The best carbon footprint!
Buying a decent set of carp rods isn’t as easy as you’d think: the choice is huge. But when a rod range, just like Avid’s here, makes your jaw drop and trousers bulge instantly, you know you’re halfway there to making the right decision
Avid DSK Carp Rods
Abbreviated handle, handwritten typeface, gold whipping, the small piece of duplon above the reel handle – it’s literally got ‘old school’ heritage written all over it, and whilst the result is expensive, it is very exquisite.
There is two models within the range, both built from Toray carbon which is widely considered to be the best available globally. Totally lost by that statement? We were too. “It’s a high-tensile strength modulus carbon fibre engineered by nanotechnologists to provide the optimum balance of strength, speed and lightness. It’s that good, you’ll find it on the wings of a Airbus,” Mat Woods, Avid’s main man tells us.
The ultra slim blank comes fitted with Fuji K Series rod guides – with a 50mm butt ring – which are used to increase casting distances and reduce frap-ups. And the DSK comes with a BDPS Fuji reel seat – the first choice for many custom built rods.
They do come with a chunky price tag mind, starting at £299.99 and topping out at £319.99, but remember you’re getting a length of carbon that you’ll be able to use to blast a heavy lead to the horizon and then equally fish under your rod tips thanks to its forgiving nature, so if you’ve got the funds, make the investment.
Avid MSX Carp Rods
It’s pretty rare in today’s world that you see a rod and instantly just love it. Even without having a cast. But with Avid’s second rod collection they’ve done just that. “Our aim with the MSX range was to combine fish playing action with casting ability and then add in a lovely big dollop of sexiness,” reveals Brand Manager, Mat Woods. And they’ve certainly achieved that.
The MSX model, which comes in one 12ft length but two test curves – 2.75 and 3.25lb – is all hand-built, comes with a 50mm butt ring and a full duplon handle.
Visually they’re stunning, mixing modern materials with a hint of old school styling. And although both rods are super strong and have plenty of grunt for chucking big PVA bags and large leads, they also have a beautifully forgiving action that reduces hook pulls when battling fish at close-range.
“GIMME”: From £179.99
Avid Traction Rods
Avid is, granted, very good at making hardwearing, long-lasting products. The bedchair collection, the HQ family, Mega Nite Sleeping Bags and Transit Barrows. And now we can add ‘mid-priced rods’ to that ever-growing, ever-impressive list.
Whilst the dark depths of the 2008 recession are pretty much behind us now, those ‘you days’ still aren’t an everyday occurrence; everyone’s looking for the best products at the best prices – i.e. the ones where you don’t have to hand much money over. One such collection is Avid’s Traction Rods, which turns just £79.99 of your hard-earned cash into a matt 3k weave rod. Using such a carbon has allowed Avid to offer a unique take on a traditional ‘parabolic’ action and this enable anglers to deliver a slower power build up for casting, offering distance gains with minimal effort.
Whilst the current output for the Traction range includes a 10ft 3lb model and three 12ft 3, 3.25 and 3.5lb TC, this month sees the brand launch a further two models, this time at the other end of the spectrum: 2.5 and 2.75lb TC. These new lighter rods making playing and casting even more enjoyable, and the 2.5lb TC in particular is absolutely superb as a floater/stalking rod.
“GIMME”: From £79.99
Avid Traction Spod & Marker Rods
These squeeze in all the cool and ‘most wanted’ stuff from your standard carp rods, but have just be pimped to make them ideal for feature finding and spodding work. Both have powerful butt sections, with the Marker Rod having a 3.5lb test curve which is ideally matched to the leads most anglers use for feature finding, whilst The Spod Rod has a macho 5lb TC and will handle weights up to 8oz with ease, but yet still remains easy to compress.
“GIMME”: £99.99