A Perfect Distance Feeder Combo

This article is produced in partnership with Daiwa Sports

As more and more anglers turn their attention to large expanses of water such as Boddington Reservoir, the tackle needed to successfully tackle such venues becomes more specialist. The fish will often sit a fair distance from the bank, and if you want to be able to reach them consistently you'll need a rod and reel set up that's up to the job at hand.

A rod with plenty of backbone to aid casting fully-loaded feeders a long distance, yet with enough playing-action to land any fish you hook is essential.

I recently had the opportunity to put Daiwa's 13ft N'ZON Special Feeder rod through its paces at Boddington Reservoir. It's a three-piece rod with a casting weight of 150g. Now, I can't imagine many scenarios where you're going to be casting that sort of weight, but with more realistic weights of 80g - 90g, this rod is going to propel your feeder a very long way!

Now, I've used quite a few of the rods in this range and this particular model is designed with distance fishing in mind. For example, the 11ft version, while still capable of casting a fair way, is much softer and the handle on the 13-footer is slightly longer which helps to generate more casting power.

The three-piece design also gives you that little bit extra power compared to a two-piece rod.

In terms of fittings and furnishings you'll find forward-facing anti-frap Seaguide stainless guides and the guides on the quivertip section are larger than standard guides which allows shockleader knots to pass through them with minimal resistance.

The lower section of the rod utilises X45 carbon which prevents any torque or twist on the rod which ensures the rod remains straight on the cast.

Of course, when using a rod like this you need to pair with a reel that is also up to the task of distance feeder fishing. And the 24 N'ZON Plus Distance reel is certainly that. My first impression when I saw it, was that of an Audi TT - small, but beautifully packaged and full of power!

The 25mm Long Cast spool has a clever double edge spool lip which may only look like a small detail but it actually makes a big difference to your casting performance. This is because it controls the line release to optimise line travel but at a micro level of resistance ensuring maximum casting distance is achieved.

Winding power and crank rate are a must for a distance feeder reel and the 24 N'ZON Plus Distance has plenty of both! With a geared down ratio of 4.7:1 a single turn of the handle retrieves 96cm of line, so you can wind in feeders from range with ease.

Other features of note include a lightweight Zaion body and air rotor, Cross Wrap, a QD (quick drag) spool, Air Bail and a High Impact Line Clip. Plus, Daiwa have added a one-touch folding handle which makes it easy to store away in your holdall at the end of the session.

It may not be cheap, but if you're serious about your distance feeder work, or even want a reel that can handle species such as barbel on powerful rivers, then you'll definitely want one of these.