EXCLUSIVE! We test Daiwa’s new Match Winner pole range!
The Match Winner does just what it says on the butt!
IF YOU plan to visit the forthcoming Big One or Northern Angling shows, make sure you pay a visit to the Daiwa stand.
There you can see and handle the full range of Match Winner Competition poles, all unmistakably from the Daiwa stable, with butt sections resplendent in the eye-catching silver livery we associate with flagship Tournament models.
Staying in line with their thoroughbred counterparts, all Match Winner poles have fully interchangeable sections. This
lessens pain in the wallet area, should you wish to upgrade to a higher spec pole.
Daiwa hasn’t skimped on the Match Winner’s spares packages either – even the 13m introduction-level C1 comes with two Power top-3 kits, a short Daiwa Phex extension (giving the pole a tad more length than stated), and a cupping kit.
The top-of-the-range 16m C5, the pole on live test duty, is supplied with a whopping four Power top-3 kits; a Match kit inside the pole; cupping kit; two mini extensions that fit on to the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth sections; and a Phex mini extension that takes the pole to its true 16m length.
All models are fitted with 3mm (Match) and 4mm (Power) pre-cut pure PTFE bushes, and boast pre-bored wrapped areas for fitting side puller kits.
Considering the classy carbon build of these poles, and their generous spares packages, they’re actually a bit of a bargain!
With prices starting at just £499, going up to £1,199, there’s a model to suit most pockets. If you shop around, I bet you can find them all for less than the RRP, too.
So much for what you get, but how a pole performs on the bank is what really matters. Where better to start than at the top of the pile with the Matchwinner C5?
This resilient pole has areas of reinforcement only where they are required, keeping the weight right down. This means the fourth and fifth sections, which get the most use, are also the strongest.
This is what you might expect from any pole with a price tag of over a grand. But the C5 Competition has that little bit extra – it oozes class, elegance and poise, and reminds me very
much of my very first Daiwa Tournament X pole.
Steely rigidity is backed up with superb balance and handling speed to knock out silverfish at a rate of knots. Of course, there’s also ample power to deal with carp of most sizes.
This I discovered during the live test at the superb day-ticket Stretton Lakes complex just off the A1, north of Peterborough.
The pole does dip a bit at its full 16m length, but not enough to pose a problem. It’s really good at 14.5m, even better at 13m.
The two short mini-extensions allow for plenty of tactical flexibility, and as they are thickerwalled than the sections, they will avoid breakages when fishing at shorter ranges.
Price: £1,199 (C5)