Small but mighty! Sonik's latest short rods - 'Insurgent' - tick all the boxes

Sonik have certainly taken the short-rod concept and run with it. Wherever you look across their range there’s something to appeal to the angler on the move. Whether it’s rods with collapsible butt sections or luggage to match, they’ve got it covered. The Insurgents continue that theme, offering upmarket looks and performance while retaining the kind of value for money that we come to expect from the Sonik brand.

Good things in small packages
The Insurgent rods are part of the retractable-butt craze that shows no sign of abating. There are five rods in the line up - three 10-footers and two nine-footers. The smaller offerings pack down to just 44-inches (113cm) long, while the bigger brothers collapse to just 50-inches (127cm), making them the perfect sort of rod for travelling light or stashing in your boot ‘just in case’.

Classy fittings
Sonik have treated these rods to excellent fittings, including super-light M-Series DL black guides and 18mm Fuji DPS reel seats across the range. You also get a slim handle wrapped in Japanese shrink rubber and the distinctive ‘S’ logo is laser-etched into the butt carp to round off an altogether very stylish package.

Performance carbon
The blanks of the Insurgents are made from high-modulus Toray carbon with a lite-ply 1k armoured weave throughout. The tip section of each of the five rods in the range has a multidirectional carbon lay up to prevent twisting in the blank during casting and therefore improve your distance and, crucially, your accuracy.

Range versatility
The lightest rod in the range is the 9ft version with a 2.75lb test curve, which is perfect for all-round use at close- to medium-range. At the other end of the scale, there’s a 10-footer with a 3.5lb test curve which is ideal for hit-and-hold situation, boat work or lobbing PVA bags or big Method feeders. In between you’ve got two 3lb versions and a 3.25lb 10-footer.

Superb value
Given that these are well-made tools with some of the finest fixtures and fittings available, they still manage to represent fantastic value for money. The 9ft versions have a recommended retail price of £139.99 and the 10-footers come in at just a tenner more. Certainly not cheap and cheerful, but certainly a lot of rod for the money.