Entering the market for a new clean/mixed ground rod can be a stressful experience. With so much choice out there and so many different peoples’ opinions on what’s good and what isn’t, it’s easy to get confused. From my point of view, my criteria for a rod is pretty exact and helps me quickly narrow down my choices. I like a rod to be not much more than 13’6’’ long, slim, light, and with a fast action. I don’t tend to like too soft a tip; sensitive, yes, but nothing soggy. This rod needs to have a pretty rigid butt section and to be comfortable casting 6oz, with the potential to step up to a 7oz if the situation calls for it. Having said that, I also want the rod to be user-friendly and not a field weapon with a glass tip stuck on the end. Ultimately, I want a rod to be comfortable with everything from fishing for flatties on a shingle beach to fishing a popped-up sandeel alongside a reef for pollack.
For some years now, these bases have been ably covered by a pair of 13’ 4’’ Anyfish Anywhere MK 2 Match rods that I bought in 2013 and have used for 99% of my 5oz + fishing since. I paid about £275 each for these and I reckon that I’ve had pretty good return on my investment, as these rods have stood up to a lot of careless treatment and done everything that I’ve asked of them. Unfortunately, I noticed a couple of weeks ago that one of my rods had broken just under the tip eye. To be fair, the spigot on this rod is practically worn out and it is ripe for replacement anyway, but I had figured to get maybe another year out of it. Realising that I was faced with the choice between trying to patch up the broken rod, or writing it off and taking the loss as a cue to update my weaponry, I’ve opted for the latter.
Looking around for an immediate replacement for my current rods left me feeling a bit nonplussed. The obvious choice would be the Anyfish Anywhere Match Pro. The catch here is that this rod costs around £380 new, which, for me, is too much money for a rod made overseas. Of course, there is always the option to buy second-hand, and I have looked into that, but I’ve also been actively looking at what else is out there. Ideally, whatever new rods I end up with need to be capable of covering all the bases that my MK 2 Matches did for me. The beauty of the AFAW 13’ 4’’ MK 2 Match model was that it wasn’t a typical glass-tipped match-type rod at all, rather a fast action fishing rod that was sensitive enough to be used for match fishing. The blank is pretty light and well-balanced in the hands and locks up and feeds back positively on a long cast, or with a good fish on the end. Until now, the only other rod that I’ve cast and thought felt similar was the Century Tip Tornado Match, although I’ve dismissed the TTM as a potential replacement as this is an older model in the Century line and I would prefer something more up-to-date.
As well as the Tip Tornado Match, I’ve looked pretty hard at the rest of the Century range, and also briefly considered some Zziplex options. I must admit, of all the rods of various brands that I’ve tried, the AFAWs have tended to feel the most ‘at home’ in my hands as there is a familiar feel to most of their rods, but I’ve had the chance to handle some of the more recent Century models and the more I’ve gotten used to them, the more I’ve been impressed. The Eliminator T900 seems to be THE rod to have at the moment and, when you get hold of one, it’s easy to see why. This rod combines power in spades with great bite detection, whilst still feeling friendly enough to cast and tolerating a wide range of leads. The downside of the T900 for me is that it is a lengthy beast and not the lightest rod around. Ideally, I want a fishing rod to be in the 13’4’’ to 13’ 8’’ range – any longer feels unwieldy to me, at least for fishing purposes. This is just a personal preference thing, but it is strong enough that if I was given a T900, I might well feel compelled to cut 10 inches off the bottom of it. Of course, there is also the T800. I’ve been fortunate enough to have a few casts with a T800 and I have to say, it is probably the sweetest Century I’ve ever handled. The blank is incredibly light and slim, with a supple tip and power blending in further down the length of the rod. Beautiful as this blank undoubtedly is, however, I feel that this particular model I feel is a little short of steeliness in the tip section for some of my fishing. If I had money to burn though, I would definitely be tempted by a pair of the T800s as they would be a dream to use over clean ground in the more settled months of the year.
