The best fishing whips for all budgets

The Drennan Vertex Elasticated Whip is an ideal beginner whip that’s built with some thought behind it. It’s a versatile tool that feels decent in the hand and gives new anglers a good chance of catching fish and landing them too.

The standout feature here is its fully elasticated top section. That bit of stretch acts as a cushion when you hook something a bit bigger than expected, maybe a greedy carp on commercials or a bonus perch on the canal. It takes the panic out of playing fish and keeps things nice and controlled.
You get everything you need to get started. The rig is already tied, with sensible line. 0.18mm mainline to a 0.15mm hooklength, finished off with a size 16 Silverfish Pellet hook that’ll hold maggots, casters, soft pellets or bread flake. It also comes with a disgorger, and the elastic connectors already fitted, so it’s good to go.

Available in 3m, 4m, and 5m options, there’s a length to suit different pegs and venues. Whether you’re sat on a canal, river, reservoir or even a commercial, it’s ideal for catching small fish, with the reassurance that the elastic will handle something bigger if it shows up.

Be it a river, a canal or your local commercial. The Daiwa Connoisseur Speed Whip lives up to the ‘Connoisseur’ moniker, it’s designed for speed fishing, and it’s seriously good at what it does.

Built on Daiwa’s HVF Nanoplus carbon with clever tech like X45 bias wrap and V-Joint, this range is crisp, light and outrageously responsive in the hand. Whether you’re snatching bleak at pace or long-lining for winter roach, every length in the range feels like it’s been purpose-built for the job.

Each model features a flick tip with fitted yarn for quick rig attachment. They’re fully telescopic, with that familiar Daiwa balance between featherweight handling and just enough backbone to deal with a surprise perch or bonus chub. You can’t bully big fish with it, but you won’t be caught out either.
Available from 2m up to 4.5m, plus a Connoisseur Pro 8m system whip for those who want the reach and the rigidity.

The A-Class Whip from Guru is exactly what you’d hope for in a first whip. It’s fuss-free, affordable, and built to do the job, whether you’re introducing a youngster to fishing or just want something reliable in your rad bag for a bit of fun.

It's fully telescopic so there’s no fiddling with sections. Just extend it, attach a ready tied rig using the easy connector at the tip, and you’re fishing, it simply doesn't get any easier and for the price, you can't fish any cheaper!

It’s available in 3m and 4m lengths, which cover most starter situations, fishing for small silverfish or canals and commercials where you can catch to hand. The action is soft enough to be forgiving when fish kick back, but there’s still enough strength in the blank to swing in smaller fish with confidence.

Despite the low price, this doesn’t feel like a toy. It’s light in the hand, well-balanced, and genuinely fun to use. For a young angler learning the ropes or someone after a stress-free way into whip fishing, this ticks all the right boxes.

There’s nothing fancy about the Cadence CP200 Whip. This is a no-nonsense, properly thought-out bit of kit for anglers who fish rivers, drains and canals. Whether you're fishing to-hand for roach across a fenland drain or snaring dace on the river, this whip gives you the tools to fish fast and efficiently.

The CP200 comes in two main lengths, 6m and 9m. It’s design leans heavily towards river work. That said, it’s got enough backbone to be elasticated for use on big Dutch canals or in Ireland where big hybrids are the norm. I like that the whole top five is telescopic, giving it a stronger, more connected action that feels sharper when striking and more responsive when swinging fish to hand.

Extra top 3s and 5s are available at a decent price, and there’s interchangeability between the 6m and 9m models, which is exactly the versatility you want when you’re fishing a range of venues. It’s ideal if you want several tops set up for different rigs.

If you want a whip that’s light, responsive and makes your life easier on the bank, the Acolyte Telescopic Pro range is hard to ignore. These whips aren’t just designed for short bursts of speed fishing, they’re built for it.

The 2m to 5m models are fully telescopic, making them quick to set up and ideal for fishing to-hand fishing on canals, drains, and rivers. Each one comes with a built-in flick tip and weighs next to nothing, just 31g on the 2m model, but they are still able to handle the odd surprise.

If you’re looking for something longer, the Acolyte Pro 8m and 10m versions offers even more versatility. It uses a spliced-in top three and comes as part of a wider system, supplied with two options: a standard bush and bung to elasticate the No2 section, and a second bung with a tension bead so you can tweak your elastic without cutting it. This whip will suit anglers who want to fish longer lines or at longer length on bigger venues. Extra top kits are available too, so you can prepared for a variety of venues.

The Colmic Emperor Pro has been a standout whip for the last few seasons, and if you've used one, you'll know why. Sharp, light and reliable. Now enter the Emperor Superior. It keeps everything anglers loved about the Pro but trims the weight and adds refinement. Thanks to new HM55 carbon, these whips are noticeably lighter without losing their trademark fast action and strength. If you thought the original was hard to beat, you might need to rethink.

There are nine lengths available, from a lightning-fast 2m & 2.5m that have cork handles, up to a versatile 5m. That gives you options, whether you're targeting fish to hand or stretching out a little further. Every model has a crisp action, ideal for fast repetitive fishing where every missed bite or wasted second counts.

The 2m whip is just 37g, while the 5m comes in at only 127g. That’s remarkable when you consider how durable and responsive these whips are under pressure. You can buy them individually or as part of a full whip pack with a padded holdall, deal if you want the full range to give you ultimate versatility.

If you’re after a whip that covers more than just catching tiddlers, then the Daiwa AIR System Whip is as close to a complete solution as you’ll get. It combines finesse with the strength and reach needed for any situation you may encounter, from small drains catching roach and dace to Irish rivers and lochs for hybrids and skimmers.

The 8m whip weighs just 280g. That’s impressively light for a piece of kit with this much backbone. The top three sections are telescopic with a solid carbon flick tip, perfect for fishing to hand on rivers and drains where speed and bite detection are key. But the best part of the system is its adaptability.

Daiwa supply two additional hollow telescopic top threes, designed to take light elastic. So, if you need to switch from speed fishing for bleak to targeting bonus fish, you can do it in a few seconds.
The remaining part of the whip is take-apart. You have the option to add-on extensions to take the whip to 9m and even 10m, all whilst retaining the rigidity and responsiveness of the whip. And conveniently, the full 10m system still packs down into one section, keeping things nice and compact.

Built using Daiwa’s HVF Nanoplus carbon and incorporating Super MSG, the AIR Whip isn’t just light, it’s incredibly responsive, fast and crisp. It flicks rigs out with ease, hits bites almost instantly.
There’s a full range of additional match kits available to round out the system. So you can adapt it to suit venues across the UK and Ireland.