In 2023 came the long-awaited return of Shimano to the pole market – and we were blown away by what we saw! Leading the trio of new poles is the flagship Aero Competition Pro. One of the lightest 16m poles available, it has a stunning degree of rigidity and strength, thanks to a unique combination of high function design and technically advanced Japanese carbon.

A comprehensive package includes five Match kits, four Power kits, four one-piece F1 kits and two short No3 sections. You also get a 13m extension and a 14.5m/16m extension, along with three Reversible Protector sections to prevent accidental damage to the major sections.

The UK-made Airity is now even stiffer and stronger. Additional power in key areas, along with Super MSG Nanoplus, creates a sharper response and a better balance. The ‘slide easy’ benefit of ITS taping has been extended to cover sections from No4 to No8. Daiwa’s new Professional Top Kits are included with the pole, with a choice of either More Match or More Power packages.

The Airity Pro and spares packages of this best-seller are suited to both commercial and all-round use.

A highly functional and strong pole, the Matrix MTX3 Ultra V2 Carp is suited to both natural venues and commercials, and available in both 16m and two 13m packages. It was the 13m Carp package that impressed us the most. With its Match kit, three Power kits, cupping kit, additional three No3 sections, reversible mini-extension and pole holdall, it’s perfect for the angler who wants a quality pole at a great price, but doesn’t need to fish at 14.5m or 16m.

Keeping the same mandrel, several sections have been re-engineered to improve strength and rigidity on what was already an outstandingly tough and durable pole. Fully bushed with both PTFE and Revolve Side Pullers, you even get protective nose cones on the No3 and No4 sections, and EVA bungs on the mini extension.

The Guru A-Class pole range features five poles, from a 5.5m Power Margin up to a robust 13m model, with both Match and Power packs available. The entire range is strong and affordable, making it ideal for the newbie pole or club match angler looking for their first ‘proper’ long pole, with the 13m version being particularly good.

As a group, they are as stiff and responsive as any other price-comparable pole, and the finish on them is also very impressive. But strength is key with any budget pole, as users are likely to have the odd mishap. There are no fears in that respect with these poles, such is their robust build quality.

Add to that a solid all-round performance and you’ve got a pole range that is extremely popular, and with good reason – they are all absolute belters for the money! It’s also worth remembering that the package for these poles is better than that of many others in the same price bracket.

The Maver MV-RXX Margin 9m is a beast of a pole boasting incredible wall strength and the brute power to tame the biggest of margin-dwelling creatures. Created with high-grade carbon fibre to produce a responsive and lightweight feel, it incorporates all the exclusive resins and patented finishes available to Maver.

At 9m in length, it is fully compatible with all X-Series top-kits, making it a perfect companion to owners of RXX and RXS models, as well as any other pole that utilises 18mm bore top-kits. As margin poles go, the package is stunning, including three top-kits and a cupping kit, making it a fully functioning and usable pole in its own right.

A pole that delivers where most fall short – the length! Those extra metres count, allowing the angler to reach the longest and most treacherous margins without risking their main pole. Made on the same mandrel as the rest of the MTX range, allowing full compatibility, you even get EVA protective nose cones on the No3 and No4 sections, reducing the chances of damage when hurriedly assembling sections while hauling huge weights of fish.

Again, you get a formidable package of three fully bushed top kits and a cupping kit, all inside a protective sleeve. As if this wasn’t enough, you can pick one of these up for under £500, which is a steal considering the length and range of top kits included.

This year a new seatbox replaced Matrix’s best-selling S36. The new Matrix XR36 Pro sports not only eye-catching aesthetics, but many innovative design improvements. The main frame now has non-marking leg clamps, and utilises a unique one-piece super-strong tubular hydro-formed frame. The footplate has a textured top and non-slip plastic slides with a single hand release mechanism.

The box comes with one shallow tray, a deep drawer unit and a transport lid. The 36mm non-slip extending legs are fully anodised, and include screw threads for off-box attachments. The seatbox height is fully adjustable via easy-to use large rubber handwheels, while a built-in spirit level will help to take out the guesswork of setting it up level on any terrain. It comes in a choice of two arresting colour schemes – Lime or Shadow.

