Despite have attended several Tradeshows in the past I’m still impressed as I walk in and see the huge range of rods, reels and accessories on display. Chatting to Product Manager Darren Peel he told me that there were well over 200 new products destined for the tackle shops in 2014 and it’s impossible in this short news feature to mention all of them. So with the help of Marketing Manager Stephen McCaveny let’s pick out a few “Stars of the Show”.
We headed first to the rod racks to look at some of the new rods.
The Whisker DF Rod range – The Whisker DF range is a totally UK made carp rod range with the same “custom build” quality and specification as all the other Infinity and Longbow DF rods. There are six in the range from the 12ft 2 ¾lb t/c to the 4 ¼lb t/c Spod. Put through their paces by Danny Fairbrass and members of the Korda Team these rods are set to be very popular indeed.
The Infinity MT and SP Rods - The all new Infinity’s also caught my eye. I’ve used the 2 ¾ Magnum Taper rods for some years now and love them. So I was not surprised to see them still in the rod range but what did impress me was the new look. With the distinctive shrink grip handle and matching Fuji K guides these rods not only deliver on specification and performance, they also look superb.
Moving on to the reels, it was difficult to know where to start with so many on display. The Saltist Hyper Speed with a gear ration of 7.3 to 1 stood out, as did the Theory SP and the Crosscast BR LD but Stephen was keen to show me two reel ranges in particular.
The Black Widow BR Reel - The Black Widow BR is low on price but high on spec and performance. Available in four sizes from the 3500 to the 5000 the Black Widow features Daiwa’s Bite and Run system, AirBail and Twistbuster.
The Certate Reel – The original Certate reel was launched in 2004 and has developed a reputation for high performance and unchallenged reliability. Principally for lure fishing this new version takes it to an even higher level with the unique Mag Sealed extending to the line roller too. By incorporating advances in technology and design, with nine reels in the range the new Certate makes sure ‘you’re ready for it’ no matter what.
Any one that knows me will also know that pole fishing is a complete mystery to me, but I know that Daiwa poles are used by some of the best anglers in the business. I just marvel at the technology and design that goes into the manufacture of these stunning creations.
I think its better I let Stephen explain.
The Airity Pole – The Airity is already a proven award winning design but we have found room to improve on it. We have applied X45 to key areas throughout the pole to create anti compression zones and enhance the responsiveness and handling.
The Match Winner – At 14.5M this offers an excellent and capable second pole to top anglers which will be compatible with other models. But in truth is an ideal ‘commercial water’ design, with the right sort of package and even better price.
Thanks Stephen. We wandered on around the rest of the displays and it was difficult to single out particular items to mention here, from the various accessories, to luggage, to clothing, to the brollies and shelters. Personally I loved the look and feel of the new Strongbeam Flatback Brolley and couldn’t resist pushing around the new Tri Loader Barrow, which is worth a mention.
Tri Loader Barrow – One of the problems, if you are a wimp like me, is that with a full loaded barrow you often have to stop for a rest on the way to those swims on the far bank, opposite the car park. I’ve seen many a trolley tip over but this will be a thing of the past with the Tri Loader. The option of two large rear wheels, an easy fold-up system and plenty of storage space makes this the perfect trolley and it will certainly be on my shopping list.
Having walked around the full tradeshow I suspect I’ll not be the only one putting some of the new Daiwa products on their shopping lists for 2014. Whether it be one of the exciting new items or some of the established products, one thing is for sure there is something for every angler in the range … now where did I put that pen and paper?
