INCLUDED in the new MAP Dual XD Distance Feeder series you’ll find three rods, all of which are consummately sweet casters without the inflated price tag that would sour the experience.
This versatile trio will handle casting weights from 80g (3oz) through to a hefty 120g (4oz), and with lengths running from 12ft 6ins for the rod on test right up to the somewhat aptly named 13ft 8ins ‘Beast’ you’ll be spoilt for choice.
With this type of feeder rod it’s a given that the longer it is, the farther it will cast – but it ain’t necessarily so, and I’ll explain why. Shorter, less powerful rods, being much easier to use, take far less effort and skill to compress properly. You might spend years working up to the same performance from a beefier casting tool.
Think of it as passing your driving test and getting behind the wheel of your first car. Even the most unassuming little jam jar can still go very fast, it’ll just take you a little longer to get your speed up. Now equate speed to casting distances. An 80g casting rod – a Fiat 500 if you will – is easy to drive, whereas its 12g-plus equivalent (let’s say a Bugatti Veyron) is far too loaded with testosterone for a beginner to handle.
Newbie carp anglers should take my word on this. Believe me, there’s absolutely no point in buying yourself a set of expensive 13ft, 3.75lb test curve rods, tying 4oz leads on to shockleaders and trying to chuck 150 yards. A decent 12ft rod with a progressive action and a 2.5lb test curve will push you toward 75 yards with ease, and it’s much the same scenario with feeder rods.
So, with all that in mind, let’s take a look at MAP’s 12ft 6ins Dual XD Distance Feeder with its 80g maximum casting weight.
Out of the big-hitter trio this one, for my money, is the easiest to use and seems ideal for large open waters where bream, skimmers, roach and the odd carp are likely to show up.
It would make a pretty decent river feeder rod for bream, too. Its 80g (3oz) casting band will accommodate all types of feeder including Method, Hybrid and blockend designs.
Before going into detail about this rod’s performance it’s well worth noting that it’s very affordable compared to others of its ilk. But don’t think for a moment that this rod and its stablemates have just been thrown together.
The three-section blanks are made from high-grade carbon to deliver a crisp, progressive casting action with a rapid tip recovery and no flat spots – perfect for adding effortless extra yards to your cast.
Perfectly sized and spaced forward-facing anti-frap guides, and oversized guides on the three carbon quivertips (2oz, 3oz, and 4oz), help to prevent tangles and crack-offs, even when using shockleaders. And the unique long part cork/part EVA handle incorporates a screw-down reel seat that looks as though it would handle most modern winches. The generous handle length adds casting speed through to the tip, so even if your pub chucking technique is a bit on the slow side, you’ll still achieve distances up to around 80 yards with this rod.
And so to the live test. The day-ticket Woodland Waters, near Grantham, is a fairly large natural venue, very deep in places, and holds a good head of bream, skimmers, hybrids and a healthy population of carp – most of which are bivvy fare rather than seatbox fodder!
Because of the depth here, a hefty feeder can work to your advantage when you want to get your feed quickly to the bottom. This being quite an open expanse of water, it lends itself very well to distance casting tactics too.
So, with the 12ft 6ins Dual XD tooled-up with MAP’s matching double-handled Dual reel spooled with 6lb line and a 10lb shockleader, it was game on.
Half-an-hour of constant casting with a 30g feeder to get some grub down on the bottom was easy on the arm, and I didn’t have very long to wait before I was attached to a fish.
Barely had the ripples from my feeding barrage subsided when the 2oz carbon quivertip pulled round in that unmistakably breamy way.
Sure enough, there was enough softness through the top section to absorb the headshakes and twitches that bream and skimmers are notorious for.
The mid-section of the rod provided reassuring cushioning, and I wouldn’t think twice about using smaller hooks and/or lighter lines down to 0.13mm.
There is, though, still enough determination in the butt section to dish out the power when big commercial carp are on the cards.
What’s not to like? The Dual XD’s are well priced and well designed, proving that often the old-school rods are the best.
Price: 12ft 6ins 80g £179.99, 13ft 2ins 100g £189.99, 13ft 8ins 120g £199.99
