When i decided to change from Match fishing to Carp and Specimen hunting the first thing i thought about, like most people do, was the price of the equipment i was going to have to fork out. I though i needed good quality and strong Carp rods but with out the high prices that were on the market. So i decided to shop around and to my surprise i found there were quite a few that were offering low cost entry level Carp rods to help get people started in the sport. The trouble was, how good were these rods in reality?
There was so many different makes available such as JRC, Dunlop, TFG just to name a few and it was very hard to choose which ones would be the best for the job at hand. I wanted a rod that wouldn't just catch me fish but also be able to handle the larger of the species and also do all the jobs that were needed for successful Carp and Specimen fishing such as baiting up, Spod work and Marker float applications. I asked advice from many a fisherman and heard horror stories of rods that boasted good quality and reliable action actually snapping on the bank side when trying to cast at distance and also tips breaking under the strain of only medium size Carp. After all the research and testing i decided to choose the CK Fusion Expert Carp Rods from Dragon Carp Direct. These Rods were an unbelievably low price of just £10 each reduced from £99. Now to be honest they are more like £50 rods reduced to £10 but are amazing quality and very strong.
The rods are finished with a whipped carbon effect and stainless steel but plate to protect the end of the rods. Strengthened eyelets to ensure smooth line travel on casting and a screw reel seat to ensure your real never slips or loosens whilst playing the fish. The look and finish of the rods would rival any top brand available on the market today and i am happy to report that they are as strong as they say they are. I used both the 2.5 lb and the 3 lb test curve version of the rods and for a whole year i put them through their paces on many a different venue. The smaller of the rods were a pleasure when playing the fish and you could feel every twist, turn and shake of the head whilst the larger of the rods were strong enough to handle the largest of spods and spombs.
Even whilst out zig fishing the 2.5 lb TC rods were perfect for feature finding with the marker float and you could feel what was on the bottom whether it be silt, weed or gravel you were able to tell with ease. Unfortunately i did find that the 3 lb TC rods were a bit too stiff for longer range casting but the 2.5 lb ones made up for it. They have a fast return and very responsive tip section and are perfect for anyone who is getting into the sport or someone who is looking for a rod for all occasions.
So if you are getting into the sport and you are trying to stick to a budget don't overlook these little gems just because they only cost a tenna. Normally i would say you get what you pay for but in this case i think Dragon Carp have come up with something a little more special than your normal cheap rods. I can assure you, you will see plenty of fish on the bank with these rods.
Wet Nets & Tight Lines
