Well an innocent post by Zenith owner Steve Parkes on this forum has ended with me parting with some very hard earned cash!

Back to the beginning; a post by Steve in the trade classified section led me to having a look at his website. On the website I noticed the Harrison Lorhic (LOw Resin High In Carbon) 9'6" #7 that looked the dogs nuts with fully lined guides, a top quality handle and a Pac Bay aluminium reel seat. The rod was a cancelled order and built to the customers spec. Knowing the reputation the Harrison has and the fact it's made down the road I really fancied it but personal circumstances meant it was really a possibility at the moment. Anyway, one thing led to another and 38 PMs later I was considering the possibility! Ideally I wanted to change the poker-stiff Vision GT fourfour of the same length and ratings. I must say that Steve answered my many questions extremely quickly and precisely, we got into some right ol' rambles at times but he kept his patience!

Steve is big fan of the Dan Craft FT and whilst keen to sell the Harrison felt I should try the FT first. So I decided to use Steve's offer of borrowing the FT in return for a deposit of £200 - this is open to everyone interested and the money isn't drawn until you decide to purchase, if you don't purchase it's simply refunded, you can't say fairer than that! The FT arrived by 1st class recorded delivered in a well-packed tube. So the FT:

What a lovely rod in the hand; it's incredibly light, feels extremely well balances with a reel on and just feels 'right'. The build quality was impeccable with a stunning finish and certainly the match of any top rod you can think of. Steve advertises the rod as fast and fast it is! It took a while to get use to it but when I did there's no doubt it puts out a line. Luckily I managed to bag a few using the FT and it proved to be very powerful and made short work of 2lb stockies. However, I have to be honest and say that overall it was too fast me; putting the FT down and picking up my G-tec proved that I prefer and get on with a slower, smoother action. It wasn't for me but if you like a fast rod than you'll struggle to do better. For the money they are a bargain.

So, I returned the FT and received the Harrison. As mentioned above it looks the danglers, a genuine quality finish rarely seen on commercial offerings. I won't go into too much detail here except to say that it is the best rod I have used and by some margin. It suits me perfectly. I think the commercial availability of the Harrison is erratic so it won't be a regular offering from Steve.

In summary, I can't praise Steve enough. The service has been faultless, the products top quality and great value for money. If you're in the market for a new rod Zenith should be high on your list.