Advantages: High quality for a budget price.
Disadvantages: none.

...The Shimano hyperloops are an excellent range of specimen rods especially for those anglers who are trying to keep to a budget. In my opinion the quality of these rods is second to none for any rod priced bellow £50. The rods are 12foot long and have 7 rings to guide the line. They are also available in four test curves 2.25, 2.50, 2.75 and 3.0lb which make these rods extremely versatile. The rods are very sensitive to the movement of the fish allowing you to feel through the rod the change an shift the fish. This makes playing the fish a pure joy. Personally I own three of these rods. Two 2.75lb test curves for my main set of rods used for ledgering, and one for 2.5lb which is used for surface fishing. Combining these rods with a good quality reel and this is more than adequate set up for any level of fishing.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Extremely Addictuve, Great Graphics
Disadvantages: Needs the rod to experiance the full potential

...Sega Bass fishing is a brilliant game for the dreamcast, although it is expensive, it is extremely addictive, it doesn’t take very long to complete, unless you try for the championship, and it only has three levels, plus a secret level, the best thing about buying this game is the fishing rod, the game seems boring when heard of through speech, but when you play it with the rod, it is great, without the rod, it isn’t anything special. The rod vibrate, and only costs £15-£20 at Whsmiths, overall, only worth it if the rod is purchased.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: 25 year guarantee
Disadvantages: Expensive

...Wow. I have never used such a light, well-balanced rod that costs less than £500. The rod I hav is a 10' reservoir type rod but really it handles like a longer rod as it has a strong through action and only the tip flexes a lot. This provides much better castability and playing big fish is less tiring on the arms. Another fantastic offer is the 25 year guarantee, which allows for (providing you are the original owner and still have the guarantee) ANY breakage or defect. For example, a friend of mine trapped his in his car door, they replaced the broken section for free! So, even though the rod is fairly expensive, you don't need a new one for 25 years!!... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Range of shots
Disadvantages: clay courts

...Now that Pete Sampras has won more Grand Slam singles titles than any other man does that justify him being called the greatest male player of all time? Certainly in the modern era that must be true. With the exception of clay, he can prove that he can win on just about any surface. He has all the shots necessary to continue winning for a number of years to come. However, unless he can win the French Open on the red clay of Paris there must be an argument for saying that Rod Laver is the greatest male player ever. Before tennis went professional he won all four majors in the same year. This was only the second Grand Slam by a man in history. He promptly turned professional himself and could not enter another major for around six years until the advent of Open tennis. When this came he promptly won the Grand Slam again - a fantastic... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Very good flex distribution for multi-piece rod
Disadvantages: Handle and guide could be better for its price

...A very reasonable all around freshwater fishing and light saltwater fishing. I own the 7'/8' interchangable rod for about 8 month now. Not my first choice of rod to fish with, but conviniences to carry around, this rod is always there as back up. The reason that I don't use it as primary rod is because I am finding its best fishing suitability. For its thin diameter as it coming to the tips, this rod to me is quite stiff but with a good level of bite detection sensitivity to it. The bend is very good and the joining does not seems to affect it at all. A vey good achievement for the Shimano research team. It almost feel like 1 piece rod. I have taken this rod for crappie coarse fishing, spinning, carp fishing and even casting for mackerel from shore. It serve me best on my spinning session where I hooked up bunch of double figure pike... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Good balance, light and fast.
Disadvantages: None that I can see.

...I have been a very keen angler for the past 25 years, and I now run a local Fishing Club. The club water is only a few hundred yards from where I live, so this allows me plenty of time to try out my tackle and test it to the limits. So here I go with my opinion on the Shakespeare Gold Odessa Match Rod. I purchased this rod for around £50 from my local tackle shop, in June 2000 as a gift for my wife's Birthday, but I found it to be so good that it found it's way into my rod bag and not hers. If and when she reads this I will probably be in deep trouble yet again. Well the rod is 13 foot long with 15 single leg lined rings and screw reel fittings, with a half cork and hyperlon handle. Balance has to be felt to be believed, its has a very fast action with a soft tip that picks up line like a dream, yet is soft enough to stop you... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Songs never grow old, surprisingly good versions by interesting artists
Disadvantages: You may not like all the artists on the album, but that shouldn't stop you

...Little can be added to the praise that has always been heaped on Carole King's album "Tapestry". But a group of artists have found a better way than words to show their admiration and love for this practically perfect collection of songs. With a plethora of artists from Celine Dion to Manhattan Transfer to Rod Stewart, this Tribute will appeal to practically everyone. Granted, not all the artists' will suit the taste of true lovers of the original clear clean voice that we know as Carole King, but there is a lot to recommend this album. My personal favorite track on this album is Manhattan Transfer's version of "Smackwater Jack". This ballad like song, with its slightly country overtones, seems to fit the voices of this group like a glove. They've done nothing particularly special with the song, but still, it seems like they have... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: great for playing fish on
Disadvantages: Quite soft butt section

...Terry Hearn 12ft 2lb 9oz The rod: built with a full length duplon handle and fuji real seat, stainless steel collars cap the reel seat and handle of, a line clip is neatly whipped onto the blank, and silicon carbide rings anre used from a three legged butt ring to 2 legs to save weight on all other rings. An absolutely cracking rod to play fish on, with a nice through action and forgiving tip to prevent hook pulls. Optimum casting leads are around 3oz and the rod is capable of distances to around 120yards in the right conditions. The rod does struggle with pva work though and small bags only are advised. All in all it is a superb margin to midrange rod with a high build quality and varnish.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Cheap and very effective
Disadvantages: none

...I have been searching for a cheap carp rod for a while now and thought for what money I had I would not be able to get a rod with a quality name on it like such as fox. Having brought fox products before I have never been disappointed by the quality so when I realised fox where producing such a cheap rod I felt I had to try it. To be honest it was so inexpensive that I doubted it at first when I definitely shouldn't of but now I have it I have caught many carp on it the biggest being 36lb. It handles all fish exceptionally well as absorbs most of the pressure so you don't have to. Casting wise again the rod is superb and can reach long distances without much force being applied. I believe that this rod is ideal for anybody especially if you are new to carp fishing due to the price of only £50 brand new.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Allrounder
Disadvantages: Bit too bendy if that makes sense

...M.A.P was started a few years ago now. I am yet to see a bad product from the company (Midland Angling Products). It consists of joint efforts from Leeda, FOSTERS fishing shop in Birmingham, and well known match ace - Dave Harrell, their chief tester). The range is now qite huge, and I bought this rod actually not knowing much about it. I went for it beacuse of the good reputation the make has, and also it's classification as an allround match rod. I didn't want anything too light because I often catch a lot of carp on my travels (in fact, most of the waters down here in Cornwall, hold them as the predominent species), mostly upto about 8lbs. But then there's always those times in winter when you're even finding it hard to catch even the smallest of roach. So I needed something soft yet strong. This rod pefectly suits both... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful