Grauvell Surf Competition II 4500 - 12/06/2009
This superb rod, with its striking graphics, is at the top of the Grauvell range. Out on test, Roger ‘Stig’ Mortimore pushed it to the limit. Read on for his report…
The Teklon Surf Competition is a 4.5m three-piece rod designed to perform with leads from 100g right up to 250g. It’s a very powerful rod and is slim-blank constructed to the highest standards using high-modulus carbon and fitted with the very best Fuji components. The butt has an adjustable counter-balance weight screwed into the butt cap plus a Fuji screw-up reel seat and low-profile EVA grips. The middle and tip sections have seven Fuji SiC LC Alconite guides and are secured with silver thread. There’s also a second tip for match fishing that has five different push-in tips to show those gentle bites, which can often make a difference in difficult conditions, plus there’s a five-year warranty on the whole rod. It looks stunning, with a dark-grey finish, scarlet graphics on the butt and silver whipping that really make it stand out on the beach.
For the test I tried both fixed-spool and multiplier reels and the performance was staggering with both of them. Even using a simple overhead cast I could feel the power in the rod, sending a rig sailing into the distance with very little effort. However, one piece of advice: if you use a fixed-spool reel, make sure you wear a fingerstall – you’ll need it! Casting off the ground using more body rotation really loaded the rod up for when I needed extreme distance. That extra distance could be vital on calm, sunny days when the fish tend to stay away from the shoreline. The softer match tip, when sat in the rest, absorbed wave movement and showed the smallest of bites. When propped upright, it kept my line out of the crashing surf and helped me to avoid floating weed. The 4.5m length meant that I could use extra-long rigs, which often make a difference when the fishing is tough. It also proved useful for sinking a flying trace into the surf, when seeking out garfish and scad.
To sum up, it’s a very smart-looking rod that delivers stunning performance in a variety of shore fishing situations.
INFORMATION
Blank material: High-modulus carbon
Overall length: 4.5m
Casting weight: 100g to 250g
Sections: Three, plus spare tip with five
push-in tips
Rings: Seven, plus tip
Whipping: Silver
Reel seat: Fuji screw-up
RRP: £999.99
ROGER’S RATINGS
Appearance: 9
Casting: 10
Fishing: 10
Value for money: 10
Contact Grauvell UK on 01235 821877, Website www.grauvell.com
