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| Tried & Tested - SpeedMaster Competition |
| 01/03/2005 |
| Angling Times Advanced |
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The new Shimano Speedmaster Competition pole is already getting tongues wagging. Here's what Steve Cole and Lewis Murawski concluded after their exclusive on-the-bank test...
REVIEW Steve Cole
"The past few years have been relatively quiet for Shimano on the pole front. True, the company has released some superb products, but none that have done the leading manufacturer justice in the highly competitive pole market.
However, 2005 is where it's hoped all this will change, following the introduction of a number of new poles to cater for the whole market.
The SpeedMaster, selling for 999 GBP, is the one Shimano staff are most excited about, and within minutes of getting it on the bank I could see why.
The 1,000 GBP price band is hugely competitive, meaning your pole needs to offer that something special in order to compete. With the SpeedMaster it's undoubtedly the awesome Ultra Sound Sanding finish, which is on every single section. This is a great innovation that allows the pole to glide effortlessly through your hands, even when they're wet. This not only makes the pole feel lighter because you're not sruggling to ship out, but makes fishing at long lengths easier too. One other massive benefit is when shipping back with a fish on. As the pole flies through your hands you can ship back smoothly - this limits the chances of bumping fish off the hook.
I used the pole at both 13m and 16m, catching carp to 1lb. While I wasn't landing the biggest of fish, a quick squeeze on the sections gives you the confidence you'd land lumps on this thing. However, it's marketed as an all-rounder and quite rightly so. That smooth finish will make fishing at speed so much easier, I'd be more than happy bagging up on plips with this thing.
At 13 metres this pole is awesome, at 14.5 metres it's good, but it does lose its rigidity quite a bit at 16 metres.
It's also well-balanced. It's certainly not the lightest pole on the market, but the feel of the pole makes it a delight to use.
In all, I am very, very impressed with the SpeedMaster. It will sell for 999 GBP, which in my honest opinion is a bargain. It's as good, if not better, than many 2,000 GBP poles on the market. Make sure you take a look."
REVIEW Lewis Murawski
"I have just returned from an eye opening session with Shimano's new SpeedMaster. Why was it so eye opening? Because I can't believe Shimano aren't much bigger in the UK pole market than what they are after using my first pole from the company. This pole is excellent for the money, at 13 metres it's very light, well balanced, and stiff.
Favourite feature for me on the SpeedMaster is the finish. It's smoother than any other pole on the market. Even when my hands were wet after landing a fish the pole flew through my hands. Not only did this speed the fishing process up, it made the easy and a joy to use.
The SpeedMaster appears spot on for all-round fishing. It's a strong pole with most sections resisting a good squeeze and extra reinforcement on the butt end. The joints are superb and after a session of heavy use they were showing no signs of wear.
Graphics are subtle, with only the 14.5 and 16 metre sections being fully painted and the Shimano logo on the 13 metre section.
The pole is a big diameter but the taper is consistent, which helps provide the pole with excellent balance whatever length it's being used at.
On a day where two more expensive poles were also being tested I would expect the SpeedMaster to come out bottom, nothing could be further from the truth. I'm not going to say it was as good as the other two at 14.5 and 16 metres, but at 13 metres it was excellent, and it more than coped with my odd look at a further length, which I hasten to add was a true measurement and more at 16.29 metres.
I streotypically associated Shimano poles with expensive spares too, not so, a top four is just 99.99 GBP for this pole.
Spares included are also good: two power kits, two match top fours, cupping kit, power number five and a pole holdallall included. Needless to say if people keep an open mind when viewing poles then the SpeedMaster will sell like hot cakes."
This review appears in the April 2005 issue of Angling Times Advanced.
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| Availability |
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Speedmaster Competition
Item code: SMCO1600UK
Offer Price: £999
Exclusive to all Shimano Pole Centres - for your nearest centre, please call 01386 425 826 or visit the Shimano Dealer Locator using the following link - click here |
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| Product Information |
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For further details of the Speedmaster Competition please use the following link - click here
Alternatively, you can now order the new 2006 Shimano Product Catalogue using the following link - click here |
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