Prince Edward

After several hard fights I'm very impressed with how the rod combines outright power with control.

The AFTCO guides, curved aluminium butt and reinforced lower blank all feel built for one purpose: putting pressure on a big fish. But it isn't just brute strength. The more flexible tip helps keep everything smooth when the fish changes direction or starts shaking its head.

When I'm specifically going out looking for something serious, this is the rod I want ready.

Had a very memorable fish on this rod last summer. Long fight, a lot of pressure and plenty of moments where you start wondering who is actually winning.

The Prince Edward never gave me a reason to worry. That's probably the best compliment I can give it.

I expected an 80 lb big game rod to be all about brute force, but the more flexible tip is one of the things I appreciate most.

You still have massive power lower down, but there's some forgiveness at the top which makes keeping pressure on the fish feel much more controlled.

With this kind of fishing, confidence in your tackle matters a lot.

Once the Prince Edward is loaded you feel like you can really lean into the fish. That feeling alone makes the long fights easier mentally.

Very impressive finish and components. Everything about it feels built to take serious pressure.

It arrived extremely well protected as well.

The reinforced lower section has an enormous amount of power. When it's time to stop giving line and start gaining it back, this rod really comes into its own.

Had one tuna stay deep for what felt like forever. That's the moment I really appreciated this rod.

You can apply a lot of pressure but the tip still works with you rather than feeling completely rigid. When we finally saw the fish coming up beside the boat, I was exhausted but very happy with the setup.

Heavy-duty rod and beautifully made. The AFTCO guides and aluminium butt feel exactly as solid as you'd expect from this type of setup.

You understand this rod when the fish is deep and you're trying to gain those last metres.

The power from the lower section is impressive and the bent butt lets you work efficiently instead of just fighting against the tackle.

This is serious big game equipment. Huge amount of power in the lower part of the blank but the tip still gives you enough movement to keep the fight under control.