The best fishing poles

In 2023 came the long-awaited return of Shimano to the pole market – and we were blown away by what we saw! Leading the trio of new poles is the flagship Aero Competition Pro. One of the lightest 16m poles available, it has a stunning degree of rigidity and strength, thanks to a unique combination of high function design and technically advanced Japanese carbon.

A comprehensive package includes five Match kits, four Power kits, four one-piece F1 kits and two short No3 sections. You also get a 13m extension and a 14.5m/16m extension, along with three Reversible Protector sections to prevent accidental damage to the major sections.

A highly functional and strong pole, the Matrix MTX3 Ultra V2 Carp is suited to both natural venues and commercials, and available in both 16m and two 13m packages. It was the 13m Carp package that impressed us the most. With its Match kit, three Power kits, cupping kit, additional three No3 sections, reversible mini-extension and pole holdall, it’s perfect for the angler who wants a quality pole at a great price, but doesn’t need to fish at 14.5m or 16m.

Keeping the same mandrel, several sections have been re-engineered to improve strength and rigidity on what was already an outstandingly tough and durable pole. Fully bushed with both PTFE and Revolve Side Pullers, you even get protective nose cones on the No3 and No4 sections, and EVA bungs on the mini extension.

Utilising new and ultra-high-grade nano alloy carbons, Daiwa's Air Z Pro pole has built a strong reputation as one of the best there is. A flagship product that provides the ultimate in performance.

One of the most expensive poles on the market but also one of the best performers. The Daiwa Air Z Pro pole is incredibly light, even at 16m. With a match top two kit, this is the best pole in the world. Even with the heavier top kits, it's ridiculously rigid, incredibly responsive and super stiff.

The section wall strength of this pole is good, which means it can land some pretty big carp, certainly up to 20lb.
If accidents do happen, Daiwa spares are readily available in the UK, so you won't be left with a situation where you can't go fishing.

At this amount of money, resale value is also a key consideration, and Daiwa poles tend to hold their value far better than others on the market.

Identical to the top-spec Guru Aventus 900 but made from a lower-grade compound of Japanese carbon. This increases the strength of the Guru Aventus Zero 700 pole even further, making the pole exceptionally strong but slightly heavier than the Zero 900 in terms of weight.

The increased strength and added weight affect the stiffness of this pole at long lengths, but at 13m, there's very little between the Guru Aventus Zero 700 and Zero 900 models. When venturing to 14.3m and 16m, the 700 model loses some stiffness compared to the 900.

Overall, however, it's an incredibly strong and responsive pole that will suit a lot of anglers' aggressive styles of fishing in the UK and Europe.

It's built on ultra-fast-taper mandrels for superior balance, stiffness and weight distribution, with a super tensile high modulus carbon. A friction-free matt tape finish offers smoother control when shipping the pole through the hands too - it really is a joy to use!

This top-of-the-range pole is strong enough for commercial carp fishing, yet light and responsive enough for delicate silverfish presentation – even at its full 16m, and all in a sub-£3,100 package!

The Preston Innovations Superium X90 is a bewilderingly good fishing pole, which is incredibly stiff at all lengths. This makes precision and rig control easy whilst still offering strength and durability when it matters.

All Superium poles benefit from a new joint-saving feature called Dura Wrap, which will make the poles last longer, even with intense use. The Easy Ship Finish makes the pole a joy in the hand too.

The X90, X70 and X50 all share the same mandrel, which was tweaked from Preston's Response poles to be slightly slimmer.

The X90 truly is a flagship pole with very few faults. It's crisper, sharper and even more responsive than Preston's previous Response poles, which were popular in their own right.

The Edge Monster range has established itself as the go-to choice of poles for demanding situations. Featuring superb wall strength, these poles were developed to take the strongest elastics and battle the largest of fish!

Both the 8.5m and 10m versions are a joy to use at all lengths, thanks to their incredible balance and rigidity. They're the perfect choice for anyone new to pole fishing or those demanding situations!

The Edge Monster performs well above its price and will land big carp with ease. You can be pretty confident no matter how you or the fish treat it too, you won't be suffering many breakages. At the 8.5m length, it is still pretty lightweight and comfortable to ship and hold. This pole ticks a lot of boxes for those on a budget.

"It ticks every box and gets a big thumbs up."

Read our full Preston Innovations Edge Monster review.

