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TACKLE TESTS

On these pages we will give our opinion on items of tackle myself, Tony or other anglers are using, or have used in the past. If you have any tackle that you would like tested please e-mail me with the details.

 

 

DAIWA DICTATOR Z 12ft 2¼lb TC

Daiwa logo

I've had these rod's for nearly four years now. Initially I used them for most of my fishing, including medium - long range. Although now days they are mainly used for short range work, stalking & floater fishing. Being Diawa blanks they are fairly stiff, which helps when casting any distance, but they do bend nicely when under load. This season I have been fishing a lake where the carp take cover in the middle of a massive lilley bed, the only way to get to them is to fish a floater, with a disposable controller float (see floater fishing), slap-bang in the middle of the pads. It's fun when you hook one! The Dictators are superb for heaving carp to mid-twenties from these pads. The factory finish on these rods is exceptional, except for one small gripe, when the varnish was applied it ran into the line clip on the blank, making it unusable. I don't use the clips, but it is slightly annoying! All in all, top rods that do the business.

Kev Robinson blinkblinkblinkblink

DAIWA TOURNAMENT 5000T

DAIWA TOURNAMENT 5000T

I bought these babies earlier this year, the Shimano Big Baitrunner was just about to hit the shops, so Diawa dropped the price from £255 to £170. A steal! So I persuaded the wife to let me buy some! I use mine with a Baitrunner conversion on the front, but this has caused no problems. The build quality of these reels is top-notch, the precision front drag is smooth & precise and the casting improvement is noticable. The only annoying thing is that spare spools cost an absolute fortune! (So if anyone out there knows where I can get some cheap, send me an email!) Top marks for top reels.

Kev Robinson blinkblinkblinkblinkblink

Nash Titan Viper

titan.gif (23963 bytes)

I have been using a FOX oval plus brolley for the past 2 years with a 4-oz nylon front panel (home made) during over-night sessions. However, this front panel conversion although seemingly successful at first didn’t provide me with the fastest way of exiting the brolley upon a screaming run of a carp. Infact been the type of person who has spent many a night climbing out of the water after falling in an effort to strike a run I decided this situation wasn’t acceptable. I eventually decided to bite the bullet of three hundred pounds and the embarrassment of looking unprofessional and buy a Nash Titan Viper (a professional at last).

The quick and simple system is excellent which makes putting it up and taking it down quickly, a doddle.
The new Viper is somewhat more spacious than the original All Season, higher at the centre and wider making ample space for a bedchair. Infact you could even put in two bedchairs, it easily accommodates all my gear without being at all cramped. The front zips in and out so it can easily be erected as a brolly yet can quickly be turned into a full bivvy if needed. The clip in ground sheet is very useful with front opening which in summer are used to keep out unwanted insects. The skin is made from the hi-tech "breathable" Slippery eel fabric, which is supposed to reduce condensation drip by up to 80% however this claim by Nash in my opinion is unfounded as I have experienced heavy water droplets at the bivvy’s centre.

Sumin-up

Overall the Viper like all Titan’s shows outstanding quality and is generally a brilliant concept with few areas of improvement which I can think of. This model looks to be well made with a very strong structure which I am sure will not let me down. It is far far better than my previous brolley but at three times the price what do you expect.

By the way the storm and swan sticks are a must, these give the bivvy a strong and firm base which the bivvy lacks without.

Andy Evans blinkblinkblinkblinkblink

 

 

 

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