X-Tra Special Basia X45X Rods
Daiwa reach new heights with their brand-new Basia X45X rods, according to CARPology’s Thom Airs
Let’s cut to the chase, because Daiwa certainly have. In their promotional material for these rods, the company bullishly describe them as “the very best carp rod available”.
It’s a bold claim, for sure, but it’s backed up by a hell of a lot of carbon-wrangling expertise and a boatload of proprietary technology, so let’s examine the evidence.
The Basia X45Xs have been designed and built by Daiwa UK at their Scottish headquarters, so they’re not a generic blank with inherent compromises to satisfy a worldwide audience—they are out-and-out carp tools made by a bunch of highly skilled specialists with their ears to the ground on the carp scene. And when you get them in your hands they just feel… special.
The first thing to grab you are the SeaGuide TDG guides, which Daiwa accurately describe as ‘near skeletal’. These barely-there rings are clearly very lightweight to aid a responsive and accurate casting action. Another sign of quality is the Alps ARD reel seat with its ripple-shaped grip and lightweight aluminium construction. Its double locking screws also clamp down tightly on your reel for added confidence when going for mega distances.
And then there’s the carbon itself—which is the real showcase of Daiwa UK’s talents. The blank boasts Daiwa’s tried-and-tested Magnum Taper (MT) profile, which is a tapered blank that creates speed through the tip and then a progressive delivery of power lower down.
Next, the keen-eyed among you will have spotted an extra X in the name of these rods. X45 carbon has been a Daiwa trademark for a few years, but now X45X is here to trump it. Where once Daiwa placed a layer of carbon at a 45-degree angle to the one beneath it in key stress points on the blank to ward off twisting and torquing, the new X45X Full Shield means this process is repeated throughout the rod’s length. The result is an even greater reduction in torque, thus channelling even more of your casting power to a straight and true flight.
Elsewhere in the construction process, HVF Nanoplus is Daiwa’s phrase to describe reduced resin content (to save weight) yet with the addition of nano-sized reinforcing particles to maintain strength. And on top of all that there’s V-Joint Alpha to reduce flat-spotting at the join in the rod’s two sections.
Put simply, these have all the bells and whistles and feel as though they’ve been crafted as a treat for the discerning carper. There are 3.25lb and 3.75lb options in both 12ft and 13ft lengths, plus a dedicated 12ft spod rod (4.5lb) and a marker rod (4.25lb).
