This is a great small water rod and surface rod, it has what we would call a mid/through action, it bends through to the middle part of the rod pretty quickly which makes it gorgeous for playing fish on, especially with small hooks and lighter hooklinks, when needed though it has plenty of power through the butt section, really lean into it when near pads etc and you can stop a fish in its tracks.

A step up from the 2.5lb and suited to a lot of peoples needs, this rod probably comes into its own if you do most of your fishing from 10yds to 110yds, it will cast further but if you regularly fish over 100yds or use PVA bags you would be better suited to the models below. This rod will cast 3-3.5oz comfortably.

This rod was introduced into the range due to requests from anglers, originally the 12’ rods went from 3lb to 3.5lb and people were asking for a rod in between the two. It is a great all round Carp rod and will cover most carp anglers needs, it will cast 3.5oz over 130yds, further in the right hands, yet still retains a great action for playing fish, the 12’6” 3.25lb is a great rod but people were asking for the same rod but in 12’, Free Spirit duly obliged.

Without doubt this is the biggest selling Hi-S Carp rod, a lot of the lads here at the shop use these, we think they are the perfect all round Carp rod, again due to the unique manufacturing process these rods are lovely to play fish on, powerful through the butt with the power being progressively distributed through the tip section. This rod will cast a 2.5oz lead accurately at say 60 yds but will also handle a 3 ½ oz or 4oz lead being pushed out to 140yds or in Hutch’s hands over 180 yds! It will handle pva sticks or smaller solid bag work and is comfortable fishing small waters through to any big pit at “Long Range”.

The 3.5lb is also available in 12’6” and 13’ for those that prefer a longer rod but don’t want to buy an out and out long range rod.

TBC

TBA

TBA

Now we are pushing into Free Spirits long range offerings, at this point we aren’t at out and out distance rods but rods that are still capable of big range.

Now we are being honest here, in our eyes the 12’ Hi-S Ive has really been superseded by Ive ER, the ER will cast as far but is a much nicer rod to use and also much easier to use, the 12’ Ive is a rod that not everyone can get the best from, you need incredibly quick hand and body speed to make it work.

The 13’, now that’s a different story, this must rate as one of the easiest long range rods to cast, it is forgiving through the top 25% of the rod so means you can be slightly less critical with your release point, its like a golfer having a bigger “sweet spot”, if you don’t hit it exactly right the rod makes up for your mistake.

The 13’ Ive doesn’t require quite as fast hands so it means normal casters rather than tournament casters can still cast huge distances, we have guys coming in the shop that are fishing at 170-180 yds with these rods, on a measure field these have covered over 200yds!! Due to the forgiving nature in the tip it means you wont be pulling hooks close in, we have also had a lot of people say they love these rods for Zig fishing, the extra length making casting easy and with lighter hooklinks at long range they are not losing fish due to the softer tip.

The Ive Er is one of the newer rods in the range and needs a little introduction as we feel it is a very special blank.

These days we as anglers are fishing differently to the way we used to, we are fishing not only longer ranges but also methods that require different tools, PVA bag work requires a different action to straight lead work, weedy waters require a totally different action to open water rods, this is where the Ive ER comes in to its own!

This is what you would called a stepped up 3.5lb, the ER standing for Extra Responsive, its is what we tend to recommend to people that come in and say they want an everyday rod but where they fish predominantly from 70-150yds. This blank still has a very forgiving tip but is almost like a wolf in sheeps clothes, really lean into it and there is an abundance of power, its not a poker by any means, this is where Free Spirit have been very clever, it’s a quick but progressive loading, the more you lean into it the more it keeps giving. If you are casting PVA bags or need to “punch” a 4oz lead into a headwind then this is perfect, if you get a fish stuck in weed at 80yds you can get it moving again, if you need to stop a fish getting to snags then this is the one.

Range wise this rod will fish comfortably at closer range but distances over 180 yds are achieved by “normal” anglers, in the hands of tournament casters even further, the tip speed recovery on this rod is incredible.

We believe this is probably the most impressive carp rod we have ever seen, sold or used, it really does do everything you could ask.

When Mark Hutchinson joined the Free Spirit team he came with a reputation of destroying all the carp rods he used – even boasting he could break through the excesses of casting any rod you put in front of him. Even though he has tried repeatedly he has yet to break the 200's.

Built from the same 40t Low Resin Carbon as the other Hi-'S' blanks these rods have a crisp, smooth action with no 'snatch' and are still light and slim with a very fast recovery to eliminate tip bounce that cuts down distance. With the benefit of a comparatively soft tip they are still capable of playing fish with a little care. In the right hands a very formidable specialist tool when the ultimate distance is essential.

The 200’s are available in both 12’ and 13’ with the 13’ being capable of crazy range. Again we are being honest here when we tell you we don’t sell many 12’ as the 13’ simply outcasts it. In our eyes you are only compromising distance by going to 12’, the laws of physics dictates that the bigger arc that the 13’ puts the lead through means much faster lead speed, the faster the lead travels the further it flies, simples. If you are buying a 200 you are obviously after extreme range so the 13’ is the one to go for.

People are often under the misconception that you have to be big and tall to get the most from a 13’ rod, this is simply an urban myth, if anything the extra length is of more benefit to someone shorter than taller as it helps create a bigger arc. As the name implies the 200’s are capable of 200yds plus and are suited for leads form 4-5oz, if you put a 3oz lead on you simply wont get the best from the rod, shock leaders must be used to avoid crack offs.

These rods are really designed for those that have had a casting lesson as timing and speed is required to max these rods out, a mistimed cast with a braided shock leader and a 5oz lead and you risk breaking something.

You would naturally think that the 220 is an even stiffer version of the 200 but this isn’t the case, again this is a newer addition to the range that came from Simeon (Free Spirits owner) listening to feedback, he wanted to create a rod that was capable of the 200yds of the 200 series but was more “user friendly”.

Simeon thought it wouldn’t be possible but after years of prototyping they got a rod that was a huge caster but much softer in the tip than the 200, a bit like a stepped up Hi-S ive. Now naturally you would assume that distance would be sacrificed to achieve this ease of casting, however when Hutch was testing he was averaging even bigger distances than with the 200’s!! As you can imagine this has resulted in the 220 stealing the thunder from the 200 a bit, the 200 still has its place as if you are lumping a big PVA bag 150yds then nothing compares to it, however for a rod to punch a 4 or 5oz lead 200yds plus then this is the easiest rod to do it with.

The Hi-S 200 and 220’s are certainly not a rod you would have as your only set of rods, but if you are on a water that needs extreme distances then these are the ones!!