ESP Onyx Carp Rods
ESP have come up with a long-awaiting successor to their bestselling Sniper range
Never one to rush something to market for the sake of it, ESP have taken their time to build a rod range worthy of replacing the hugely successful Sniper lineup - and the development process has paid off. Here are five key points you need to know about the Onyx.
The Big Five
1 The looks
This is classic ESP territory. The blanks are slim and the unground carbon finish has a great old-school look and feel. There’s a built-in line clip, subtle branding and the full shrink-rubber handle has a flared casting grip at the base. The butt cap and collars are anodised and there’s a DPS reel seat.
2 The range
There are two rods available now. Both are 12-footers, with one having a 3lb test curve and the other a 3.25lb test curve. They are both rung with 50mm butt rings for distance casting and are both capable of casting well over 100yds.
3 Casting performance
These are light, slim rods but they pack a punch. With a long-range ringing pattern featuring SiC guides of 50mm down to 16mm they are both built for hitting good distances. The 3lb version is naturally softer, while the slightly stiffer model has a responsive mid-forward action and plenty of power in the butt.
4 Playing action
ESP never neglect the fun part when building rods. Both Onyx models are a joy to play fish on, even the slightly beefier 3.25lb model has plenty of forgiveness in the tip to cushion fish and prevent hook pulls as they charge around the margins.
5 The overall package
These new Onyx rods have a retail price of £129 and are very good value for the money. Kev Hewitt, a big fan of the previous Sniper range, has been using the 3.25lb for most of his fishing during the development process, so if they’re good enough for a two-time British Carp Champion…