The Tournament 800 seatbox has a Tardis-like storage capacity. The top section includes a 20mm shallow winder tray with a perforated base, plus two side drawers. A retractable footplate has rock- solid 36mm telescopic legs secured with 180-degree rotating locking handwheels. The base unit comes with two 20mm shallow winder trays, both perforated.

The Preston Innovations Supera X models have taken feeder rods to a whole new level. The blank has been reduced in diameter, yet the power is retained thanks to X Wrap carbon. Combined with new lighter and thinner guides, the weight saving has made a notable improvement to the casting action.

The 12ft rod is the star of the show for us. Perfect for natural waters at longer ranges up to around 55m, it also performs superbly on flowing waters with heavier feeders on shorter 30m casts on venues like the Trent, Thames or Yare. As expected of a rod in this range, you get exquisite carbon detailing and a cork/EVA handle with ‘Super X laser’ etched into the armlock.

We've seen more and more great tackle coming from Shakespeare over the past couple of years, and the SC-2 30G 9ft Bomb rod is no exception. Although classed as a ‘bomb rod’, with a 30g rated casting weight, it is more than capable of handling any kind of light feeder on smaller commercials.

With carbon tips all the rage, it’s great to see two hugely forgiving and readable glass tips provided, helping to prevent line bites from moving the feeder without compromising casting or fish playing actions in any way. Smartly finished with a cork/EVA contoured Hybrid handle with laser etched detailing.

The newest incarnation of the legendary range is the Daiwa Tournament S 11ft 6ins Float. It has been updated with Daiwa’s latest technologies, including HVF Nanoplus and V-Joint Alpha, but more notably, the action has been geared slightly more towards natural venue fishing.

The 11ft 6ins Float is a superb offering, brought about by the rise in winter silverfish matches on commercials, along with the need to serve anglers fishing small rivers and drains, making it already the best- selling float rod in the range. Perfect for smaller wagglers and casts of 15m to 25m, it will also cope with F1s or carp on mugging tactics if required.

Seaguide TYG and TDG, premium skeletal guides are used throughout and perfectly complement the fast, yet forgiving action of the rod’s gorgeously thin blank.

Nytro's Impax Pellet Waggler range is aimed at commercial work, covering all popular tactics – and with an absurdly low-price tag!

We were blown away by how light this rod is, and it makes easy work of the highly active pellet waggler technique.

A two-sectioned blank is fitted with 11 stand-off anodised and lined single- and double- leg guides, and a secure lock-down reel seat on a reduced 22ins cork and EVA handle make the rod highly practical and easy to use. We guarantee you will see loads of these out on the bank next summer!

Read our full in-depth review of the Nytro Pellet Waggler Rod here.

Designed and built in the UK, Daiwa has incorporated the very latest material technology into its Longbow X45M rods. Thanks to the blank’s profile, Daiwa has been able to push the design limits of the test curve, bringing a groundbreaking 4lb tc model into the six-rod range.

Such a test curve would have been more familiar on a spod rod not so long ago – however, the outstanding casting power is remarkably well balanced, with a responsive and forgiving tip action that ensures even tentative hook holds are not penalised. The blank boasts ‘near-skeletal’ TDG guides, making the rod lightweight and super-responsive. A quality Seaguide reel seat and Japanese shrink grip make up a simple, understated handle assembly in a top-quality carp rod.

These telescopic E-S-P 10ft Onyx rods are available in two popular test curves of 3.25lb and 3.5lb.

Lightweight, well balanced and super-responsive, the slim carbon blanks feature not only an ‘old school’ look, but also an ‘old school’ price tag.

Key features include quality lightweight stainless guides with a 40mm butt ring. The full-length EVA handle features a dependable reel fitting with anodised butt cap and collars. Excellent casting capabilities, while retaining a forgiving playing action, along with their compact size, makes them ideal for tight swims and smaller vehicles.

The newly updated Korum Barbel rods suit the needs of the modern big-fish river angler, each of the four models comes complete with a white tip for bite detection, tough SiC lined rod guides and slim, full cork handles. All rods feature an anti-frap tip guide and pack down into two equal lengths for easy storage.

Not only do they perform better, they look the part too, with modern styling making them appear way more expensive than they actually are. The 11ft, 1.75lb test curve model is suited to smaller rivers and casting weights up to 5oz, while the longer 12ft option makes the perfect all-rounder.

