Sonik Vader X FS reels

RRP: £49.99

SONIK Sports continues to widen its hugely popular Vader range of carping hardware with the launch of two new compact freespool reels. Just the job for targeting small to mediumsized venues or ‘runs waters’, the reels come in 5000 and 6000 sizes. They weigh 430g and 435g, and boast a micro-adjustable front drag and an independent freespool rear drag adjustment. Build quality is impressive. The reels are made from a light but hard-wearing graphite material (with a stainless steel main shaft), and come with solid aluminium handles, oversized line-friendly line clips and two anodised aluminium spools. With a gear ratio of 5.5:1, there’s no lack of cranking power either. Eagle-eyed readers may have noticed that our tackle editor, Mark Sawyer, used these reels on last month’s Sonik Specialist Barbel rod live test on the River Trent. And if any venue is going to test a product to its limits, it’s the Trent! “For me, the larger 6000 model just gets the nod between the two, as its larger, wider spool is suited to heavier lines,” said Mark. “It also has slightly more cranking power, very handy when retrieving heavy leads and swimfeeders at long range.” Clutch adjustment and the tension settings for the freespool facility, are functional and reliable rather than precise. All-black aesthetics and understated graphics give these Soniks a classy look, and for the asking price you won’t find a better reel anywhere.