Rods

GUEST REVIEWER Editor of Advanced Carp Fishing Magazine Max Hendry’s verdict: Faultless casting and weighs next to nothing. 4/5 I got a set a Cast’izm reels in for review last year. I was after a small, compact reel that would be ideal for using on canals or small waters with my shorter 10ft rods. Like the Cast’izm QDA reel the Mag Sealing ensures the reel remains super-smooth no matter how much abuse you give it.

The compact big-pit reel has become a popular concept of late. All the casting ability and line capacity meets a more lightweight construction making them lighter. The Crosscast from Daiwa is the latest introduction to this concept. Featuring many of the fantastic parts found on reels with a much higher price tag, the main feature is the free-spool facility, which allows you to switch between fighting drag and free spool in just a flick.

We love these! - great product at a great price Designed around the medium-sized-water premise, the new Emblem BR 25A is a compact size coupled with big-pit performance. In recent years it appears the trend has been to either go back to ‘cult retro’ reels or look for large big-pit machines because bigger is better, or so everyone thought. It will be equally at home on an intimate five-acre water as it will on a large expanse of 80 acres. Is this possible? According to the technical guys at Daiwa it is not only possible but a reality, while keeping the price within a sensible range.

The TC boys get to grips with tackle and bait, testing them to the limit out on the bank. Here’s what they think…Daiwa Emblem Spod ReelRRP: £125Website: www. daiwasports. co.

Having first ‘Used & Abused’ this reel last year, I felt an update, after another year’s use, fitting because this robust Emblem Spod reel is still going strong. It remains an absolute workhorse and has coped with significant use on both my spod and marker-rod setups. The big spool makes casting a doddle and the impressive retrieve also winding those long casts back a simple affair. I wrote last time that I liked the twin line clips and the possibilities it opens up, but since then I have broken the clip off my marker and, truth be told, it’s made little difference, so perhaps it’s not that essential after all.

Daiwa is undoubtedly best known for its top-end rods and reels, but there is so much more to the brand than just the wallet-busting stuff, as you’ll see elsewhere in these pages with the Mission DF rods. The Emcast 5000A is another similar example, with a retail price of just £100. Just about every company that makes reels will tell you that the mid to lower-price range products feel like a reel costing twice as much. It’s not always true but in the case of this reel it has never been truer.

Compact reel with super-smooth drag and boasting many of Daiwa’s bespoke reel features. A firm favourite with several top carp anglers when surface fishing. £99. 99For more information go to www.