TACKLE GUIDE
There’s certainly no shortage of distance feeder rods on the market, but, as Mark Sawyer discovers, this offering from MAP is a little bit different from the norm
THIS year is already shaping up to be more of the same in terms of what tickles the tackle trade’s palate – long-range feeder rods once again topping the popularity polls. But before you doze off, or simply turn the page, let me explain why manufacturers seem to be so fixated on them.
Fact is, in match fishing , the distance feeder method is evolving before our very eyes and, to accommodate all the variations in style, we are now being treated to shorter length distance rods, alongside softer actioned long-distance feeder rods of greater length.
The latter are intended to have plenty of casting oomph, mixed with a forgiving , cushioned fish-playing action.
These passive aggressive long-distance rods can be used to catch both the mad ‘rip the rod off the rest ’ fish and those silver bin lids that give an altogether more sedate account of themselves, but have the annoying habit of falling off just as you reach for them with the net.
The rod lined up for live test duty this week, MAP’s 12ft 9ins Dual Distance Feeder, falls squarely into the latter category, but where it differs from many other feeder rods is that it’s quite long for a two-piece model.
It certainly isn’t the only long two-sectioned rod of its type on the market but, although only a few are currently available, they are definitely growing in popularity.
It’s my guess that most of the major tackle companies are currently looking at this style of softer, more forgiving long rod as an addition to their existing ranges.
The growing popularity of feeder-only matches has spurred rod designers and product teams alike into
developing something that will not only chuck feeders a long way on big open-water venues like Ferry Meadows, Meadowlands and Barston Lakes, but can also handle bream and skimmers alongside F1s and carp.
Whacking out a feeder into the middle of next week may not be everyone’s idea of fun, but on spacious open-water venues, whether you’r
