I thought I understood poles. After many years of fishing with carbon fibre products, I believed there were very few secrets left to discover. Year on year, poles would still improve, but it would always be in small steps. Many a time I would pick up a new flagship model and have to put it alongside its predecessor to see the difference, carefully picking up each one in turn.
Something has changed in the last couple of years, though. It was MAP’s G series that first made me realise that something was happening, but it could well have started before that, as it’s not an isolated trend. Every pole range I’ve looked at recently has been dramatically better than its predecessor.
This week, it was the turn of Garbolino. I had a close look at all their UK range poles back in 2023 at Alders Farm. Sublimely rigid, and with a build that pushed most of the bend when playing a fish towards the top end, they gave you a great feeling of control, matched with a beautiful balance. An all-time favourite day of mine on the bank, I had their feel engrained in my mind.
As Garbolino’s Darren Cox laid the four new Super Competition Series poles out, I was fully prepared for more of the same. I didn’t need the old poles present for comparison, though, as I could feel the difference straight away – stiffer and lighter.
It was when I reached the flagship Essential Legend that my jaw hit the floor. I don’t think I’ve ever picked up a 16m pole this light in my life. Even back in the days when we called them ‘roach poles’, the brittle thin-sectioned models of the 1990s were nothing like as light as this. Concerned that the strength had gone, I asked Darren if he’d removed some carbon. I’ll summarise his detailed reply in one word – no!
In hindsight, I wished I’d had a fish with it, as I can’t stop thinking about it, but instead I chose to go for the pole that I thought most Angling Times readers would want to know about – the 16m Hexium Match, that comes with seven top kits, a cupping kit and a selling price of just over £1,000. This is not only a great price, but it is now the cheapest 16m pole available.
At its full length, it was a bit cumbersome, yet highly fishable – enough for me to catch plenty of fish shallow without too much difficulty.
The fact that a pole at that price point can even be held at 16m should be enough to give it a glowing review, but things got really interesting as I removed two barrels to fish at 13m. The rigidity at this shorter length was highly impressive but, just like the flagship Legend, it was the weight that struck me – it shouldn’t have felt that light.
Taking it apart, I carefully looked at each section. Instead of feeling light, they felt heavy, which is what I expected from a lower spec pole. Puzzled, I put them back together, visualising how the pole should feel. The result was yet again a lovely light pole. It didn’t make sense!
It was now that I started to appreciate fully what Darren had told me. These poles aren’t actually lighter.
The trick is the shift in the point of balance. Carbons have changed, and section lengths have been tweaked slightly, but crucially the mandrel was the same, so sections and top kits are all backward-compatible.
Talking of top kits, I will admit I was a bit confused at first, as this pole comes with four different kinds, but it’s fairly simple. K2 kits are standard top kits made of two sections. You get a Match version, which is a lightweight kit for smaller species and two of the Carp versions which, if you’ve not already guessed, are for big fish and carp.
You also get four, one-piece K1 kits. Two of these are for general shallow fishing on commercials with hollow elastics up to 2.7mm in diameter, which is about a 16, while the other two are for demanding margin situations with elastics going up to around a 20.
All these details are printed on the base of each kit to avoid any mistakes.
Overall, the pole is exceptional value for the money, even if you don’t ever intend to use the full 16m. Hugely strong, and with a great selection of spares, I’m betting you’ll see a lot of them out on the bank over the next 12 months.
As you can probably tell, I was really impressed with all four of these new poles, which again cements my feelings. There has never been a better time to buy a new pole and, what’s more, you won’t go far wrong if that pole happens to be a Garbolino.
Price: Pay around £1,049, garbolinouk.co.uk
Bankside test verdict
+ The best value 16m pole on the market
+ Available in a package and as a pole-only Base Pack for existing Garbolino owners
+ Sensationally light and manageable at 13m, enough to rival far pricier models
- Although usable at 16m, it cannot compete with poles in the £2k price range
Tech spec: Garbolino Hexium Competition Match 16m
High modulus Japanese Toray carbon
Woven carbon reinforcement at every joint
Impact-dampening resin bonding technology for increased resilience
Optimised fast-taper profile delivering superb balance, stiffness and responsiveness.
Ultra-smooth Slip & Slide finish for effortless shipping under all weather conditions
Pre-bushed top kits
Puller Bush System fitted to every puller kit
EVA nose cones fitted to No3 section
Section alignment arrows to maximise overall rigidity.
Grip Stop 3D-printed graphics on butt sections to provide touchpoint when shipping
Full compatibility with recent Garbolino UK pole ranges
Packages
Hexium Competition Match 16m Pole Pack:
16m pole (Match K2 in pole)
1 x mini reversible extension 11.5m/13m
2 x kit K2 - Pro Power Carp Sky ELC 4 star
2 x kit K1 - STD – Compact Power Carp Sky ELC
2 x kit K1 - STD – Compact
Specimen Margin Sky ELC:
1 x K2 standard two-piece cupping kit (with screw thread)
1 x pack of two pole pots
Complete in Garbolino eight-tube Deluxe Holdall
RRP £1299.99, SSP £1049.99
Hexium Competition Match 16m Base Pack:
16M pole (Match K2 in pole)
Complete in Garbolino eight-tube Deluxe Holdall
RRP £949.99, SSP £789.99
Our pick of the alternatives
MID-RANGE: MAP TKS G40 16M
A STRONG, rigid and tough pole, improved even more with graphene technology. Supplied in the excellent package are 10 top kits.
Price: £1,999.99
SIMILAR PRICE: PRESTON INNOVATIONS X35 16M
IDEAL for commercial use, it comes with six of the same top kits that the top-of-the-range models and the new Edge Monster come with.
Price: £1,199.99
TOP END: DAIWA G90 PRO
OUTRAGEOUSLY strong, yet it handles beautifully at 16m. This is the ultimate commercial water workhorse pole for the serious match and pleasure angler.
Price: £2,883