Maver Elite 77 - 05/06/2009

It features a whole host of technologies like Nanolith carbon, Sun Core finish to regulate heat distribution and Teflon joints for smooth, easy breaking down of the pole. Not only that, it also incorporates Magic Step top kits (these minimise the surface area inside the pole to avoid sticking elastic) and Fusion, the blending of different carbons in the top kits to improve responsiveness, rigidity and weight.

All the technical jargon aside, for the £4,500 RRP (although it’s set to sell for around £3,000) you get an awesome set-up: four deluxe power kits, two match top-three kits (plus the one in the pole), one match top-four kit, plus a holdall, clean caps, mini-extension, a cupping kit with cups and a DVD – that’s over £850 worth of spare carbon!
Maver is also offering the pole as a tailored package to suit the buyer’s needs, so if you want just power kits you can have that and pay less, and you can even buy the pole on its own for around £2,350.

For a top-flight pole it is perfectly capable of handling bigger fish (it carries a maximum elastic rating of 16-19 Dual Core, equivalent to a No20) and the new deluxe power kits are said to be a marked improvement over the old versions, which Maver says makes the pole feel even better. Where spares are concerned, for top kits you’ll be paying £260 for a match top four but just £70 for a deluxe power kit, which is pretty reasonable. A short No4 section is £59.99.

RRP: £4,500