Free Spirit CTX Carp Rods

This entry was posted on 21st January, 2015

Free Spirit CTX Carp Rods

A Free Spirit Carp fishing rod starting at £99.99? We must be joking right? Well we aren't! As new for 2015 the rod making giants have designed an absolute gem of a rod, a rod which features all the qualities we've come to expect from the Free Spirit team, at a price which is affordable for all Carp anglers.

The Free Spirit CTX range/idea hasn't been born overnight, it's been a project that the guys have been working on for sometime, not just a few weeks or months, but in-fact years. The key concept was to create a range of rods which featured some of the same qualities as the higher priced models, such as the highly acclaimed E-Class and Hi-S rods, but wouldn't break the bank in regards to price.

This is exactly what they have done and as you can imagine they are very proud of what they have achieved. Recently we caught up with Free Spirits main man Pete Castle, who explained a little more about this exciting new range…



How are these blanks produced?

' It was a rather complex manufacturing process where we had to integrate 40t and 30t carbon, with a resin content of under 25%. We wrapped them alternately at 90 degrees and zero degrees, this gives the rods added strength. Once this was complete we then further wrapped them with a 3mm bi-axis carbon tape at 45 degrees, to produce an even stronger, yet ultra-light and slim blank.'

What benefits does this process offer?

'It offers a much improved power to weight ratio of a blank at this price and a further big advantage of this multi-layer structure, is the accuracy of casting, as the blank is less prone to twisting and the effect of bias.'

The higher end rods in your range are often praised for their casting capabilities, at such a competitive price, have these qualities been sacrificed?

'The short answer is no. We are well known for our distance casting rods and have proven during testing that the blank construction of the CTX range has extreme casting abilities and great recovery. Cosmetically the ‘X’-Tape runs the length of the blank and gives it a very attractive and distinctive ‘Perdurable’ finish.'



You mention the finish on the rod, has this been compromised in anyway?

'Once again the short answer is no! We didn't want to produce a cheaper range of rods just for the sake of it, the quality, feel and looks all had to be of the highest standard possible. Even though these rods start at just £99.99 they still feature quality Fuji DPS reel seats, stainless steel collars and ‘S’-Lite guides with both 40mm and 50mm models available.'

So it's fair to say, and quite rightly so, that you are proud of these latest creations?

'We are indeed very proud of what we have achieved with the new CTX range, there's been a lot of hard work involved, but it's all been worth it. We now have a new range of carp rods, at a fantastic price, which will cover every possibility, from small waters with the 2.5lb rods to extreme range with the S.U. models. Every rod in the range looks fantastic and performs to the highest level, they are built to last and I hope that in 5-10+ years time they are still being used and talked about in the same way as the Hi-S and E-Class ranges are.



Are there any other models in the pipeline? Or will the CTX rods just be available in Carp Rod form?

'There will be some more models added to the range, as we have plans for complimentary Stalking Rods, Landing Nets and even a range of Barbel rods, however these are still in the testing stage.'

The Free Spirit CTX Carp rods will be available from February 2015, there'll be ten models available and they will start from just £99.99.

Buy The Free Spirit CTX Carp Rods