TACKLE TEST: Jarvis Walker Rovex and Quantum light-spin outfit

Tackle Rating
Overall rating 76/100
Suitability: 16/20
Quality: 14/20
Performance: 16/20
Enjoyment factor: 14/20
Value for Money: 16/20

We nailed the fish — first cast would you believe it — on our tackle test of the new Rovex Airstrike Advance outfit from Jarvis Walker. This augurs well for the future of our tackle tests…

To date, we haven’t tested too much fishing tackle in the line of duty at boatsales.com.au. But all that might be about to change thanks to our new dedicated Fishing Site. Besides, we have some keen and accomplished anglers in our ranks who are available for independent testing. Clearly, the fish seem obliging.

Using the smallest Quantum Iron spin-reel loaded with 6kg high-tech line (also supplied by Jarvis Walker), our test outfit could be describes as light, affordably priced, with great casting ability, and also some surprising hidden fighting power for such a lightweight stick.

On a hot summer’s day in Sydney, we wasted no time heading out to get into the fishing action. The Rovex Airstrike Advance outfit proved easy to use, refined, purposeful and powerful. The reel is particularly smooth.

First cast, we knocked over a feisty Watsons leaping bonito (photo), then some chopper tailor, a decent red bream, and some big yellowtail or bung, all on metal casting lures and soft plastics lobbed from our boat on Pittwater.

LIGHT-SPIN OUTFIT WITH NEW GERMAN LINE
The affordably price Rovex Air Strike rod range spans 15 models from light spin and baitcaster to 10kg snapper sticks. All are designed for fishing with braided line using AC guides and they feature quality carbon blanks, says Jarvis Walker in its spin.

We had the Rovex Airstrike Advance 662 SPX on test. The good-looking burgundy-coloured, two-piece, two-metre long rod is rated for 3-5kg ‘string’. We matched this rod to the Quantum Iron Spin 25, the smallest spin reel in this made-for-braid range, and spooled it with 6kg HMPE line. It took all 300m!

The supplied Gliss Pink line from WFT (also on test) is the latest German-made high-modulus polyethylene (HMPE) line optimised for casting. It’s not braid, it’s not mono, but an extruded mono-braid, if you like, with one of the lowest stretch factors around. Its behaves like cotton in the breeze, just sought of waving around.

At 0.12mm in diameter, this is madly, crazy thin line. It’s actually as thin as 2lb or 1kg Berkely Triline monofilament nylon casting line. Yet the Gliss has a 6kg — or 14lb on the label — breaking strain! And that is why this little Quantum Iron reel swallowed 300m so easily and casts so far.

The Quantum Iron spin reels comes in four sizes (biggest #40 shown in product shot above), each with six ball bearings, a TiMag titanium bail wire with magnetic bail trip, and a MaxCast II spool design with braid band.

The body and side covers are made from SCR aluminium, which is said to be a specialist saltwater metal designed in conjunction with marine-engine metal experts. It’s too early to tell on the corrosion front, but the engineering is there.

The sealed CSC drag uses a mix of stacked ceramic, stainless and carbon-fibre to provide solid and even drag power so you can control fish such as flathead, snapper, barra, Australian salmon and tailor all the way to the net, says Jarvis Walker.

Let’s put that to the boatsales Fishing tackle test…

THE FIELD TEST: Rovex Air Strike and Quantum Iron 25 spin reel
Target species: We put this light outfit to the test on Watsons leaping bonito, chopper tailor, red bream and big ‘bung’ or yellowtail (the kids boated those).

Test Rig: All the fish were caught on soft plastics, a Wonder Wobbler (no laughing please) and casting metal baitfish-profile lures ranging from about 7 to 14 grams in weight. The yellowtail fell for bait-rig jigs. The 6kg HMPE WFT Gliss Pink line was tied to a Rovex Fluorocarbon 15kg leader with a simple uni knot using plenty of turns in the thin 0.12mm HMPE.

On the flip side, you can easily lob 28 grams or an ounce. The rod has a fast-medium action and a lot of poke along its length. It loads up quickly. We had a few wind knots, of course, but the single-foot AC guides seemed pretty snag free. The rear grip is a tad short for my personal liking. I’d like a few more centimetres there. But this was a nice budget stick all the same. Small things count and the hook keeper was appreciated.

As for the Quantum Iron 25 spin reel, it sure is silky smooth and easy to cast. There were a few loose loops around the spool at times, from this low-stretch line, but there’s nothing much to catch the loops there. The bail arm doesn’t clunk over and it doesn’t need much force, adding to the refinement. While early days, the drag was just outstandingly smooth and it really added to the pleasure of fighting the little bonito..

Retail Price: We’ve seen the Rovex Airstrike Advance 662 rod for about $60, the Quantum Iron Spin 25 reel for around $140, and 300m of WFT Gliss Pink 6kg costs about $35 a spool. All up retail outfit cost is $235. The reel and line were obviously priced as premium mid-range tackle products and they performed that way. The rod is better than cheap, but it's not quite the same quality as the reel and line.

Verdict: The Rovex Airstrike Advance 662 and the Quantum Iron Spin 25 create a great all-rounder for chasing surface fish in your estuary, bay and inshore grounds. We liked the fighting grunt of the Rovex and we reckon landing 10kg fish are distinct possibilities. You could run this outfit with the 300m of 6kg HMPE WFT Gliss Pink line as we did and take nothing else on the harbour or bay. The rod’s not top end, but the Rovex Airstrike Advance has fish-stopping grunt. It lacks a little tip finesse for working light lures, however. But the Quantum Iron Spin 25 is smooth with a beautiful drag.

The cutting-edge HMPE WFT Gliss Pink 6kg braid casts a country mile. It’s crazy thin. You will go through a bit, due to its handling properties of being so thin, but there’s no turning back from this stuff. Some reckon it’s a specialist casting line for light tackle. Er, yes. But light tackle lure casting is mainstream. Lastly, the blue reel with pink line kept my daughter and son happy. An all in one. More at Jarvis Walker.