There’s also a 2lb test curve 12ft model, capable of tackling floodwater with heavier feeders of up to 6oz, while the 2.5lb model is capable of handling the biggest rivers the UK has to offer.

The Shakespeare SKP B1 Specialist rods are aimed at the angler looking for a set of rods that will cover all aspects of specimen fishing, from stalking carp through to feeder fishing for bream, chub or barbel.

Oversized guides, longer handles and fast tip recovery feature across all six rods, which span from a lightweight 12ft, 1.75lb test curve model through to a powerhouse 2.75lb tc 13ft beast. There is even a 15ft float model, perfect for long trotting on bigger rivers and giving exceptional control through the entire run.

Built to the highest standards of quality and performance, the Shimano Power Aero 14000 XTC is designed to handle anything that you might want to throw at it. A super-slow 5 system oscillation, combined with a gear ratio of 4.3:1, provide plenty of power and retrieve speed.

Other key features are a parallel body shape for added balance and control, Hi Speed front drag, and a shielded A-RB system offering total protection against ingress from water and dirt. Every detail of this reel has been carefully crafted to ensure that it gives the best possible performance, from its cold-forged Hagane Gear system to X-Ship and Infinity Drive.

However, one of its most impressive features is the Silent Drive System, which delivers unbeatable power and performance, ensuring that it runs smoothly and quietly even when put under extreme stress.

The Daiwa 21 Crosscast 45 SCW QD OT is another top-quality addition to Daiwa’s big-pit reel range that brings the advances and technologies used in many of its flagship ranges within reach of the everyday angler. It features a tough DS4 main body and matching rotor, plus super strong Digigear II internals and a responsive QDM quick drag that goes from loose to fully tight in a 3/4 turn of the handle. The 45mm long cast spools have strong metal high-impact line clips for improved accuracy.

They also feature a slow cross wrap system that provides exceptional line lay back on to the reel, ensuring extra casting distance.

Featuring a 25mm spool, the N’ZON Distance 25 Feeder is perfect for both long range and powerful feeder work. Its geared down ratio of 4.6:1 ensures easier winding of heavy loads, but still cranks back 92cm per handle turn.

The shallow-profile aluminium spool will hold up to 150m of 0.28mm mono or 300m of 0.16mm braid, if required. Even with less line loaded, line release remains smooth. There are also twin line clips, allowing you to fix accurate distances to multiple spots you may be fishing.

The Nytro Solus 5000 reel is the perfect tool for any feeder angler on a tight budget. It runs silky-smooth on six bearings, and has an iron flat line lay thanks to its S-curve oscillation system.

You get two line clips, multi-disc front drag, lightweight graphite body, oversized hollow bail-arm, and extra smooth titanium line roller. The unique long-cast aluminium spool is also worthy of note, being ideal for use with low-diameter braided mainlines.

The Daiwa Matchman reels have been designed to complement the affordable Matchman range of rods, the
2500 is perfect for light feeder and float work, while the next size up, the 3000, is as suited to floatfishing, including the pellet waggler, as it is feeder challenges.

For outright feeder work, especially where power and a degree of distance is expected, the 4000 is perfect.
With a ratio of 5.3:1 it will crank back 95cm in one handle turn. The UTD drag also offers responsive control, with a wide range of adjustments to ensure you can set it just right for the set-up and fish action you are expecting.

Conceived as the ideal companion to the NTR rods, the Nytro NTR Reel has 4+1 ball-bearings, a shallow aluminium spool for smooth casting and a minimal need for backing. Features include a round metal line clip, graphite body, micro-adjustable front drag, smooth clutch system, oversized bail-arm and ambidextrous reel handle.

The relatively slow gear ratio of 4.6:1 has the benefit of reducing the chance of spin-ups when using double hookbaits, an issue encountered regularly with entry-level reels. The stand-out feature of this reel has to be the price – a fully functioning, smooth running and usable reel at this price was thought to be impossible just a few years ago.

The new Supera X range has two designs of carryall, two designs of net bag and four kinds of ready rod bag with two types of rod strap to go in them. There’s also two sizes of EVA hooklength cases, as well as a pole bag, bait bag, roller & roost bag, reel case and tip tube! Even the Hardcase Cool Safe, Tackle Safe, both sizes of Pole Safe and Kit Safe match the colours, should you wish to use these too.

