Fladen Maxximus Solid-C Boat Rod

I knew that I'd like the Fladen Maxximus Solid-C Boat Rod even before it arrived. Not because I'd read the reviews, or seen the adverts for it, but because a couple of friends that I know and trust had already raved about it to me. These were the sort of friends that see a lot of rods, so I believed the hype for once when I eventually did read what other people had written about them!

TackleBargains had received some 'seconds' of the  Fladen Maxximus Solid-C Boat Rod. Because Fladen have such high standards of production, it appears that one batch had a few rods in that had a slight knock at the joint, so TackleBargains appear to have purchased them and are selling them at a ridiculously cheap price. I just had to have one, so ordered the 10-20lb rod.

It did, indeed, have a very slight knock where the spigot was a bit loose in the joint. It was firmly in there and I could have fished with it without any bother, but decided to buy a tin of graphite from a local tackle shop (as well as about £20 worth of other stuff I didn't actually need �" how do tackle shops do that?!!!) and applied two thin coats. That was it, job done!

The Solid-C boat rods are 8ft 2-piece rods, the reel section being very short and the main section being an extremely thin and sexy looking blank. It really does look the part, albeit a lot thinner than most boat rods, which often means that other anglers give it dubious looks when they first see it!

The build process of the Solid-C rods is what makes them so exceptional. This rod looks like a spinning rod, yet delivers power way beyond its looks. It's like they've squeezed Mike Tyson into Barry McGuigan's frame and delivered a rod that punches way beyond its appearance!

I've used the  Fladen Maxximus Solid-C Boat Rod quite a bit now, for all sorts of fish. My fishing buddy was keen to see me get stuck into a smoothound with it and I think he was surprised at how easy it dealt with it in a strong tide. I knew it wouldn't be a problem �" one of my friends had had conger on his!

Lately, I've been using the rod when drifting for bass, where the fact that it is so light and sensitive comes into its element. It really is a joy to use and standing there with it all day poses no problems, with every tiny nibble registering on the tip. It gives me good sport with the smaller fish, yet has the power there if that big one does come along. On top of that, it's got to be one of the best looking boat rods ever made. For those of you who like to use braid, you'll be pleased to know that it uses SIC guides, too.

The RRP for a brand new rod is £119.95-£129.95. However, at the time of writing, TackleBargains had a few of the slight seconds mentioned above for just £50. Click here for further details. With a can of graphite spray costing less than a fiver, that's a whole lot of rod for less than half price!

Of course, any Fladen stockist will also be able to sell you a perfect example, complete with rod bag.

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