Slightly older than the Eliminator range is Century’s Excalibur line. Recently, I’ve had the opportunity to use a friend’s C Curve for field casting. This rod is a dream to cast with the more exaggerated styles; powerful yet forgiving, and with lightning recovery. As excellent a casting rod as the C Curve is, however, it’s a slightly longer and heavier weapon than I would want to use for general fishing. It would certainly be overkill (in my opinion) for most flatfish situations, for example, and definitely more suited to places like the Bristol Channel. The J Curve, however, I first tried years ago and I was smitten by its sleek yet powerful feel. The J shares the C’s instant recovery but feels that bit lighter in the hands, and capable of being equally as pleasant to use for plaice and dabs as ray and cod.
Having narrowed down my list of choices to two solid contenders; the AFAW Match Pro and the Century Excalibur J Curve, I first put out some Facebook feelers to see if there were a pair of second-hand Match Pros out there and what they might cost me. A few days passed and with no real response to my inquiry, I noticed that there was a J Curve for sale at the right price in South Devon. I thought about it for a few hours before pulling the trigger and arranging to go up the same night and pick it up. I was not disappointed; the rod was in great condition and the price was right! Taking the J Curve out for a cast the next day, I was delighted by the familiar light and lively feel of the blank. The rod seemed happiest with 6oz, which is the lead I tend to use for most of my fishing. It perhaps didn’t handle the 200g with quite as much authority as my old AFAW rods, but it did send it out without a complaint. My maiden fishing trip with the J Curve took place at a familiar spot in the Helford estuary. Here the rod was given a decent workout, pelting out crab baits and 6oz leads for the duration of the session. The J Curve ate this up, although it was noticeable to me that the Century didn’t feel quite as quick through the midsection as my AFAW MK 2 Match rod, which I fished it alongside.
I do suspect, long-term, that the J Curve may be a little less comfortable with the heavier trauma that I’ve grown used to putting my AFAWs through. This, however, is just a feeling and remains untested as yet. The bottom line is that I am happy enough with the J to be closing a deal on a second to make a pair. The rod feels responsive in the cast and sits well in the tide. Unfortunately, I’ve not yet felt what it’s like with a fish on, but I’m sure it will handle more or less anything I’m likely to hook. I’m looking forward to testing the J Curves out on some of the quality mixed fishing that is usually on offer on the north coast of Cornwall through the spring and early summer, as I’m expecting them to really excel in these sorts of situations. I’ll report back with my thoughts once I’ve properly put the new rods through their paces.
For some years now, these bases have been ably covered by a pair of 13’ 4’’ Anyfish Anywhere MK 2 Match rods that I bought in 2013 and have used for 99% of my 5oz + fishing since. I paid about £275 each for these and I reckon that I’ve had pretty good return on my investment, as these rods have stood up to a lot of careless treatment and done everything that I’ve asked of them. Unfortunately, I noticed a couple of weeks ago that one of my rods had broken just under the tip eye. To be fair, the spigot on this rod is practically worn out and it is ripe for replacement anyway, but I had figured to get maybe another year out of it. Realising that I was faced with the choice between trying to patch up the broken rod, or writing it off and taking the loss as a cue to update my weaponry, I’ve opted for the latter.
Looking around for an immediate replacement for my current rods left me feeling a bit nonplussed. The obvious choice would be the Anyfish Anywhere Match Pro. The catch here is that this rod costs around £380 new, which, for me, is too much money for a rod made overseas. Of course, there is always the option to buy second-hand, and I have looked into that, but I’ve also been actively looking at what else is out there. Ideally, whatever new rods I end up with need to be capable of covering all the bases that my MK 2 Matches did for me. The beauty of the AFAW 13’ 4’’ MK 2 Match model was that it wasn’t a typical glass-tipped match-type rod at all, rather a fast action fishing rod that was sensitive enough to be used for match fishing. The blank is pretty light and well-balanced in the hands and locks up and feeds back positively on a long cast, or with a good fish on the end. Until now, the only other rod that I’ve cast and thought felt similar was the Century Tip Tornado Match, although I’ve dismissed the TTM as a potential replacement as this is an older model in the Century line and I would prefer something more up-to-date.
