REVIEW
Casting coach Brian Pask has been putting a bend in two rods in the Akios Fury range and gives his expert verdict on how they perform under pressure
Ihave had the pleasure of testing some of the Akios range of rods. The Fury 420 and Fury 450 were put through their paces on the beach using a fixed spool reel and 5oz lead. I used the Overhead Thump, Brighton cast and Off the Ground cast on each rod in order to get an idea of their capabilities. I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed casting with all three and would have liked to try the power tip that is available for the Fury range. This stronger tip can be purchased in addition to the rod and it will easily put out larger baits or give you, when needed, bigger distances.
All three casting styles left me impressed with the rod. The recovery when casting was quick and, the rod being longer, I found the lead flew higher and further than with its little brother.
I found both rods really easy to cast, powerful enough to send a lead out a decent distance and with tips sensitive for those small bites, especially from flatties. The power tip would certainly come into its own when sending out something like crab or fish baits or when those extra metres are needed at times to get out where the fish are. ■
All three rods are available in three pieces and felt very light in the hand. With a reel attached I found the natural balance point was exactly where I would want it to be – around the area you would grip the rod when reeling in.
FURY 420
The 420 (4.2m) is the smaller sibling to the 450 and comes in a very smart black and white livery complimented by electric green under whipping and decals. A slim blank with a fixed reel seat and, for me a superb touch, an ergonomically shaped grip at the bottom of the butt. This really fits comfortably into the hand and gives more control of the rod by preventing it from slipping when you cast.
DOWN TO BUSINESS
The tip is very fine and I have no doubt will pick up the smallest of bites. There was some flex in the lower portions of the rod, all of which had me thinking this would send a bait a good distance. I strapped on a reel and a 5oz lead and started with a simple overhead thump. My first reaction was that the rod tip had a quick recovery and did not f
