AWA-SHIMA

5/10lb UGLY BATTLER TXS Power 2.1m

Reviewed: 5/10lb Ugly Battler TXS Power
Reviewed by Lou Edwards
Selling Price £39.99

Material : H.R.S Multilayer Fibrecore.
Length : 2.1m
Sections : 2 sections.
Guides : SIC Hi-Power Frame Guides.
Weight : 2.1m - 360g
Action : Very light actioned with added backbone

more info www.awa-shima.co.uk

Why would I want a 5 – 10lb rod, it doesn’t fit into my armoury of the bigger rod for bigger fish war that I constantly play out and loose drastically against mother natures tasty amphibious foes. Perhaps there is a clue in this; sitting on a boat with a broom handle trying to catch delicate biting fish does run against the fly fisherman in me who loves ultra light fishing on the river. So why do I not compromise on my sea tackle?

I guess it all stems from wanting my sea rods to have a dual purpose. If I look seriously at my boat rods, then I have to admit that I have bought them with longevity and practicality in mind, yep I have to admit if my boat rods were cars then they are in the middle aged, balding, socks and sandals Ford Mondeo range. So when I was presented with the Ugly Battler to try, then could this be my piscatorial mid life crisis?, checking in my Blue Mondeo for a little black two seater, earrings, shorts and a new tattoo. In a word, I felt like I could be liberated, and this rod was going to be my new girlfriend. Let me describe her to you; at 1.8 metres in height and weighing in at a very light 310 grams, this was indeed a pleasure to hold and quite unlike my human girlfriends, came in two parts, and has an innovative feature called the TXS power system handle.

I will let Awa Shima describe the TXS Power system handle, I fear that using my description and comparing rods to girlfriends is a rocky road that I may never recover from:

“Another brilliant innovation from Awa-Shima is the TXS Power System handle. In order to give the best comfort and avoid injuries in the angler’s hip, we have developed this new handle. Made entirely in aluminium and ABS, that can easily be put in the “flat” position by simply pulling and bending the end part. In addition of protecting you from injuries and generally supply a comfortable position in the hip, the TXS System also improves the power of your fight and especially when pulling and pumping-up your prey”

The proof is always in the pudding, and with this rod I was prepared to couple this rod with an Daiwa Megaforce 100TSH (REEL) 12lb braid and 1-3oz leads to start with. The venue was around the Portland area and specifically I was targeting the Black bream, but given that this was a light rod it was going to first show me how it handles as a basic scratching around rod.

I had a choice on the boat to either hold it and fish or let the rod rest in the boat. Both of these had advantages, firstly this is an ultimate light line rod, and the transmission of bites through the line up through the rod was impressive, and this rod is best suited to fishing whilst holding. Secondly letting the rod rest ensured that bites developed and hooked fish found it very difficult to use the rod to bounce themselves off the hook. I would like to say here that the rod was supported in a rod holder and we made use of the TXS Power handle system to lock this into place so the rod was never going to fly off the boat, this use of the power handle system was one that we never anticipated and shows that the TXS Power handle system has other uses apart from comfort.

Fish on were impressive, cuckoo wrasse up to 1lb – 1.5lb gave impressive sport along with small Pollack and mackerel, you fished with a smile, perhaps this is the small child angler in all of us that occasionally is let out to have some real fun.

The build quality of this rod is excellent and leaves you wondering whether the £30 (Average) price tag is correct, the blank tapers off for the last 32cm (12 inches in old money) to a clear tip that is masterfully ringed in quality SIC Hi power frame guides that after a week of fishing braid show no signs of wear or tear.

The blank is constructed of a solid Crystalide fibre system from the second ring up to the tip, and the spigot joint to the butt allows 11cm to be inserted in to the blank for a very secure fitting. Fishing with the rod was a unique experience and you can see why they named it the Ugly Battler, the middle to tip action was soft, however the stock end of the rod backed this up with a sturdy arch of power that helped ease the load on the tip section.

I always like to try different fishing techniques with my new equipment to see how it handles and I must admit I would have like to have tried spinning with this rod, but having such fun on the down tide rigs meant I never got around to it; but I believe it could handle itself in this scenario very well which opens up a whole new arena for this rod in coarse angling environments, such as the fresh water boat angler.

The TXS Power handle system is an innovative idea, one that I never got a chance to fully test, this rod is not designed to catch the monsters so you can easily play these fish off the arm if you needed too. It is a great idea that perhaps with further development could see it swivel to allow a more comfortable fit wherever you are holding it.     A nice touch that you do not see on many sea rods is the fitting of a hinged hook retainer near the butt end of the blank, a nice touch that means you can have this rod rigged and on standby should you need it.

My one moan about this rod is the bag, if you supply a two piece rod then surely luggage to hold the rod in two pieces would be preferred, reducing your storage space by 45cm. [Rod shown above right is the 10/20lb version - a full review to follow shortly on this too - keep watching!]

My mid life fishing crisis has been answered by a young filly of a rod that resurrected some good old fashioned fishing memories and plenty of smiles. Watch out girls – this ones a keeper!