64 May 2007 May 2007 65

PRESTON INNOVATIONS GIS 2G10Prestons Innovations’ 2007 flagship pole is designed to be even better than the original GiS G10. What does associate editor Jonathan Taylor think?

IT’S claimed that the GiS 210 is lighter and stiffer than the original GiS 10 – quite a statement considering the popularity and awesome all-round capability of the original.

There was only one way to find out, so we headed to Willows at Decoy Lakes, near Whittlesey, to give the pole a good workout.

I knew there was no point fishing a pole like this at 10m or 11m. All poles are poker-straight and light at these lengths. It’s when you add the final sections that the big difference becomes apparent. So I intended to fish the pole at its full 16m length for five hours, to see what it was like and hopefully put a few fish in the net.

I elasticated a power kit with a No10 elastic and a match kit with a lighter, No6 elastic in case the fishing proved to be harder than expected. In all honesty, a No10 elastic could easily be accommodated in a match kit. If you remove the No1 section of the match kit it is really strong, and I would happily use it for a No14 elastic or the equivalent hollow elastic. The power kits are solid,

and would be very hard to break even with the heaviest elastic on the market.

As I assembled the pole on the bank I knew it was going to be something special. Adding the sections one at time, I got all the way out to 13m holding the pole in just one hand before I even realised. The pole’s not the lightest you can buy, but nor is it heavy. It’s the brilliant balance of the GiS 210 that allowed me to easily hold it one-handed at this length.

IMPRESSIVEAdding the 14.5m section, the balance and the stiffness of the pole wasn’t affected. It remained dead straight, with no droop at all. At this length it was the stiffest pole that I had ever fished with, and I couldn’t wait to put the last section on to see what it was like.

Adding this section made absolutely no difference. True, the pole got slightly heavier, but it still didn’t sag at all. I could easily have fished with it at this length for 10 hours, never mind a

five-hour match.When I eventually stopped admiring the pole

and actually put a rig and Toss pot on to begin fishing, the pole did become slightly top-heavy due to the added weight, but that’s unavoidable if you’re fishing in this style.

Shipping out with a full pot to 16m was easier than expected. The pole does not have an overly large diameter, which is an asset when you’re shipping it out to its full length.

I started with the match kit in place and had a bite on the very first put-in. It was a near-record gudgeon that I somehow managed to throw back without photographing! I re-baited, and it wasn’t long before a steady stream of F1s made their way to the net.

The No6 elastic wasn’t really man enough for the job. Several times it bottomed out, and I relied on the strength of the pole to play the fish. Needless to say, the elastic was replaced with a beefier No10 through a power top kit. To my surprise, this didn’t much affect the pole’s balance.

BAGGING-UPA succession of carp and F1s came to the net over the next few hours, and the pole grew and grew on me. It took me a long time to find a fault, but eventually I discovered one. On shipping back from 16m, the joints on the female sections stick out and you catch your hands on them. After a little use and wear the problem will probably go away, but for a while it proved to be a minor nuisance.

These female joints protrude because they are intentionally built up to help prevent wear, and I’d rather have this than joints that wear easily – I soon got used to them.

All the sections are solid, and I couldn’t find a soft spot anywhere. One of my favourite features of the GiS poles is that you can take your top kits from any of the models already on the market and use them with this one.

Overall, Prestons has met its claims. This is certainly the lightest and stiffest pole that I have ever fished with – and it’s not the most expensive on the market by a long chalk!

TACKLEPOLE TEST

The attractive blue finish on the new GiS 2G10 is spot-on, and fishing it at 16m with a high bank behind was surprisingly easy! I’ve always been a massive fan of the original Gis10 and CM90, both of which are super-strong and very straight. The GiS 2G10 appeals to a slightly different market, in that the stiffness is retained but the pole is lighter. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still built like a rock, although there is a little bit of ‘give’ in the No5 section. Nonetheless, it’s a true all-rounder, and I’m impressed.

ANOTHER’S VIEW

Ben Fisk STAFF WRITER

THE PACKAGEYou get the 16m pole supplied with two magic step Match+ top-4s, three magic step Power top-2 kits, a short fourth, a Kupping Kit with Kups and a GiS 10 tube holdall.

PRICESThe package has an RRP of £3,200 but is on offer for around £2,000.

MEASUREMENTS● At its claimed length of 16m it measures 16.09m ● At its claimed length of 14.5m it measures 14.40m ● At its claimed length of 13m it measures 12.70m ● A top-5 measures 6.17m● A top-4 measures 4.56m● A top-3 measures 2.92m

VITAL INFORMATION