Made from high grade Torayca Graphite Carbon, the rod comes packed in 4 sections in a cloth bag inside a solid cordura tube. When assembling the rod the first thing that is noticeable is the weight or lack of it! With 4 sections at 4.23 oz or 120g this is a rod that already seems to stand out from its class.

Fully assembled the PowerTec rod feels nicely balanced in the hand. A cool matt black finish is coupled with a high grade smooth AAA cork full wells handle and fighting butt. This is complemented with a stylish gunmetal chrome reel seat and locks, which hold the reel firmly in place.

There are 11 guides in all;- 2 stripping guides and 9 single foot guides, all UVC coated. These add to a very tough looking rod that will cope with the most extreme conditions on any water.

On my testing day the rod was paired with a Flextec Aerotec 7/9 weight reel loaded with a weight forward 8 weight line. This balanced the whole outfit perfectly and will be the subject of my second review coming soon.

The 8 weight version of the PowerTec rod is aimed at the distance caster or the reservoir angler and should be able to cope with fast changing conditions and a variety of lines and weights. The rod also has to be durable and tough to stand up to the constant punishment of being clattered around a boat. This rod does not disappoint! Conditions for the day were starting fine with a cool light westerly blowing across the reservoir. The wind was however forecast to freshen all day. My first approach was to try this rod out on some buzzer feeding trout over the shallows.

Setting up with a 22ft leader and a four fly cast I slowly motored the boat into position and began my first drift of the morning. With very little breeze I was anticipating having a hard time aerializing and casting with such a heavy outfit . My normal approach would have been with a 6 weight outfit. But I was pleasantly surprised at the ease with which the rod flexed smoothly while casting with a big open loop. The overall lightness and composure of this rod shone through making it easy to cast a nice straight 30 yards of line without any dramas.

My first fish came as the flies settled and I was able to lift the full head of line of the water and make contact cleanly and crisply with no obvious soft spot to deal with. As the fish took its first deep run the rod bent nicely, absorbing all the powerful lunges and safely cushioning my 6lb fluorocarbon leader.

Even when the fish was at the net I was still happy that the rod would absorb any sudden hook pulling, line snapping last minute lunges. The result a nice fully finned 3lb 8oz Hanningfield bar of silver!

For the next couple of hours I enjoyed steady sport. The PowerTec rod performed well in overhead casting, easily achieving long distances even in near still conditions. Also with roll casting and long lifts of line to cover moving fish, at all times I felt in total control of my flies.

The rod feels easy in the hand, nicely balanced. A middle to tip action makes it easy to recover the cast and allows for a fairly good margin of error when a slight breeze catches you unaware.

Although an 8 weight the PowerTec loads perfectly well with a standard 7 weight line, a minimal amount of distance is lost but this allows you to fish with a greater range of lines and approaches.

As the wind freshened to a brisk 16mph from the west a change of tactics was required. I moved the boat into deeper water and changed lines to a distance casting DI3 and a lure set up. This is where I anticipated the PowerTec to really live up to its name. And boy does this rod perform!

Now adding a single haul into the back cast to push the line into the wind and tightening the loops the rod suddenly takes a steely feel in my hand. With a snap of the wrist I'm punching a full 125ft of line to the horizon taking me straight to the backing. Very impressive! And still with a good turnover of the flies and minimal false casting. I can see why this rod is penned towards the distance caster. A few retrieves and the rod is again bent into a decent rainbow which does its best to find the bottom of the lake. The rod flexes nicely from the middle absorbing the powerful runs and with steady pressure the fish is soon pumped back up from the depths into my waiting net. Another grown on fully finned 4lb bar of silver!

This sport continues for the rest of the afternoon, I tried a selection of 7 and 8 weight lines from fast intermediate through to a DI8 fast sink. The PowerTec takes it all in its stride with great bite detection and hook setting at range and close by. Casting never felt like a chore because of the lightness and responsiveness of the blank. The PowerTec never felt overwhelmed in the conditions no matter what I or the weather threw at it.

Altogether the Flextec PowerTec does what it says on the tin. A casting powerhouse but with the finesse to fish a finer style. This rod would perform equally as well in the hands of a newcomer with its forgiving nature right through to the seasoned angler looking for a versatile rod that is able to adapt to a variety of conditions and methods that today’s modern Stillwater trout fishing calls for.

At a time when we are all used to paying large sums of money for high performing rods the Flextec PowerTec offers top quality and performance at a price that is more than affordable. Add to this the lifetime guarantee and this rod simply makes sense!

Prices start at £42.99 for the 5/6 weight and £47.99 for the 7/8 weight in the 10 and 11 foot versions.

Available from www.tacklediscounts.co.uk