Free Spirit CTX 12' 2.75lb Heavy Water Barbel Tamer Rod

One of the challenges when targeting big Barbel in powerful, snaggy rivers is being able to present a bait effectively and then control your quarry when you hook it. Coping with long casting and heavy water flows with the use of feeders and gripper leads often up to 8oz means the use of a special kind of Barbel tool.

Since it is necessary to have good bite registration the very tip of the rod needs to be sensitive. The way the tip reacts with the flow is critical - the rod top needs to ‘nod’ in the current to prevent the lead or feeder being dislodged. This requires an action specific to Barbel and is quite different to a re-badged carp blank.

When the river is in spate condition there are obstructions and floating debris to contend with so rods are fished with the tip high in the air to reduce the drag on the line. We offer these rods in 12’ but also 13’ to help get the tip up as high as possible.

Tamer Heavy Waters (HW) are built on ultra slim, lightweight blanks that feature a very distinctive carbon ‘X’-Tape along the length. A complex manufacturing process integrates Japanese carbons in 40t and 30t with resin contents below 25%. Wrapping alternately at 90 degrees and zero degrees for added strength, then further wrapping with 3mm bi-axis carbon tape at 45 degrees produces extremely strong yet ultra-light and slim blanks.

Guides are black framed ‘S’-Lites with both 30mm and long range 40mm versions available.