles through their paces for well over a year now, but are they holding up to the pressure?
Idare say that there aren’t many people who’ll put a pole through its paces in a year in the same way I will.
