Banana Rods T-48 Rods

With Gallic flair and frankly what would pass for British (yes, we’re biased) attention to detail, Banana Rods certainly shook up the rod market when it stepped into the UK scene a couple of years back. If you’re a little tired of floods of soulless far-east blanks then these sumptuously appointed sticks might just be the antidote! Banana builds fizz with luxurious detailing (those unique golf-handle grips for instance!), and the lengths to which their technicians go in order to perfect each rod remain unmatched.

The rod is an absolute pleasure to use - whether that’s casting or playing

As a result, Banana turns out some of the best-finished carp rods on the planet from their factory in Orleans, be they off-the-peg builds, or custom built to your spec. Perhaps a good indication of the sheer attention to detail that goes into these rods is the time taken to make them. Most rod companies knock out a finished rod in two hours, whereas Banana takes an impressive eight to hand-finish one!

Banana builds fizz with luxurious detailing, just like those unique golf-handle grips for instance!

The T-48 rod is the flagship of the Banana fleet, and it’s not hard to see why. The finish is sheer perfection, and when you flex one – well, it’s breathtaking. The range includes some proper casting tools, such as the 12ft 6in and 13ft 3.5lb models, but it’s the 12ft 3.25lb rod that really got us salivating! Even Banana themselves only give these rods 75/100 for power and distance, because they recognise that it’s impossible to do both, despite what 90% of the rod marketing spiel out there might tell us!

Your reel is locked in thanks to a Centrelock or Arrius reel seat

The result is a rod that’s an absolute pleasure to use. This is no broom handle; you’ll enjoy the extra control and feel that the 3.25lb gives you, and let’s face it, you won’t miss those extra few yards for 90% of your fishing! That’s not to say that you can’t crank leads out with these beauties. Because the blank is a little softer than the out-and-out casting rods, you can compress it easily, so if casting isn’t your forte, then these will actually help you get the hang of it quicker!

The guides are top-end Fuji K Series

Now, we mentioned the aesthetics being quite something with Banana, with good reason. They do make off-the-peg rods, but it’s the custom service that they offer that we can’t get enough of! Click through their site and you’ll be asked which reel seat you’d like, the colour of your whippings, the handle design (yes, including the golf grip!), the type of rod rings, and even whether you’d like an inscription on it. For us, that’s the ultimate service. No longer do we want to look like the guy in the next swim, we’re individuals and Banana recognises that.
“GIMME”: From £499; en.bananarods.com