Whilst not in the market for new rods I am an avid Century fan and haven't seen any reviews or discussion of their new mid-range/budget (for them) rods
I imagine they'll be great rods for the money however it would be interesting to see how they compare to similar price rods from general tackle companies. Has anyone had hands on experience with the Excalibur XT and what is the general impression?
Cheers,
James.
I imagine they'll be great rods for the money however it would be interesting to see how they compare to similar price rods from general tackle companies. Has anyone had hands on experience with the Excalibur XT and what is the general impression?
Cheers,
James.
In reply to Post #1
Hi mate,
Are you still interested in this rod? I just bought a set. Maybe I can be of a little bit of help.
Hi mate,
Are you still interested in this rod? I just bought a set. Maybe I can be of a little bit of help.
In reply to Post #2
So, how are they. Casting ? Playing action ? The usual stuff.....
So, how are they. Casting ? Playing action ? The usual stuff.....
In reply to Post #3
I only got them yesterday, so have not fished with them yet.
I do have a load of pictures taken, if it's helpful I can upload them somewhere? I also made 2 pictures of the rod in curve.
I only got them yesterday, so have not fished with them yet.
I do have a load of pictures taken, if it's helpful I can upload them somewhere? I also made 2 pictures of the rod in curve.
Resurrecting an old thread. Does anyone own these, what are your experiences? And maybe alternatives in that £200-£250 price bracket.
Thanks,
Ben.
Thanks,
Ben.
In reply to Post #5
I have a set of the 12 foot 3,5 lbs ones. I really like the build of the rods, they really are my dream rods in that respect.
In terms of action of the rod: I must say that I think they are really soft, in my opinion they lack a bit of backbone. I feel like they 'collapse' on a cast and I struggle to cast them to 90 meters with a baited rig. I admit I am certainly no Terry Edmunds, but my Greys Aircurves 3,25 have a better casting action for me. Also, even when playing a bream/tench they have a good bend in them, which confirms they aren't stiff rods.
Like I said, I like the look of these rods the best of all the rods I have had (and I have had several custom build sets in the past), but I think I need to sell them as they aren't casting rods.
I have a set of the 12 foot 3,5 lbs ones. I really like the build of the rods, they really are my dream rods in that respect.
In terms of action of the rod: I must say that I think they are really soft, in my opinion they lack a bit of backbone. I feel like they 'collapse' on a cast and I struggle to cast them to 90 meters with a baited rig. I admit I am certainly no Terry Edmunds, but my Greys Aircurves 3,25 have a better casting action for me. Also, even when playing a bream/tench they have a good bend in them, which confirms they aren't stiff rods.
Like I said, I like the look of these rods the best of all the rods I have had (and I have had several custom build sets in the past), but I think I need to sell them as they aren't casting rods.
In reply to Post #6
Thank you for your reply, its much appreciated. 3.5 would of been the TC I'd go for. I need them to be an all rounder, for solid bags etc too. It doesn't sound like they'll fit the bill. That's a massive shame. Agreed they do look the dogs danglies.
Thank you for your reply, its much appreciated. 3.5 would of been the TC I'd go for. I need them to be an all rounder, for solid bags etc too. It doesn't sound like they'll fit the bill. That's a massive shame. Agreed they do look the dogs danglies.
In reply to Post #7
They certainly are not fit for pva bag fishing, sorry to say.
You're welcome!
They certainly are not fit for pva bag fishing, sorry to say.
You're welcome!
LINKY POO™ https://www.century.uk/product/excalibur-xt/
Plenty of info on the Century website for these rods.
Plenty of info on the Century website for these rods.
When Century will create a mk2 of this rod with a slimmer blank and more backbone, I will immediately go for them....
I want to give an update on my experiences with this rod. At first I wasn't so sure about them, but now I love them. It requires a different casting style than what I was used, but now I can cast it further than my Greys Aircurve in 3,25 lbs. I really like the build and the way the rod performs. It does have a lovely playing action.