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In 1990 petrol was 40p a litre, a pint of beer cost £1 and 20 ciggies were £1.65. Liverpool won the League and Man U beat Crystal Palace to win the FA Cup. Margaret Thatcher resigned and most of the world was in recession. 1990 was a memorable year for me as I won my first World Championship using, as always, a Browning pole. The Legend Ceramic pole I used then cost £1300 for 12.5 metres – a lot of money then!
Since then I’ve fished with lots of new poles and over the years they’ve become stiffer and lighter, but the basic design had not changed much. Not least, we still have to take a saw to our brand new expensive pole before we can use it! – unbelievable to a non-angler and very wasteful as your new 13m pole instantly becomes about 12.5 metres! Unsurprisingly, pole fishing is just too confusing and difficult for many of us, which is a pity as it really is the easiest way of catching fish.
This all changed last year when Browning’s engineers “started from scratch” and designed a new super-pole which finally dragged poles design into the 21st century - the revolutionary Xitan Z12. At last we could buy a pole and just go fishing – no more worrying about cutting tips; agonising over “powerkits” vs “matchkits” … and all the other “hassle” we have to endure when buying a pole. The Z12 also gave us a lot of other long overdue and sensible features – take a look at the Z12’s website and I guarantee you’ll be impressed!
I’m very lucky in having a Z12 and it’s a brilliant piece of high-tech kit. I can fish it at nearly 19 metres and it’s certainly by far the best pole I’ve ever used. It’s been a major success, won many tackle awards and has been dubbed by the press as “the best pole in the world” – which I believe it genuinely is! Other makers are now busy copying Browning but, as always, copies will never be as good as the original.
The Z12 is the peak of technology and costs up to £3000 so is beyond the needs and budget of most anglers. However, for 2013 Browning have a new range of Xitan poles that include the Z12’s advanced design and features. £3000 pole technology now starts at £249!
I’ve been using Browning poles for more years than I care to remember – and they’ve helped me win 4 World Championships. Browning have always engineered their poles to be strong which suits me just fine as breakages are a disaster at any time – let alone when fishing an important match.
If you’ve never tried pole fishing I would highly recommend you give it a try, and I guarantee you’ll love it - and that those rods 'n reels will start to gather dust! If you’re a total newcomer have a look at my “Pole School”.
By the way, Browning’s new £480 Xitan Allrounder pole is better that the £1200 Legend Ceramic I used in 1990 so not everything is getting more expensive!
Tight Lines
Browning’s Xitan Pole Range for 2013
Black Magic Slimstar - the latest in a long line of famous poles for £249rrp. The Black Magic reputation continues with this new slim diameter 11m pole. Perfect for anglers who dislike or find modern “fat” poles difficult to handle. The Slimstar is “ready-to-use” with pre-bushed topkits and is supplied with one of our innovative Pole Protector butt sections. Is the Slimstar strong? What would you expect from a Black Magic! Package includes 2 extra pre-bushed topkits, pole bag and winder bungs. Just add elastic and go fishing.
Xitan Xtreme Margin . Xitan Xtreme Margin. Full Xitan Z12 Revolution technology for £299rrp The new Revolution Xtreme Margin 9.5m pole has the full Z12 technical spec. Very light (500gr) and stiff, but ultra strong due to extra spiral carbon reinforcing. Package includes 2 extra big-bore pre-bushed topkits and a unique Pole Protector butt section. Fully compatible with all other Xitans so a good backup and summer pole. The Xtreme Margin is an exceptional pole – try one and you will not be disappointed.
An “Allrounder” that will do everything and anything - from £479rrp The new Allrounder is exactly that – a carefully designed, stiff, light weight but strong pole that can be used for any and every style of fishing. Big fish, small fish, rivers, lakes, the new Allrounder will do it all with ease, the perfect pole for most anglers. Available at 13m or 14.5m but extends to 16m. Both packages include our unique Pole Protector section, 3 extra pre-bushed topkits, matching cupping kit with 3 cups set plus winder bungs. The 14.5m package adds and extra Pole Protector and a spare 3rd section.
Like an extra-strong pole? The Ultrapower is the one for you - from £525rrp The new Ultrapower will suit anglers that need extra strength or give their poles a hard life. The pole has a special carbon wrap which boosts wall strength without adding too much extra weight. This is one of the lightest “power” poles on the market. Available at 13m or 14.5m but extends to 16m. Both packages include our unique Pole Protector section, 3 extra pre-bushed topkits, matching cupping kit with 3 cup set plus winder bungs. The 14.5m package adds 2 more topkits, an extra Pole Protector and extra Short 3rd section.
A mid-priced pole with top-end performance – the Xitan Z6 from £999rrp The new Z6 includes even more of the advanced technology and features developed for the Z12. This is the most technically advanced pole available in this price band – in fact, up to around 14.5m the Z6 performs as well as the more expensive poles. Available in 14.5 and 16m packages both with a full set of 3 Pole Protectors, an extra full 3r,d section, a short 3rd section, matching cupping kit with 3 cup set, all in a top-quality Xitan pole holdall. Remember, like all Xitans it’s ready-to-go so just add elastic and you’re fishing.
The pole anglers have been asking us for – the Xitan Z8 from £1399rrp Many anglers like to own the “one below” the top-of-the-range pole. Perhaps they fish mainly the commercials or rivers; perhaps they just like a little extra strength. Responding to this we’ve introduced the new Xitan Z8 for serious match anglers looking for a reliable “workhorse”. The Z8 has all of the advanced features found on the Z12 but uses a slightly different Nano-carbon mix. It’s stiff, light and very durable. The butt sections are a conventional length (shorter that the Z12). Available in a 14.5m or huge 16m”Pro” package with all the extra kit you need – a full set of 3 Pole Protectors, spare full length and short 3rds, same-length cup kit plus cups, all in a top-quality Xitan pole holdall. The packages come with 8 or 10 ready-to-use Z12 SLK topkits and you can tell us which sizes you want - pulla or standard at no extra cost.
We’ve been told “it’s the best pole in the world” – the Xitan Z12 from £2499rrp Read the reviews; look at the website www.xitanz12.com ; ask a Z12 owner; read the forums: See and try one – the Z12 speaks for itself. What more can we say!
Browning’s Xitan Poles. The future is here - Poles will never be the same!
Browning has a pole for every fishing situation with prices from £30 including ultra-strong margin poles which will land just about anything that swims in your local lake. You can see them all in Browning’s 2013 Catalogue CLICK here.
We want to make sure you get the right advice, so if you’ve got any questions about Browning poles you can email the technical guys CLICK HERE and they’ll be happy to give you an answer.
We endeavour to ensure our after-sales service is as good as our poles and we keep huge stocks of spares for rapid delivery. We operate a help-line CLICK HERE for any customers having difficulty obtaining spares. Enquiries are answered directly by our service team who will do their best to help.