Carp rod luxury

If you’re in the market for a luxurious set of carp rods, there’s some pretty lovely stuff on offer right now. Free Spirit has the all-conquering Hi-‘S’s, Greys’ AirCurves are a hit with those who like understated and Daiwa’s Basia AGS’s are light enough to float out of your hand. Literally.

But, now there’s a new player to the luxury market: Banana Rods, with their top-end T-48 model. If you like your rods to have an air of exclusivity, packed with rod tech and looks to turn more heads than a Lamborghini Aventador, this could be the rod for you…

The big questions

Looks to turn heads, you say. What can I expect?
The T-48 boasts a couple of real unique fixtures and fittings which are guaranteed to spark a debate on Facebook, the first being their ‘Easy Power’ handle. In essence it’s the same style of grip which you’d find on a golf club and offers many advantages over cork/duplon or abbreviated handles. Produced from a blend of highly technical polymers, it gives a unique and incomparable feel, and above all, exceptional performance when it comes to casting and playing thanks to the extra grip they offer up.

Minimum branding

They certainly do look different… But I’m not 100% sure…?
Then just opt for Banana’s incredibly elegant and refined cork handle options. Whether you go for the full or abbreviated cork (a world first we believe) version, both come with the same high-end finish. Carefully machined by hand, using a traditional technique, from a rare variety of Portuguese oak, characterised by a richly-coloured material that is highly stable, the finish is both eye-pleasing and sophisticated.

Banana Rods: a logo of exclusivity

Woah. That sounds amazeballs. What’s the other one, then?
They certainly look amazing – and very different to anything else on the market. The second one? Well, there’s two: the reel seat and rod ring options. And both are top, top end. When it comes to the reel seat you have a choice of three different models with three colour options for each. We’re using the Arrius seat which is constructed from corrosion-resistant 61XX aluminium and, get this, requires eight stages of machining to reduce its weight and create the ‘beaded’ effect you see. For an even more elegant look and lightweight feel, opt for the Centralock or Moebius models, and you can choose from BlueGrey, Gunsmoke or Chrome colour variants with each.

We’ve been trialling the Arrius reel seat

What’s the score with the rings then?
Just like the handles, reel seats, blanks, even down to the customer service, the rings are the best of the best. Banana only use the exquisite Fuji K-Series guides, and like all the other fixtures, you have the choice of three different models: the come-as-standard guides are the Gunsmoke 40 or 50, whilst the France-based company offer the Titanium 40 (£149.00) or 50 (£209.00) or Titanium Torzite 40 (£169.00) as optional extras. All of these guides offer extreme performance combined with unique and highly recognisable look.

The double locking collar ensures a solid, tight fit

Based in France you say? What happens if I have a problem? That’s got ‘nightmare’ written all over it…
It hasn’t, actually. The lovely customer service people at Banana Rods’ bespoke factory in Orleans, France, will ensure if you do have any issues, it’s incredibly stress-free; a bit like buying from John Lewis. So let’s say you do have a problem, here’s what will happen: Banana will arrange for a UPS courier officer to pick up the rod, it’ll then be returned to France where the repairs/servicing will be carried out before being returned to you, and all at the same time you’ll be informed of what’s happening, along with timescales and return delivery dates.

The Easy Power handles are always a talking point…

I’m impressed. But what’s the actual performance of the rod like?
Superb. Created using exclusive tech to Banana, the T-48 is the perfect all-round rod. Its characteristic action is capable of dealing with any angling situation without being found wanting. It’s slim, powerful, cushioning, elegant and comes in four models: 12ft 3.25lb TC and 3.5lb and 12ft 6” 3.25lb and 3.5lb.

Are there any other build options?
The T-48 comes with two buying options: ‘Premium’ is the ready-to-buy, no personalisation, or what we’ve been talking about which is Banana’s ‘Made-To-Measure’ service – a custom build if you will. With this service, along with the reel seat, guides and handle option, you can also pick which colour thread and metallic tipping you’d like, plus any inscriptions you fancy having added to the rods.

Top end Fuji K-Series guides

Any downsides?
All of this tech and bespoke workmanship doesn’t come cheap. The base rate starts at £399.99 per rod, but expect to pay upwards of £700.00 for a model with all the bells and whistles. But then you are getting a rod which is right up there (*outstretch your arm and jump*) when it comes to performance and totally unrivalled when it comes to looks and build quality.

“GIMME”: From £399; bananarods.co.uk