Daiwa 26 Tournament Basia 45 SCW QD

How well is it built?

Picking up a Tournament Basia has always felt like holding a champion's trophy, and the 26 model is no different.

The body and rotor are made from Zaion, Daiwa's carbon-based material, which is why a reel with a bigger spool and the largest rotor Daiwa has ever put on a big pit still weighs just 540g.

That rotor is the new Zaion AIRDRIVE design, built for strength, balance and smoothness, and it is paired with an AIRDRIVE bail made from thinner hollow pipe, so it stays light without losing its rigidity.

Mag Sealed is still there too, keeping water and grit out of the gearing on a reel that might sit on the pod for days at a time.

Daiwa have even thought about the small things, with a bigger anti-reverse lever that is easier to find in a hurry, and the signature wooden handle knob is a nice nod to where the Basia started back in 2005.

How well does it cast and retrieve?

Casting is where the Basia has always earned its reputation, and the 26 model pushes it further.

The 45mm spool is now about 10% bigger in diameter, 79mm at the base and 76mm at the top, with a slight 2° taper and a refined LC Long Cast lip, so the line peels off with less resistance and more of your effort goes into distance.

Slow Cross Wrap keeps the line lay neat, and the bigger spool lifts the retrieve to 115cm per turn of the handle, which makes winding in from range a lot quicker.

You get two spools in the box, a C spool that holds 300m of 0.35mm for casting and an LD spool that takes 530m of 0.35mm for rowing or boating baits out even further. If you are looking for the best carp reel for distance fishing, this is still the one I would choose.

How useful is the drag system?

The QD Quick Drag goes from free spool to fight mode in well under a full turn, and on the 26 model it now tops out at 15kg.

On the 2020 version it was one of the smoothest drags I have ever used, and Daiwa have kept the same system rather than reinvent something that already worked.

The HIP line clip is still there for clipping up at the same distance cast after cast, and Twistbuster III helps keep line twist down, which matters when you are casting big leads all day.

Is it good value for money?

The obvious trade-off is still the price tag. At around £800 it is the most expensive reel in our guides, and it costs a good deal more than the 2020 model did at the end of its run.

But for serious carp anglers who fish big waters at range, the Basia has always been worth the splurge, and the 26 model adds more line capacity, a faster retrieve and a second spool to the same light, sealed build. It's like a work of art you can actually fish with.