Shimano’s three new competition poles were well overdue, and eagerly awaited by those who know their stuff. These new Aero models continue the Shimano tradition of making impressive poles, and will hopefully mark the dawning of a new era for the firm.
Having talked with Shimano-backed match ace Nick Speed, I know that the range has been four years in the making. The process, which started from scratch, employed a dynamic development programme employing the skills of leading carbon engineers. They came up with an advanced taper mandrel at the core of poles built for optimum functionality, strength and flexibility. You could use them long for silvers, or short for carp in the margins.
Their design came about after countless hours of secret field-testing across Europe, during which they were put through their paces on many different types of venue, all in the pursuit of pole perfection.
At the heart of all three models, the advanced taper mandrel maximises performance at the longest lengths without sacrificing shorter length performance. Within the new Aero range, all top kits and sections are fully interchangeable, and all stated lengths are true and accurate, ensuring compliance with international rules.
As you can imagine, the finished sample poles are much sought-after as Shimano proudly introduces them to the angling retail trade here in the UK and across Europe.
To sum up, the Aero X7 pole is amazingly stiff and responsive, even at its longest lengths. It’s extremely well balanced and remarkably strong across all the sections.
The Ultra-Sound sanding system finish, running the full length of the pole, is the best of its kind that I have ever seen and makes handling it a joy under any conditions.
The Aero joints on the poles really are something else. The male joints have a diamond finish which prevents them sticking and working apart during normal use, while the female joints have 1k carbon weave for added strength, and a banded cross carbon weave on the section-end to reduce the chances of them cracking when assembling the pole or when under pressure from your elbow.
THE VERDICT
The Aero X7 exceeded my expectations, you can tell a lot of time and effort from top UK anglers like Nick Speed, has gone into developing the new range of Aero poles.
There are some really interesting features that just make the pole that little bit special. The diamond finish on the Aero joints are phenomenal, they will just not allow themselves to stick together, believe me we tried every known method of getting a section to stick together (apart from superglue obviously) and the sections just slipped apart effortlessly. This will serve two purposes, you'll never get a section stuck and risk damaging it pulling them apart, plus you'll never have an issue getting a section apart when playing a fish, meaning you will land more fish, its as simple as that. The female has a 1K weave at its base to prevent chipping.
The poles finish is also superb, utilising Shimano's Ultra-Sound sanding system its unlike anything I've felt before, the pole simply glides through your hands, it doesn't matter if they are wet or dry it will ship out with the utmost ease, it really is fantastic. The pole is built on a new fast taper mandrel, this has really added to the performance of the pole and especially with the short 3 added, the pole is very stiff and very responsive at its longer lengths.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS PRODUCT AND OTHERS FROM SHIMANO HERE.
TECH SPEC
- Highest Quality Japanese Carbon
- Advanced Taper Design
- Aero Joint
- Shimano Alignment System
- Shimano Ultra Sound Sanding
- Reinforced Bands On Top Kits
- Top Kit Depth Markers
- True Length
PACKAGE
1x AERO 10 Tube Pole Holdall
1x AERO X7 Full Pole 16m
3x AERO Pro Match Kit 250cm
3x AERO Pro Power Kit 250cm
1x AERO Pro Cupping Kit
2x AERO Pro F1 Kit 183cm
2x AERO Pro Short No.3 Section
1x AERO X7 13m Extension
1x AERO X7 14.5/16m Extension
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Pros
- Superb finish to the pole makes shipping in and out effortless.
- A true 16m all-round pole.
Cons
- Top kit package could be slightly more comprehensive (but that's being picky).
Our choice of alternatives
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A great all round pole that will perform well on both commercials and natural venues alike.
16m MTX4 V2 Pole
3x Match Kit 2
3x Power Kit 2
3x Grey Short Kits
1x Cupping Kit
2x Mini Extensions (11.5/13m 14.5/16m)
1x Ethos Pole Holdall
Pros
- An all-round competition pole.
- Much improved strength from previous models.
Cons
- Is slightly heavier than the competitors.
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For top performance without breaking the bank, this pole comes with an exceptional spares package.
1 x 16m Pole
1 x 16m Mini Section
1 x 13m Mini Section
1 x 6-7 Mini Section
6 x X-Series Power Carp topkits
6 x X-series Powerlite topkits
1 x Cupping Kit
2 x Long No. 4 Sections
2 x Short No.4 Sections
1 x No. 8 Pole Protector
1 x No.9 Pole Protector
1 x 10-11 Pole Protector
1 x Pole Protection Case
Pros
- Incredibly stiff pole.
- Lots of kit with the package.
Cons
- Can be slightly more fragile than other poles.
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Performs exceptionally well in all weathers, and next-level strength is matched with an impressive array of top kits.
AVENTUS ZERO 700 16.0m Pole Package (including match kit inside pole)
AVENTUS True Extension 13m
AVENTUS True Extension 16m/14.3m
AVENTUS ZERO 700 Match Kit 3.9m 3.5mm x 1
AVENTUS Match Power Kit 4.7mm x 3
AVENTUS Carp Power Kit 5.8mm x 5
AVENTUS Cupping Kit
AVENTUS ZERO 700 FUSION Bespoke Holdall
Pros
- Very strong pole, ideal for commercials and rivers.
- Superb responsiveness.
Cons
- The sections are a bit wider than you might be used to.
Author Mark Sawyer holds the position of Tackle Editor at Angling Times, boasting more than thirty years of experience working within different fields of the angling industry.