Wychwood Extricator Plus Rods
We loved the original Wychwood Extricator, so when the Extricator Plus was announced, we were slightly sceptical. We needn’t have been… here’s why these ones are even better
The Big Five
1 New blank tekkers
Of course they’ve uprated the blank spec on the Plus. It’s built around a slimmer blank that’s made from high-grade modulus 40T carbon, wrapped with a strengthening 3K/1K weave. The resulting rods look rather lovely, with that semi-matt finish that we’ve become so familiar with over the last decade or so.
2 A longer handle
Okay, so the handles are new in two distinct ways. First, they are slightly longer; longer even than Wychwood had envisaged during development. Wychwood consultant, Nick Helleur, has been an Extricator fan since their release, and he was brought in to test samples of the Plus, as they landed at Wychwood HQ. His input saw the development team lengthen the handle to improve casting and playing capabilities.
3 The guides
The development team, keen to minimise weight, opted for Minima-style guides, and altered the spacing to improve performance. They also added an up-to-the-minute, anti-frap tip ring too, for good measure.
4 New handle grip
As well as lengthening it, the guys at Wychwood have also made it look just about as different as it’s possible to imagine from the original Extricators. They’ve lavished the handle with a totally unique, ergonomic PU material, embossed with the Wychwood logo for grip. It’s likely to split opinion, but we love the design.
5 Aesthetics
This is a ground-up rebuild, so as you’d expect, the whole look of the rod is new. It’s a stealth build too, with barely there black graphics and matching black whippings. Nick Helleur got the guys to change the reel seat to a simple, DPS-style seat with black fixtures and fittings, and we think it’s very much in keeping with the look of the range.
9ft, £119.99; 10ft, £129.99