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Preston Inspire feeder rod review
If you don’t want to pay over the odds for a ‘flashy’ rod, Dan Webb has discovered that Preston Innovations’ new Inspire range does a quality job without any gimmicks.
from Preston Innovations
RRP £99.99
by Dan Webb |
Updated on25th November 2025 at 11.39am
Preston Inspire 11ft (3.4m) Feeder Rod
Daiwa Tournament-S 11ft Feeder
MAP Generation Pro 11ft Feeder
Drennan Red Range 11ft Medium Feeder Rod
If I were to give one piece of advice to anyone looking to get into angling for a career, it would definitely be ‘know your audience’.
Nobody goes into angling for the money – we all do it for the love, which means it tends to draw the most passionate and devoted people or, as my wife calls us, ‘ridiculous and over the top’.
Sometimes we eccentrics need reminding that not everyone is like us. While we might happily re-mortgage the house or sell off a few spare bodily organs to buy the tackle we want, the average reader is not really like that. Sometimes they just want a no-frills rod that casts true and straight, performs as it should, is a joy to use and ultimately, is something they can catch lots of fish with. If this is you, then you might just be reading the best rod review you’ll see all year!
Let me introduce the new Preston Innovations Inspire range of feeder rods. At first glance they might appear, dare I say, a little boring. The graphics are discreet, the blanks ‘nice’ and the handles comfortable. They also sit at that very dull price range of £89.99 – £124.99.
The angler who buys this rod clearly wants the fishing to do the talking, not a fancy bit of tackle.
Although they will do a fine job at catching carp and F1s, the progressive action says to me that Preston was thinking of natural waters and silverfish a little more with these models.
They will, of course, give you a colossal and exciting bend if attached to a big carp, but that extra little bit of power lower down is something very useful for chucking out conventional feeders, which of course don’t fly quite as well as a Method feeder and require a bit more of a punch.
The tips are also a bit of a giveaway as to their intended use. They are through-actioned, which is achieved by blending in a little glass fibre.
This means they work like what we used to call, a number of years ago, a ‘bream’ tip.
This is a tip that just keeps on bending and bending, allowing those big sweeping bites to develop before striking. They come in a choice of ratings from 0.5oz to 2oz to tackle everything from small roach and skimmers on stillwaters through to bigger bream or carp, right up to river fishing.
These tips have a 2.5mm diameter and are interchangeable between the three lightest rods. The biggest 3.8m/12ft 6ins and 4.0m/13ft 2ins rods take thicker 3.5mm tips, which are still through-actioned but have far meatier 2.5oz to 5oz ratings to cope with bigger casts and the extra tow encountered at greater range.
HERE IS OUR PICK OF THE BEST MEDIUM FEEDER RODS.
Verdict
With natural waters in mind, I picked the 11ft (3.4m) model to fish with, which screams roach, bream and skimmers. Choosing to fish at 30m – which I feel is the optimum distance for most 11ft rods – I had a huge amount of fun, catching a procession of good-sized roach. Although this is supposed to be a serious review, I spoilt a lot of the pictures by grinning and laughing like an excited little kid every time I struck into a barmy, wild redfin that felt like it was sending electric shocks down the line with its frenzied, thrashing fight.
Although rated at 40g, I actually used a heavier, but still small, 50g feeder to power to the spot and straighten the braid right out in order to hit those fast and savage bites that came seconds after the feeder had hit the bottom.
This is where the through-actioned tips came in. They would go from taking on a modest bend to bottoming out in a split-second, not only ensuring I knew it was a bite and not a wave but giving me that extra little bit of time to strike before the fish escaped.
With a little tongue in cheek, I earlier referred to the blanks on these rods as ‘nice’. The reality is, while they are by no means top spec, they are not a million miles from it.
I know I keep banging on about it, but the price we can now get a quality rod for drops every year. These are yet another example of great feeling, light and responsive rods that are now available even cheaper than they were a few years ago.
I love a great piece of tackle as much as the next angler, and if I were to fish with a £200, £300 or even £400 rod, I’d have had an equally amazing day. There is no denying, though, that the humble little rod I chose did a fantastic job – and, let’s face it, the fish don’t know how much it cost!
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS PRODUCT AND OTHERS FROM PRESTON INNOVATIONS HERE.
Tech Spec
- Progressive action for smooth casting and fish control
- Minimalist guides for reduced weight and improved balance
- Flat cork and EVA handle for comfort and grip
- Integrated hook keeper ring
- Supplied with 0.75oz, 1oz and 1.5oz interchangeable quivertips
- 40g casting weight
- Two-piece design
- 10ft 8ins (3.2m), 12ft (3.6m), 12ft 6ins (3.8m) and 13ft 2ins (4m) models also available
Preston Inspire 11ft (3.4m) Feeder Rod
Price: $114.99
The 11ft Preston Inspire Feeder is built for the sort of short to mid-range work most anglers do week in, week out. Designed to cast comfortably up to around 40 metres, it has that classic progressive action thats perfect for natural waters. It loads smoothly on the cast, sends a feeder out with very little fuss, and then softens up nicely when you’re playing fish at close range.