Whether it's UK commercials or naturals, the Garbolino UK1 Accomplice pole totally delivers on every count. The sections have been carefully modified to create a much better balanced, lighter and more responsive pole, especially at long lengths.

HP stands for 'higher performance' because that's exactly what this pole offers.

The improvements made to the Garbolino UK 1 make it a dream to use, especially with the super smooth finish. All kits are pre-bushed, ready to be elasticated, and puller kits incorporate the Garbolino PTFE puller slots to make stripping elastic simple and smooth. Stunning in every aspect!

The accurate feed markers on the butt sections mean you really will get the best of what a pole can offer in terms of accuracy, and the impact-dampening resin means the pole has a long lifespan, something which is crucial at this price range.

Designed and tested in the UK by Stephen Bellion and Callum Dicks, this is Maver's new flagship model which boasts a comprehensive package and has been designed with rigidity and strength to the forefront of the process.

The Maver MV-RXX 16m pole has undergone comprehensive testing in the UK and Italy, landing carp to 20lb with ease. Strengthened joints, the very best grade of carbon available on the market and a new mandrel sizing which gives the pole maximum rigidity/stability in even the most challenging conditions make this pole a joy to use at all lengths.

Top kits for this model are on an 18mm mandrel, which makes the pole and its top kits compatible with a lot of the other major manufacturers' offerings. The top kits come pre-bushed and have Maver's popular roller slot, which makes elastication and playing fish a doddle.

In our humble opinion, Maver's latest flagship MV-RXX is debatably the first Hyperpole model we've witnessed on the market. There are, though, two things about this pole that are totally incontestable. First, this is the best pole Maver has ever produced – fact – and second, it's up there with the best in the world.

TKS from MAP is a famous name in pole fishing, and this stunning range of poles (including the MAP TKS 501 3G 16m) is now in its third generation with the 3G series. The 10 long poles that comprise the range will take on all styles of fishing in the UK – everything from heavy-duty carp bashing on commercials to roach and skimmer work on canals.

All sections and top kits are universal across the TKS range, meaning that making an upgrade further down the line allows you to carry over kits to add to the already impressive selection that comes with each model. The kits are made from the highest-grade carbon with features including reinforcement bands and pre-fitted pure PTFE bushes.

New pole-building features and technology have been lavished on the 3G range, including Fusion, which bonds different grades of carbon together for lighter and stronger poles. High Impact resins are used to increase the strength, toughness and durability of sections while also reducing the weight.

Bi-Lateral Joint Reinforcement sees a 3K carbon weave added to joints, preventing wear and sticking together in wet weather, while MAP's Smooth Ship Finish is anti-friction to ensure smooth shipping under all conditions.

When you add Middy's established long pole know-how to the top match fishing brains of England international Rob Wootton and Matchman of the Year Lee Thornton, the end result is always going to be a bit special. And so the new range of Reactacore poles has proved.

Extra top kits are always handy for fishing a selection of venues, and the Middy Reacracore XT-15-3 pole packs four tops. Three are the Reactorcore Max22-Karp kits rated to a mighty No22 elastic and the more slender Max16 Match top-3 for roaches and skimmers.

This third-generation pole is every Biot as at hime targeting silvers on lakes, rivers and canals as it is nailing commercial carp and F1s. The S-slide finish on all sections makes it a joy in the hand, whilst the Maximus joints also don't annoyingly stick together when wet.

For the price, the pole offers superb rigidity and stiffness, with plenty of power and fighting curve to deal with large carp whilst not being clumsy or unwieldy. If you're on a budget, this is the pole for you.

"It's strong enough to cope with the odd bigger fish while retaining enough cushioned softness for F1s and silvers."

**Read our full Middy Reactacore XT15-3 review.
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To produce a pole better than the original MTX4 was never going to be easy, but in doing so, Matrix has created the ultimate flagship pole for competition fishing.

The new MTX5 raises the bar with unrivalled performance in all areas. Developed to offer the pinnacle in pole performance, surpassing Matrix's current flagship model, the MTX4, was no easy task.

Designed as an elite competition pole ideal for commercials or finesse silver fishing, this pole achieves the perfect balance between strength and rigidity. The minimal graphics in stealth black enhance the premium styling.
Manufactured using the very highest grades of Japanese carbon fibre and resins.

The MTX5 is built on the same mandrel as other MTX poles, meaning sections are interchangeable with others in the range.

If you are looking for a pole that will take your finesse fishing for silvers to another level, then this is a great choice.