Daiwa Rockin Roller

How well is it built?

The Rockin Roller is a heavyweight in every sense. All the rollers run on double ball bearings, which should keep them turning smoothly for a long time, and the legs are telescopic with cam-lock fixings that are quick to set and hold firm once they're clamped.

The leg joints use push-button locks, and the outer uprights fold flat when you pack up, so the frame closes down for its padded, zipped carry bag. It's a solid, well-thought-out piece of kit, and nothing in the spec looks like an afterthought.

To be fair, all that hardware comes at a cost, because the six-leg model weighs 8.5kg. That's a lot to add to a barrow if you've got a long walk to your peg, but it's also why the frame is built to stay planted.

For me, it's as well made as any pole roller around, and the 9.0 is fair.

Performance & Handling

What's the idea behind the Rockin Roller? The pair of horizontal rollers is set up so the pole keeps travelling on both of them at any typical incline, rather than riding on just one.

That should cut down on bounce and give the pole better protection as you ship it back, which matters a lot under an expensive match pole.

The outer upright rollers sit at a 20° angle, so they trap pole sections and limit lift when the wind gets up.

In the middle, there's a sliding upright roller that you can move or take off, and with it fitted you can lay the pole in two parts and split the rolling across two sides.

That sliding centre roller is a smart touch for double shipping, and the double bearings should keep everything running quietly. I think it should handle a pole as smoothly as any roller around, so it gets a 9.0.

Stability & Footing

Six legs is the headline, and it's what earns the Rockin Roller its stability score. Each leg locks by push button at multiple positions out to 180°, and they're telescopic with cam locks, so you can splay them wide on a sloping bank or keep them tighter on a narrow platform.

With six contact points, the load of a long pole is spread across more of the bank, which should stop it sinking or rocking on soft ground.

It's a wide, tall frame, too. The six-leg version is 120cm wide and works at heights up to 135cm, which should cover high banks and raised river stagings. The legs can also close into the frame so the roller sits at ground level, where four levered ground spikes hold it steady.

Where would it struggle? Not many places, to be honest. With all six legs out it's built for difficult terrain, and I'd rate it as about as steady as a pole roller gets.

Is it good value for money?

The Rockin Roller is one of the dearest pole rollers you can buy, and it costs more than the Preston Innovations Absolute Pole Roller, which has four legs, a removable centre upright and a big height range of its own.

That's the main reason value sits at 7.5, despite the high scores everywhere else.

You also need to be honest about how you fish. If most of your pegs are flat commercial platforms, six legs and the extra weight are more than you need, and the MAP Dual Pole Roller Mk11 handles double shipping for less money.

You do get the ground spikes and a padded, zipped bag in the price, though, so there's nothing else to buy before your first session.

Overall, I'd recommend the Rockin Roller to serious match anglers who fish steep, rough or high banks, or rivers with awkward stagings, and want the steadiest possible base under an expensive pole. If that's pretty much your weekly fishing, it's money well spent.