One of the backbones of the Wychwood product portfolio over the years has been our rods; catering for a wide range of budget and disciplines, we’re proud of our range and what they offer in terms of performance and value for money.
But which range does what? Here’s a quick overview or our main rod offerings…
Riot – from £49.99rrp
Our entry-level range, the Riot rods have become hugely popular because of the level of performance they offer at a very reasonable price point. It’s a brand name that’s synonymous with Wychwood, having been around since the mid-2000s in one form or another. However, the rods are a relatively new addition, having been in our range since 2018 - replacing the previous 101-series - and they are the perfect companions to the series of big pit reels bearing the same name.
Action-wise, the Riot rods are true all-rounders; they sport a through action that is really beneficial to beginners who are just getting to grips with playing fish, but they still feature enough backbone to allow seasoned anglers to cast larger leads and undertake PVA bag work. There are also three utility rods that can be used for both spod and marker work, meaning you have a matching set and with retailers offering a ‘3 for 2’ deal, you can mix & match to create a versatile setup.
There three handle options – cork, EVA and shrink wrap – with the latter specifically featuring on the Utility rods. All handle lengths are 450mm and butt guides are 40mm on the shorter lengths and 50mm on the 12-footers:
· 9ft – Sporting a 2.75lb test curve, these are extremely popular for small waters or with youngsters who don’t want a longer rod to start with.
· 10ft - Available with a 3lb test curve, probably our most popular rod of the last few seasons, a real ‘go anywhere, do anything’ tool
· 12ft – 3.25lb and 3.5lb test curves pitch these at anglers who want a traditional length rod for larger waters or where they just need more grunt.
· Utility – available in 9ft, 10ft and 12ft lengths, these sport a test curve of approximately 4.5lb
Extremis - £99.99rrp
The Extremis name is one we’ve used across Wychwood products in the past and we felt it fitting to adorn our latest range of rods with it; as the name suggests, these are rods that are more focussed on mid-to-long range fishing, so will fit into the armoury of most carp anglers who fish gravel pits and large lakes.
Although the action is best described as through, there’s a bit more power up the centre of the rod to allow for casting larger leads and PVA bags, which ties in with what a large proportion of UK anglers are doing in their fishing. We’ve also had great take-up from anglers on the continent who are impressed at the ruggedness of the blanks when faced with huge fish caught using boat tactics.
We’ve stuck with 12ft blanks on this range because we didn’t feel the need to introduce shorter options – the Riots and our Extricator Plus ranges have that covered – and that’s meant it’s a really focussed choice of test curves without confusion.
Like the Riots, the Extremis range come in cork and EVA handle options, with an 18mm DPS-style reel seat, custom guide spacing and 50mm butt guides.
· 12ft 3lb – the ‘sporting’ all-rounder of the range, very popular with anglers who fish less weedy waters
· 12ft 3.25lb – the most popular test curve in the range, suited to a bit of everything you can throw at it
· 12ft 3.5lb – big waters are no problem. Weed? Whatever. A beast of a rod for the most extreme circumstances
Maximiser – from £219.99
Launched in 2019, the Maximisers have become a real cult favourite among anglers who want a truly focussed tool.There are two rods in the range currently, with fast, middle-to-tip actions that are all about getting baits out accurately and picking up line super-quickly. For range fishing they are the go-to rod of our range, preferred by anglers such as Nick Helleur and Mark Wozencroft who have enviable big fish records, including Nick’s famed 50lb Thames fish.
The EVA handle was a design choice borne from feedback from elite anglers; they wanted something durable, with great grip whatever the conditions, and something that would give great feedback.
As expected at this price range, a 50mm butt guide features, with custom-style guide spacing right through to the 16mm tip, on both t he 12ft and 12ft 9in models, both of which carry 3.5lb test curves.
· 12ft 3.5lb – A powerful rod in a popular 12ft length, our most popular big fish rod with #teamwychwood anglers.
· 12ft 9in 3.5lb – more power, the ultimate rod for big water fishing whether it’s fishing at range or casting big leads you ned to do.
(In part 2 we'll take a deep-dive into our utility and specialist-usage rods)
