PRICE £279.99

TOURNAMENT MATCH

PRICE: £279.99
SECTIONS: Two equal
RINGS: Fuji Alconite
LENGTH: 13ft 10in
CASTING RATIO: 125-200g
REEL SEAT: No
COASTERS: Included
BAG: Yes

TOURNAMENT ROCK

PRICE: £294.99
SECTIONS: Two equal
RINGS: Fuji Alconite
LENGTH: 14ft 2in
CASTING RATIO: 125-200g
REEL SEAT: No
COASTERS: Included
BAG: Yes

SEA ANGLER’S Paul Fenech tries out the new Anyfish Anywhere Tournament Rock and Match rods and discovers that the pair pack a punch…

Every once in a while I’ll get my hands on a new beach rod that genuinely excites me. In many cases a rod is a rod, but the blood started to really pump when
Anyfish Anywhere boss Julian Shambrook handed me a pair of his new beach rods.
His new babies are the Tournament Match and Rock rods but, as he is
very quick to point out, they could be wicked weapons in the right hands on a casting court.
Slotting the rods together I sensed their power – I expect English archers had much the same experience when they hauled on their bow strings. Flexing the rod tip against a ceiling and bending a butt between two hands can give you a quick indication of how a rod will perform, but these rods needed to be armed with fast beach multipliers and sinkers to unleash their obvious power.
One little niggle – I was disappointed to see the pair came equipped with coasters. I hate them, and with
adjustable screw-winch fittings now widely available these two rods would benefit from having them fitted.

Feel the power

As always, my Daiwa 7HT Mag was loaded with 0.35mm mono and an 80lb shockleader was then positioned into the coasters. Once in place, it was tightened and clamped to the blank in the low position.
I clipped a 61⁄4oz sinker to the leader and prepared to put the Match model through its paces first. My first cast was a gentle layback style to get the feel of the rod. With the magnet setting on
No 5 the sinker sailed smoothly skywards. Suddenly it occurred to me that this rod had hidden abilities built into it. I was slightly taken aback by its power.
Next cast was the same, a layback, but instead of a gentle flick I went for a big hit. As I released the sinker the rod recovered immediately with absolutely no wobble whatsoever as line raced from the spool and climbed high into the blue sky. This rod was very powerful – I think the term used by anglers and casters alike is ‘a bit of an animal’.

I really needed to get into the rod with a powerful pendulum cast, so next cast I lengthened the drop, swung the lead weight away from my body and pulled it around and through a flat arc before wrenching it upwards. This rod really is a beast in terms of power. It has a steely butt section that goes into a fast tip, and the recovery is incredible. The blank itself is not over-stiff, so that strong tides will pull the sinker out every time and bites will still show up easily.
I continued to cast and each one went away smoothly, but I couldn’t help thinking that this rod would be no good at all in the hands of someone who was starting out in the sport, or for whom casting wasn’t their strong point.

I then attached the reel to the Rock model and decided to duplicate
everything I had done with the Match rod. Surprisingly, this version had a softer feel to it and yet, as a rock rod, I would have imagined it to be a bit beefier.
After a few serious big hits, I found out that this rod has major power in the middle section.
Personally I preferred the Rock to the Match, simply because I like longer rods. The idea of delivering big baits a long distance and knowing I have the power to drag fish through heavy kelp and rough ground was appealing.

Both models are nicely finished and built superbly, and the Alconite Fuji rings are attached with black whipping and red tips.
Most modern beach rods come with a casting ratio. I reckon these rods should actually come labelled with horsepower because they are really powerful. I couldn’t help thinking, though, that in the wrong hands they would be virtually useless.
What I mean by that is if you are a novice or perhaps casting is not your strong point, you’re going to struggle to tame these rods and benefit from their full potential. On the other hand, if powerful rods are your thing, then this pair will almost certainly please.