After developing a successful range of gear that all started with pole pots, the Frenzee design team has now turned its attentions to rods. Dave Harrell checks out the initial range of seven… Having worked in the fishing-tackle industry myself in a previous life, I know more than most exactly how difficult it is to break into the marketplace with a new range of angling products. I went through the exercise just over 20 years ago when I created the MAP brand, and while taking on the big boys in the industry was challenging I sometimes found myself wondering if I could make products like rods any better than (or even as good as) what was already available from long-established companies. Thankfully, at that time at least, the answer was yes and sales were good for several years before the big influx of rods from China put paid to any competitive developments I could achieve in the UK.
We’re in an era when good-quality seatboxes are arriving at our offices every few weeks, so just how good is the new Sensas 700? Joe Carass checked one over to find out… For the past few years Sensas has been trying to make a name for itself in the seatbox market, and several models have been brought out since the company’s first designs. Now, though, I think that a product of a quality synonymous with the Sensas name has finally hit the tackle shops. The 700 box really is the perfect example of what the modern match angler is looking for in a seatbox. It has a modular design so that trays can be added for extra storage, along with a slide-out rig section where anglers can house hundreds of rigs or various other bits and bobs.
Joe Carass reveals his thoughts on Browning’s new Xitan Z7. 5 pole. Will it be another success for the tackle giant?With Browning’s Xitan range of poles growing in popularity, I couldn’t wait to have a look at the latest addition to the range – the Z7. 5 – to see if it could live up to the standard set by its predecessors.
Joe Carass checks out a new flagship pole that’s set to become a big seller in 2011… Preston Innovations has managed to raise the bar in pole design yet again with the GiS 14 Absolute. In an era where every pole we see is aimed at carp fishing, it makes a refreshing change to find a pole that is beautifully light and stiff, yet still retains plenty of strength for those situations when you need it. Preston has worked closely with Tommy Pickering and Des Shipp to produce the ultimate match pole. With the GiS 14 Absolute you get an excellent package of two match top fours, three power top twos, one short No4, one Kup Kit and Kups and a 10-tube GiS holdall.
Joe Carass takes a close look at a new pole from Maver that has been designed for a variety of match situations. . . Maver has a huge reputation for producing some of the finest poles on the market.
