Fox Horizon X3-S Carp Rod

Features

The Horizon X3-S comes with two options for handles; a full shrink wrap version and a cork handle. Both are comfortable and feel good in the hand; the cork stays nice and warm in cooler weather, and both transmit a decent amount of response to the angler when playing fish.

With an 18mm Fuji DPS reel seat, the X3-S is able to accommodate reels of most sizes comfortably and keep them firmly in place, with no movement of the reel when casting and playing fish.

The 10ft rods carry 40mm down to 12mm guides and the 12ft and 13ft rods carry 50mm down to 16mm, all anti-tangle Minima style with a ceramic tip ring. These guides do a great job of reducing line frap and keeping the line protected while both on the water and in transit.

Boasting an ultra high modulus carbon blank with multidirectional carbon construction, the X3-S packs plenty of power without weighing the angler down, and Fox say the carbon is a step up from the previous X3. The 3K wrapped blank and understated detailing look great too.

Available in 10ft 3lb, 10ft 3.5lb, 12ft 3lb, 12ft 3.5lb, 12ft 4lb, 13ft 3.5lb, 13ft 3.75lb and 13ft 4lb.

Appearance

The Horizon X3-S looks like a rod that costs twice as much as it actually does. Its understated cosmetics, 3K wrapped blank and mixture of black and grey hardware create a monochrome design that is both understated and tasteful.

The Minima style guides give it a slick, stealthy look, and the black butt cap etched with the Fox logo is a nice, unique touch that I personally really like.

How well does it cast and feel?

Thanks to its ultra high modulus blank and smooth guides, the Horizon X3-S is, by and large, a great caster for the price. The multidirectional carbon reduces twist through the blank, which is what keeps the cast accurate.

The 50mm butt guides on the 12ft and 13ft rods are especially useful for longer casts and work well to prevent line frap, too.

Both handles are comfortable when casting and provide plenty of grip without feeling awkward or sticky. On a medium-sized water the 12ft 3.5lb will comfortably hit a far bank at around 100 yards with a 4oz lead.

How does it perform when playing fish?

The Horizon X3-S feels good when playing fish, given what you can pick it up for. The blank stays nice and sensitive, with a decent amount of feedback without compromising the rod's power, and doubles of the kind most day-ticket waters throw up are well within it.

This is also true of the handle; both the cork and full shrink wrap offerings are responsive and comfortable in the hand when a fish is on.

It does feel slightly stiffer than some of the more premium rods when playing fish, which is the trade-off for the power.

Is it good value for money?

All in all, I would argue that the Horizon X3-S represents fantastic value for money. It's a rod that is affordable while still offering great build quality and hardware.

Also, the range of test curves and lengths that it comes in, combined with its reliable performance across the board makes it a highly versatile model that is likely to appeal to anglers with a number of preferences and carping styles.

While there are cheaper rods out there, they're unlikely to be as reliable or perform nearly as well.

I personally feel it's worth investing in a quality, mid-range rod like the X3-S that will provide a great introduction to carp fishing across different tactics and should last a good while if well taken care of.

Having said that, anglers looking for something more specialised may find it somewhat disappointing.

The same is true of carp anglers on the hunt for a high-performance model; while such rods are significantly more expensive, the X3-S is simply going to struggle to perform to the standard you'd want from an elite model.