Improve Your Coarse Fishing (UK)
On- the- bank test:
Middy XZ Ultra Control Waggler
MIDDY ULTRA CONTROL WAGGLER SRP: £ 249.99
THERE are plenty of examples of tackle that are made with a single job in mind.
For instance, a 9ft bomb rod is the perfect tool for casting a lead a short distance on commercials although beyond that it rarely comes into play. But there are other rods that are much more versatile, working their magic in a wide range of different scenarios.
The brand new 14ft Middy Reactacore XZ Ultra Control Waggler seamlessly slides into this category. Its length and the power it packs from top to bottom instantly make it a candidate for trotting a float down a river for chub – and that’s exactly how I fancied putting it through its paces.
Unfortunately there was a slight snag – conditions leading up to the test had been far from ideal. The country had been hammered by record levels of rainfall during the previous week but, with four or five dry days since, I was optimistic I might get lucky and find the Derbyshire Derwent dropping and suitable for the float.
Sadly, it wasn’t to be. Instead I was greeted by high and coloured water that was in no way suited to fishing the float.
On to Plan B
I was disappointed but quickly regrouped and headed 10 miles up the road to Birch House Lakes near Ashbourne.
The plan was to target Horseshoe Lake, using the length of the rod to neatly drop a bait tight to the nearside lilies. Try doing this with a ‘ standard’ 10ft or 11ft rod and accuracy is difficult to achieve but with a longer tool it is easy.
A handful of 4mm pellets and a sprinkling of corn went over the float and after a short wait the waggler darted under. A firm strike was met with solid resistance and the rod instantly shone, oozing the power I needed to steer the hard- fighting common away from dense cover. The length of the rod kept me in total control, enabling me to get over the top of the fish to ensure it couldn’t find sanctuary in the tackle- busting roots.
This was the result on every bite at close quarters and the blend of power and necessary cushioning to prevent hook- pulls impressed me immensely.
Impressive all- round
Later, I noticed several carp mooching around the edge of a lily bed in open water.
The depth was set to 3ft and I catapulted a couple of pouchfuls of 6mm pellets over the spot to get the fish competing. It took seconds to get a response on the first cast but it wasn’t my intended target as a chunky rudd took the hookbait.
Several other silvers came and although they weren’t what I was after, it was another tick on the checklist with the rod showing it was also soft enough not to bump them.
Casting the 3g float was also effortless and reaching the target at 20m was achieved with
minimal effort. The rod can handle floats up to 10g and I’ve no doubt it would whack them to 50 metres or more. Once the carp rocked up shallow indications were lightning fast but the rod’s quick response enabled me to pick up line in a split second and hit every bite!
Specimen qualities
The rod had passed the test for commercials with flying colours and there is no doubt it would be a dream when trying to keep control of a float on a river. I reckon it would also have bagged top marks fishing for perch in the margins or battling with big tench at close quarters in summer.
Middy has worked hard creating the Ultra Control Waggler. It looks stylish, the carbon and overall finish have a classy feel and it has immense versatility that will see it put to good use on almost any session, even if you do have to resort to plan B!
“... the rod’s quick response enabled me to pick up line in a split second and hit every bite”