Rods

Dan Murrell’s verdict A real joy to use and in my opinion they look pukka ! As I have written in previous reviews, I prefer using a longer than conventional rod, favouring 12ft 6in, 12ft 9in or 13ft models. Having used 12ft models for a few months I was quick to change when a set of Terry Hearn Distance 12ft 9in 3. 5lb test curve came into the office for a Used & Abused review. Aesthetically, I think it is fair to say that ESP has hit the nail on the head.

We like this! The reel market has to be the most difficult to make your mark in, such has been the dominance of Shimano and Daiwa over the years. However, several companies are now finding that their products, when they get them right, are currying favour with lots of carp anglers. Having not been a huge fan of the earlier Stratos that Fox produced, I am an absolute convert in my belief since the release of the FX11 and, now, the scaled-down FX9. I have not used or tested the bigger Fox reels (12000XT and so on) so cannot comment on those, but the FX11 is an impressive performer and this follows in that reel’s footsteps.

Tackle tart, me? Well, maybe just a little bit and, as such, I liked these wands straight out of the bag. Cork handles, especially proper ones like this, and the neat carbon-wrap finish make the Horizons look the business. It then took me a while before I had the chance to actually go out and test them, but having now used them on half a dozen occasions I have to say that they are mightily impressive. I’d go as far as to say that they’re the best rods that Fox has produced for a very long time.

The TC boys get to grips with tackle and bait, testing them to the limit out on the bank. Here’s what they think…FREE SPIRIT Hi-‘S’ Rods, 12ft 2. 5lbRRP: £310Website: www. freespiritfishing.

Lee Jackson’s verdict - The perfect carp rod. I love these and use them all the time. 5/5 The Tackle Box’s Lee Jackson says: Having been involved with Free Spirit from the very start and having worked for The Tackle Box for something like 28 years, there have always been little ‘tweaks’ that I have built into my own rods that I prefer to the standard versions. The Python rod is no exception.

Nano Technology is very much the buzz word in carp-rod design right now, and Greys has spent three years perfecting its own to create what looks like an extremely decent range of wands. Its Toreno composite technology claims to create a rod with a stronger and lighter blank but with no compromise in terms of action and performance. We don’t really need to delve any deeper into the science of it all, but in layman’s terms you could say that the result should be a terrific carp rod with all-round performance. Just about every rod on the market claims to offer casting performance with sustained playability, but the reality is that only a handful probably actually deliver on this promise.