The blank has a reinforced mid-section that gives you the punch you need to launch a cage or Method out. The tip and carrier section still carry enough finesse to stop hook pulls on bream and skimmers. It’s an easy rod to pick up and fish with, whether you’re on a natural venue or fishing light on commercial for stockies and F1's.
Also available in 10ft 8ins (3.2m), 12ft (3.6m), 12ft 6ins (3.8m) and 13ft 2ins (4m) models and supplied with 3 tips 0.75oz, 1oz and 1.5oz.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Lightweight blank and minimalist guides give a quality feel
- Equally at home on commercials
Cons
- Would like to see a 0.5oz tip supplied
Price: $114.99
Our pick of the alternatives
Daiwa Tournament-S 11ft Feeder
Price: $449.99
Daiwa Tournament- S 11ft building upon the legendary heritage of its namesake the Tournament S pole. The rod embodies cutting-edge technology with exceptional performance.
Crafted with HVF Nanoplus carbon, the Tournament S offers a blend of strength, sensitivity, and responsiveness. The V-Joint Alpha technology ensures seamless power transfer, while the carefully engineered handle provides optimal comfort and control.
The Daiwa Tournament S 11ft caters to a wide range of fishing scenarios, from delicate finesse work to distance work this rod is capable. The inclusion of three Megatops further enhances versatility, allowing anglers to adapt to changing conditions.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- High-end product giving high-end performance
- Tournament reel seat and armlock handle offer comfortable fish playing
Cons
- Premium product, may not be within every angler’s budget
Price: $449.99
MAP Generation Pro 11ft Feeder
Price: $89.96
www.fishingtackleandbait.co.uk
It’s slim and light, soft-actioned yet responsive. The blank is furnished with quality Sea-Guides and the handle a mix of traditional cork and comfortable, contoured EVA. The tips are everything I look for in a feeder rod – forgiving, and blending perfectly into the carrier section for a seamless action. The selection provided from 0.5oz to 1.5oz covers everything from lightweight skimmer fishing to Method work for carp.
This brings me nicely on to another bonus of the range – these are not just commercial rods, they are all-rounders. The 11ft rod has a through action, giving it a sensational feel when playing all sizes of fish, yet I found it was able to lob a loaded Embed feeder well over 50m.
I also took a closer look at the shorter 9ft and 10ft models. They are very similar though, if anything, softer. Perfect for small silvers, short island chucks or winter fineese work. The 12ft model was also present, which struck me as a very different animal. Similar in looks and feel, the action was a lot more ‘tippy’, perfect for longer casts and for handling bigger feeders on a river.
Pros & ConsSpecifications
Pros
- A beautifully designed rod perfectly positioned between value and quality
- An all-rounder suited to all styles of feeder fishing
- Supplied with three excellent quality, easily readable carbon quivertips
- Flawlessly smooth action rivals rods near twice its price
Cons
- Slightly too light for heavier-duty river work
Furnished with quality guides from Sea-GuideReady rod bag-friendly, two-piece constructionResponsive 30T carbon carbon blankSupplied with 0.5oz, 0.75oz and 1.5oz carbon quiversDPS down-locking reel seat with EVA top gripQuality cork Armlock handleEVA bottom hand grip9ft, 10ft and 12ft versions also availableSupplied with bag
Price: $89.96
www.fishingtackleandbait.co.uk
Drennan Red Range 11ft Medium Feeder Rod
Price: $54.99
An evolution of a series that's already earned its reputation, I was a big advocate of the original red range rods and I may have sold you one in the past, now building on the popularity of their predecessors, the Drennan Red Range latest models bring a fresh look and feel while staying true to what made the originals so effective, reliability, versatility, and great value for money.
Designed to handle everything from short-range light feeder work, right through to open water medium distance work, there’s a rod in this range to suit pretty much every fishing situation. They bend smoothly under pressure, cushioning hook-holds while still having the backbone to deal with any bonus fish that may come along.
Available in 10ft, and 11ft lengths, the 2-piece design means these rods can be transported fully made-up, saving time on the bank. They're best paired with lines from 4lb to 1l8b and handle feeders and bombs up to 40g with ease, allowing for accurate casts up to 40 metres. Each rod comes with a 1.5oz and 2.5oz glass tips, and features oversized guides, a secure screw-down reel seat, and a sleek profiled EVA handle make them feel like rods well above their price point.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Evolution of the previous popular models
- Oversized guides for use with heavier lines or shockleaders
Cons
- Would like to see a carbon tip supplied for a slightly stiffer action
Price: $54.99
Author Dan Webb first became involved in angling journalism in 2015 and has worked as Tackle Tester at Angling Times since April 2021. He is a fanatical all-round match angler and former England Youth International.
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