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| Antares AX tested live |
| 01/06/2005 |
| Angling Times Advanced |
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It was well received at this year's Go Fishing show at the NEC, but is Shimano's new Antares AX pole any good? Angling Times Advanced Steve Cole gives his verdict...
"I've tested the top-of-the-range Shimano Aspire (the pole Alan himself uses) and the new Speed Master. In both cases I was impressed. You see, Shimano produces poles that suit my own style of fishing - strong, stiff products that will handle a season on commercial water abuse.
The new Antares AX falls slightly between tw ostools - 'an all-round competition pole' is how it's described by Shimano. If this were the case it needed to be stiff, slightly lighter than the other two models, yet offer enough power to be perfectly usable in commercial water matches. I would see...
I set the Antares up with a 12s latex elastic and decided to give it the ultimate test - Decoy Lakes' Beastie Lake. The name of this pool really says it all. If the Antares survived the session, it would get a big thumbs-up from me!
Top finish
As I assembled the pole I noticed the top six metres did not have the superb Shimano Ultra Sound Finish. This anti-friction coating means the pole glides through your hands effortlessly, a real godsend in wet weather. I was told this is because the pole has been designed to be lighter than other Shimano models, therefore the top six sections are thinner and can't take an impregnated finish. This wasn't a problem at all, though, as you usually unship at the third or fourth section anyway.
Two tests
To get a good measure of the pole I started at 13 metres, catching small F1s on the bottom. The pole felt superb at this length. It was very, very stiff, quite light and well-balanced. While none of these carp could be classed as 'proper' Beastie fish, I deliberately exerted a lot of pressure in order to ensure there was enough power in the pole to last a severe bagging session.
I was, unfortunately, hooking the odd tiny carp of just 8oz, and while these weren't my intended quarry it was nice to be able to throw the pole around a bit in order to fish at speed.
Stiffness test
As the spring sun beamed down on the lake, and with Lewis emptying it on the next peg, I decided to come shallow. This would be a true test of how stiff the pole is!
I went out to 16 metres to escape the bankside disturbanceand began flicking a few hard pellets to bring fish to the upper layers. Soon I was getting quick bites which required an instant lift - a pole with poor rigidity would hamper the number of bites you'd hit as well probably result in tangle after tangle caused by the bouncing tip.
I'm pleased to say the Shimano was awesome. At 16 metres it's extremely stiff, and while it's not the lightest pole I've ever used, it was easily fishable at this length. My biggest fish of the day was a 3lb carp, hooked in the tail. While not the lump I wanted, it did fight a bit. Both Lewis and Kevin, however, tames fish to 6lb on this pole with no problems. It has a lot of hidden power that I really liked.
It not only survived the Beastie session, but passed the ultimate teast with ease. Another superb pole from Shimano - anyone wanting a light, strong and stiff power pole, equally capable of being fished at speed on a canal or banking 100lb of carp, should take note! It really can be classed as a perfect all-rounder."
This review appears in the June 2005 issue of Angling Times Advanced
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