I have been a Century rod user since I started carp fishing nearly 20 years ago and for me, my ultimate carp rods had come to life in the form of the Focal System range of rods. I have never owned a rod which encompassed all the attributes that I needed to successfully use in my pursuit of carp and the Century FS was that rod to a tee.

I say was, because Century have just released a new range of rods which are marketed as filling the gap between the ever popular NG’s and highly focused SP’s and these are set to take over that auspicious crown of best rod in my eyes.
When I saw these rods I was immediately struck by the massive aesthetic appeal they have upon that all important first look. The new and very expensive carbon weave looks absolutely stunning on these new blanks and it has been utilised not only for its ease on the eye but it also has a highly sophisticated function within the dynamics within the blank. As usual the attention to detail is second to none and the whippings are a simple black except for those immediately either side if the spigot joint . These have been tipped with a dark blue whipped end to add a subtle flash of colour to just break up the lines slightly and put emphasis on the neatness of the spigot itself.

At the butt end, Century have opted to go for the more traditional etched ,flat , steel end cap and the butt grip itself is a top grade Japanese shrink rubber which has been placed over a composite taper to give it a more ergonomic feel in the hand. This is then fished with another subtle bit of stainless in the form of an etched trim ring. One thing that is immediately noticeable is the brand new reel seat. It is visually unique and is made by taking the proven industry standard Fuji reel seat and amalgamating it with a beautiful CNC machined metal rear half with a very tactile castellated reel lock ring and the Century logo engraved on the upper surface. Definitely another triumph in the reel seat department and with the awesome SS20 and AL20 reel seats already as options in the camp, they were always going to be a hard act to follow but the new HB20 standard fitting is fantastic. There are also the options of a clear aluminium finish or an anodised gun metal liveries available for the HB20, both of which look great.

So, like all Century blanks, the New Century Speed range looks superb but how does it perform I hear you ask?……..Well, like a certain wood stain company says, “It does exactly what it says on the tin!” I put on my Infinity reels loaded with 12lb line , new lead core and rigs and looked forward to the first outing to put them through their paces. Time to wind ‘em up and let them rip!

The first thing that struck me was the apparent spring in the tip with the lead suspended. I got the impression that I was about to unleash some almighty force and I wasn’t wrong! As the new carp stick was propelled forward, it effortlessly sliced a swage through the air and this culminated with a recoil as the baited rig was sent into orbit. I didn’t go mad with the first cast but it sent the business end out with consummate ease . I reeled in and had another go , then another and another , pushing a little more each time and now running out of water without upsetting my fellow anglers I settled for the final cast.

I consider myself to be a fairly good caster, but not in the league of Danny Moeskops ,Frank Warwick, Mark Hutchinson, or John Carver. With my limitations in mind, I appreciate it when a blank is easy to work and these rods are no exception. You don’t have to be a surf casting expert to get these rods to perform admirably and the tip make up is such that a tremendous speed it built up quickly projecting the lead to the horizon. This is also useful on the strike at range because the line can be picked up much quicker bring you into contact with the fish in a fraction of the time. So it’s a casting tool I hear you say? Well yes, it casts faultlessly and with an ease of effort that belies softish tip. Now the interesting part, what’s it like to play a carp on? Well , I had a spirited encounter with a 22lb mirror on the rods inaugural outing and I was using the 3.5lb versions and they tamed the feisty cyprinid without any dramas. The pleasant C curve that the blank takes up is one of the inherent design concepts to bring a big casting tool into the realm of a playing rod and the blank design has been honed to perfection to bring these two opposites of the rod spectrum into a highly versatile carp rod that anyone can use and not be intimidated by. Century have hit upon a winning formula once again with the NCS range and it is destined to be a future classic from this innovative home grown stable.