Guru Aventus Zero900 16m pole full review

AS ANGLING Times tackle editor I’m fortunate enough to get my mitts on or see quite a lot of new gear before it hits the market.

This was the case a couple of months ago when the guys at Guru invited me to witness the unveiling of their two new Aventus poles.

Now, new coarse fishing kit never got celebrity red carpet treatment in London’s West End. Time was it would be unveiled at an annual company trade show, when the angling press would be invited along on day one, followed by retailers who’d hopefully be sufficiently impressed to place a hefty pre-season order.

Nowadays it’s far more about proving the quality of the kit live on the bank, especially the top-end stuff. Retailers are invited to come along and have a fish with it, or watch it being put through its paces – makes perfect sense to me!

Aston Park in Sheffield was the first port of call for the bankside demo of two new Guru Aventus poles. This venue is absolutely rammed with pleasure and match anglers, and when they saw the Guru gazebos and big-name pole wielders such as James Dent, Matt Godfrey and the irrepressible Frankie ‘Tank’ Gianoncelli on the bank, they converged en-masse to see what was going on. Very clever marketing by the Guru team, and it shows just how confident the Essex-based crew are of their new poles…. just imagine if one of their babies was to go ‘bang’ in front of Sheffield’s finest!

So, that day I got to make a short video about those two new poles – watch it on the Angling Times YouTubechannel. I also had an hour’s use of one of the Aventus Zero700s, and very nice it was too.

However, I’d have liked a little longer with it, and I also wanted to get a much closer look at the flagship Zero900 model. So I asked the lads that should an opportunity to wave the glamour model about ever arise, would they let me know?

Well, they did, and Frankie rang me to say that the Guru lads were at Barston, filming some new kit. If I came along, I could have some time alone with the precious Aventus Zero900.

This was a chance I absolutely wasn’t going to miss. Now, before I go any further, this clearly isn’t a pole that’s going to appeal to the masses. Rather, it’s an aspirational tackle item aimed at the upper echelons of match angling, priced to make you cough up your breakfast cornflakes. Other than buying a boat or a lake, it’s likely to be the most expensive tackle item you could invest in.

But then, if you’re a serious match angler who demands the very best, it’s very likely to be of huge interest.

Think of it as owning a Ferrari or a similar supercar – if you had the money and inclination, would you? Yes! We all would!

So, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. Both Aventus poles have the same technical specifications – Super Glide smooth paint finish, performance points for optimal linear stiffness and rigidity, rigid joint sections, friction-free matt tape finish, and built around the same ultra-fast-taper mandrel.

The only real difference between them is that the flagship 900 is made from an improved grade of high-tensile carbon, giving that bit more stiffness and balance at its full length over its sibling.

I can’t see any need to bang on any further than that, because if you’re in the market to buy one you’ll already have done your homework and will know about what makes it tick.

Now to the performance. The 900 is not merely stiff, it’s super-stiff! It may be a touch wider at the butt end than some other flagship poles, but it was hardly noticeable, even in my small hands. The payback comes in its shipping rigidity and tip-speed agility.

Barston skimmers are easy enough to catch, but under match conditions you’ll need to get them out of the water and into your net very quickly, so shipping at speed is essential. It’s here you start to realise just how special this pole is. The pearlescent paint job on the butt sections is nothing short of spectacular, and it moves through your hands like the proverbial greased whippet.

That, combined with the linear stiffness of the thing, makes effortless work of shipping. Is it strong, though?

Well, in truth I didn’t manage to leg-up a carp, but I’ve handled enough poles to know this one will handle virtually anything that comes along!

If you’re still in any doubt about its build qualities, just cast your eye over the anglers who have been involved with its design – Ringer, Bennett, Godfrey, Dent, Rooney and Tank. Would they ever consider using anything that wouldn’t be at home on any venue in the country? My case rests.

My advice to any would-be Guru Aventus Zero900 customer would be to go somewhere a long way from your home to handle one. Then, on the drive back, you’ll have more than enough time to work out exactly what you’ll say to the missus about the amount of money you’re about to splash!

Tech spec

AVAILABLE PACKAGES POWER PACKAGE

1 x Aventus Zero900 pole 16m

1 xAventus Zero900 Fusion Pole Holdall

1 x Aventus True Extension 13m

1 x Aventus True Extension 14.3/16m

1 x Aventus Cupping Kit & Rapid Release Pole Cups

1 x Fusion X-Case

2 x Aventus Z900 Match 3.5mm - 3.9m Match Kits (top-3)

2 x Aventus Match Power 4.7mm - 2.4m Match Kits (top-2)

6 x Aventus Carp Power 5.8mm - 2.4m Match Kits (top-2)

5 x Aventus Top Kits of the angler’s choice

The five additional kits can be mixed and matched from Match Power, Carp Power and F1 kit options. All Aventus Zero900 sections are interchangeable with the Aventus Zero700 model.

MATCH PACKAGE

As above, except with:

4 x Aventus Z900 Match 3.5mm - 2.4m Match Kits (top-2)

2 x Aventus Z900 Match 3.5mm - 3.9m Match Kits (top-3)

4 x Aventus Match Power 4.7mm - 2.4m Match Kits (top-2)

5 x Aventus Top Kits of the angler’s choice

F1 PACKAGE

As above, except with:

2 x Aventus Short No3 Section

3 x Aventus Z900 Match 3.5mm - 2.4m Match Kits (top-2)

8 x Aventus F1 4.7mm - 1.8m Kits (top-2)

5 x Aventus Top Kits of the angler’s choice

Price: £4,250 (with a full package)