Matt Godfrey gets his hands on Preston Innovation's latest affordable pole range at an exclusive on-the-bank press day...
One of the most exciting and privileged parts of my job is getting first glimpses of new gear. Preston Innovations really pushed the boat out this year and invited us to spend a day viewing its 2014 products at Baden Hall Fishery in Staffordshire. Among an array of rousing products was the latest range of poles, known as the Pro Types!
There are four models designed to cover the needs of the all-round pole angler. These start with the Power, available in 9.5m and 11m lengths, right up to the 16m Pro Type 460. The first interesting feature is the reinforced butt sections, designed to withstand the strains of elbow damage. All the joints are also reinforced, minimising the wear and tear on these high-impact areas. Then there's the easy-slide finish, for smooth shipping in and out.
Another feature is the linear top kit configuration. Both the match and power kits are the same length and pre-bushed, enabling anglers to fish with optimum accuracy. The power kits are also reinforced should you wish to drill and convert them into side pullers.
An Expert Line-Up!
Arriving at the lake, I was met by Preston stars Des Shipp, Tommy Pickering and Adam Wakelin. With sister title Match Fishing also present, it was a battle for who was going to see which products first. I quickly jumped into my waterproofs and, before Jon Arthur could blink, I was on Adam Wakelin's box with an armoury of Pro Type poles by my side!
First up was the 260. For £399.99, I naturally didn't expect to experience the stiffest and lightest of poles but was pleasantly surprised with the performance as soon as I picked it up. I began pinging pellets at the full 13m length and was soon into a nice roach of around 1lb. Several more followed before I hooked a skimmer of around 2lb. There was only a small amount of rigidity lost at full extension but nothing to greatly hinder the performance. A good squeeze along the joints confirmed a very high strength factor.
Adam had been fishing all morning and managed several carp to 8lb on it before we arrived, too!
The 260 is ideal for the angler who doesn't need to venture beyond 13 metres. With a match kit, three power kits, cupping kit, half extension and holdall, it's excellent value for money!
Next In Line
After several more skimmers things went quiet, so I decided to pick up the next pole in the range - the Pro Type 360. This enabled me to fish at 14.5 metres and hopefully snare some extra fish! It was admirably stiff and the finish certainly helped when edging out a Cad Pot of pellets. I was into fish straightaway, only roach and skimmers, but all good sport nonetheless. I could feel a definite increase in stiffness at full length and the response was excellent, even with a pot on the end. The package is more than adequate for the all-rounder, including a match kit, four power kits, cupping kit and holdall, all for a very reasonable £549.99.
The Top Dog
Already impressed with what I'd seen, it was time to put the Pro Type 460 through its paces. Very few carp were showing but this didn't deter me because I loved the silver-fish action!
I decided to steal a few maggots from Tommy on the next peg and plumbed up a new swim at 16 metres to my right. It didn't take long to get a bite here and the first fish pulled out several yards of Dura Hollo elastic. What I initially thought was a small carp turned out to be a big perch of well over 1lb. Several more followed, along with some quality roach and skimmers.
The £799.99 price is reflected in the pole's performance. It was very responsive at full length and I could gain precise control of my rig, holding tight to my float to catch those crafty big roach on the drop. Unfortunately, the carp proved elusive for the remainder of the day but I'd be ultra-confident in taking the 460 to any bagging venue. The joints are admirably strong, and the wall strength was more than adequate. Yet again, there's a comprehensive spares package, made up of two match kits, four power kits, a cupping kit, half extension and holdall.
Power Position
There was little scope for margin fishing but I still had a close look at the two Pro Type Power poles. The 9.5m retails at £199.99 and comes with a spare kit and is long enough to cope with most margin missions. Meanwhile, the 11m version is £50 more and comes with two kits. This one will reach those extra tricky margins where big fish hide out. A slim profile made these poles a pleasure to handle and I could immediately tell that they were geared up with strength in mind. They could also make ideal tools for line-to-hand work, so I'm sure anglers who regularly do this kind of fishing will be interested.
The Whole Package
All in all, this is a fantastic pole range that will cater for the majority of match and pleasure anglers. With extremely reasonable prices, I'm sure the Pro Types will be a big hit for Preston Innovations!
By Pole Fishing Magazine - - 2nd Jan 2014