SONIK VADER X CARP RODS

Slim, lightweight matt black carbon fibre blank with progressive casting action

Double leg black SiC guides and anti-frap tip ring

50mm butt guide on all 3lb tc models and above

Fold-friendly ringing patter

17mm black DPS reel seat to house the largest of big pit reels

Line-friendly custom contoured Sonik line clip

Slim Japanese shrink-wrapped butt grip

Black anodised butt cap, laser etched with Sonik’s ‘S’ logo

It's said that you only ever get what you pay for, and 99 per cent of the time this is true – especially with fishing equipment.

But occasionally something goes against that old adage by offering true value for money, matched by a performance to enthuse over.

Take Sonik’s excellent and affordable Vader X carp rods. They start at just £64.99. For that small sum you might expect a budget composite material with an action either poker-stiff or more wobbly than jelly on a plate. Not a bit of it!

The bang you get for your buck is a slim, light, carbon fibre rod, tastefully dressed with high-gloss black whippings over a non-flash gunmetal grey blank. Double-legged black SiC lined guides are fitted throughout, starting with a 50mm butt ring and ending with an anti-frap tip ring. There’s also a dependable 17mm black DPS reel seat to take big pit reels.

Subtle white graphics, a slim Japanese shrink-wrapped butt grip and a custom contoured Sonik line clip all add up to a rod that wouldn’t look out of place on carp venues of the utmost cultishness!

The 12ft, 3.25lb test curve model on live test duty can be used for everything from Method feeder to solid PVA bag work. Other rods in the Vader X range include 12ft (2.75lb and 3.5lb), 13ft (3.5lb) and a rather handy 4.5lb test curve hybrid Spod and Marker rod.

Although pitched by Sonik as a medium-to-long-cast tool, the 3.25lb tc model can be used for close-range and margin work too.

During the live test it easily chucked a 4oz lead more than 75 yards. This is quite a pokey blank, but unlike many of today’s ‘value for money’ carp rods this one retains sufficient cushioning in its progressive action to absorb the lunges from big lumps without risking hook-pulls. Use it with Method feeders, PVA sticks, solid bags, or straight leads up to 4.5oz.

Price: £74.99

Verdict: Sonik Vader X carp rods are very decent medium to long-range big-fish tools. Ideal for the novice carp angler, they are well built and nicely furnished, with an action perfect for pits and lakes where distance casting is paramount.