All these are finished in a black 840D wipe-down material with matching blue detailing, and secured with oversized zips. Larger items have detachable padded carry straps and reinforced bases, with at least two additional pockets to help with organisation. Discreet yet smart, highly functional and easy to use, we expect this premium range to be just as popular as its predecessors.

The eye-catching lime green and black Matrix Ethos Pro luggage range is well thought out, and very cleverly designed so you can be super-organised on the bank.

The concise range covers everything the modern match or pleasure angler requires, from ready-made up rod holdalls, through to stink bags, classic net bags, lined bait bags, carryalls and holdalls. Constructed with durable hard bases, they are tailored using a tough rip-stop, wipe-clean material, with double stitching on all stress points including straps and handles, and faultless non-snagging zips with rubber pullers.

Sonubaits 2023 range of Salted Caramel pellets, groundbait, pastes, liquid additives and hookbaits have been little short of sensational on a wide spread of waters. All have a naturally sweet aroma, but with a subtle rounded hint of pellet/fishmeal, while the baits and feeds also contain salt, a proven winner. Complemented by an intensely attractive caramel scent and flavouring, this has proved to be an irresistible combination that works every bit as well on natural venues as it does on commercial carp fisheries.

This is a groundbait mix with a powerfully spicy aroma, using a blend of peppery ingredients in conjunction with a signature natural deep red colour. Possibly one of the most popular carp bait additives on the market today, Robin Red is sourced direct from its origin at Haiths Feeds.

This super-fine particle groundbait is designed to mix easily and bind readily to your Method or Hybrid feeder. Featuring a soft feel and a fast breakdown on contact with the water, it’s ideal for hectic Method feeder fishing in shallow water, and the perfect presentation when used in conjunction with Robin Red pre-drilled pellets.

Following the runaway success of The Krill Active freezer bait range, this year’s shelf-life and pop-up hookbait versions have unsurprisingly flown off tackle shop shelves, and been the downfall of many of the country’s biggest carp.

The biggest step forward in shelf-life baits for decades, these new boilies are as close to fresh as possible, and incorporate minimal preservatives thanks to the pure liquids and their high natural salt content. They are available in 1kg and 5kg bags, and in sizes 12mm, 16mm, 20mm and 24mm.

The Krill Active pop-ups feature a fluffy, light outer coating, which has a neutral buoyancy, making them easy to counterbalance. You can rest assured that your hookbait is sitting perfectly, for days if necessary! They are 16mm in size, and come in 120g tubs.

As a bait, Mainline Cell needs no introduction to most anglers – its success across the globe is unparalleled with regard to boilie baits. The new shelf-life version, released earlier this year, has already proved incredibly successful on a range of carp venues.

The Cell boilies are supported by a full range of complementary pop-ups, wafters, groundbaits, additives, pellets and particles to suit pretty much any baiting approach or tactics.

These front weight-loaded, easy casting, lead-free alloy Hybrid style feeders have a unique feature in the form of a line-friendly rubber line clip that is situated towards the rear and side area of the feeder body.

The clip traps the line to ensure that your bait is held in place not only during the cast, but also as your feed breaks down in the water, ensuring ultimate hookbait presentation at all times. Once a fish has taken the bait and is hooked, the line easily and safely releases every time from the hooklength clip.

The Embed Feeder’s deep body and sides hold plenty of feed and prevent premature spillage on to the lakebed, while the angled vents along the bottom of the feeder base protect the payload on impact with the water, still allowing for water ingress and a guaranteed breakdown and quick release of feed. The removable stem configuration makes them fishable inline and, as a running rig, they are compatible with all MAP stems.

Available in small, medium and large sizes, with weights from 24g to 42g.

The Fox Frontier Lite bivvy is basically a stripped-back ‘brolly-style’ version of the best-selling Fox Frontier bivvy. Designed with the mobile angler looking for a lightweight yet durable shelter very much in mind, It offers maximum protection and maximum space in a very compact footprint.

Weighing in at just 8kg, it is a lot lighter than the standard edition Frontier, yet still boasts a 10,000mm hydrostatic head. With many of the same features that made the original Fox Frontier shelters so popular, this bivvy is ideal for anglers looking for a high-quality option that doesn’t weigh a ton.

Also available is a solid front infill panel with a letter box-style removable door as well as a lightweight groundsheet which features clips to secure it in place.