As well as the Tip Tornado Match, I’ve looked pretty hard at the rest of the Century range, and also briefly considered some Zziplex options. I must admit, of all the rods of various brands that I’ve tried, the AFAWs have tended to feel the most ‘at home’ in my hands as there is a familiar feel to most of their rods, but I’ve had the chance to handle some of the more recent Century models and the more I’ve gotten used to them, the more I’ve been impressed. The Eliminator T900 seems to be THE rod to have at the moment and, when you get hold of one, it’s easy to see why. This rod combines power in spades with great bite detection, whilst still feeling friendly enough to cast and tolerating a wide range of leads. The downside of the T900 for me is that it is a lengthy beast and not the lightest rod around. Ideally, I want a fishing rod to be in the 13’4’’ to 13’ 8’’ range – any longer feels unwieldy to me, at least for fishing purposes. This is just a personal preference thing, but it is strong enough that if I was given a T900, I might well feel compelled to cut 10 inches off the bottom of it. Of course, there is also the T800. I’ve been fortunate enough to have a few casts with a T800 and I have to say, it is probably the sweetest Century I’ve ever handled. The blank is incredibly light and slim, with a supple tip and power blending in further down the length of the rod. Beautiful as this blank undoubtedly is, however, I feel that this particular model I feel is a little short of steeliness in the tip section for some of my fishing. If I had money to burn though, I would definitely be tempted by a pair of the T800s as they would be a dream to use over clean ground in the more settled months of the year.
Slightly older than the Eliminator range is Century’s Excalibur line. Recently, I’ve had the opportunity to use a friend’s C Curve for field casting. This rod is a dream to cast with the more exaggerated styles; powerful yet forgiving, and with lightning recovery. As excellent a casting rod as the C Curve is, however, it’s a slightly longer and heavier weapon than I would want to use for general fishing. It would certainly be overkill (in my opinion) for most flatfish situations, for example, and definitely more suited to places like the Bristol Channel. The J Curve, however, I first tried years ago and I was smitten by its sleek yet powerful feel. The J shares the C’s instant recovery but feels that bit lighter in the hands, and capable of being equally as pleasant to use for plaice and dabs as ray and cod.
Having narrowed down my list of choices to two solid contenders; the AFAW Match Pro and the Century Excalibur J Curve, I first put out some Facebook feelers to see if there were a pair of second-hand Match Pros out there and what they might cost me. A few days passed and with no real response to my inquiry, I noticed that there was a J Curve for sale at the right price in South Devon. I thought about it for a few hours before pulling the trigger and arranging to go up the same night and pick it up. I was not disappointed; the rod was in great condition and the price was right! Taking the J Curve out for a cast the next day, I was delighted by the familiar light and lively feel of the blank. The rod seemed happiest with 6oz, which is the lead I tend to use for most of my fishing. It perhaps didn’t handle the 200g with quite as much authority as my old AFAW rods, but it did send it out without a complaint. My maiden fishing trip with the J Curve took place at a familiar spot in the Helford estuary. Here the rod was given a decent workout, pelting out crab baits and 6oz leads for the duration of the session. The J Curve ate this up, although it was noticeable to me that the Century didn’t feel quite as quick through the midsection as my AFAW MK 2 Match rod, which I fished it alongside.
I do suspect, long-term, that the J Curve may be a little less comfortable with the heavier trauma that I’ve grown used to putting my AFAWs through. This, however, is just a feeling and remains untested as yet. The bottom line is that I am happy enough with the J to be closing a deal on a second to make a pair. The rod feels responsive in the cast and sits well in the tide. Unfortunately, I’ve not yet felt what it’s like with a fish on, but I’m sure it will handle more or less anything I’m likely to hook. I’m looking forward to testing the J Curves out on some of the quality mixed fishing that is usually on offer on the north coast of Cornwall through the spring and early summer, as I’m expecting them to really excel in these sorts of situations. I’ll report back with my thoughts once I’ve properly put the new rods through their paces.