Daiwa Connoisseur G90 Pro 16m Pole Package More F1

How well is it built?

Strength is what the Connoisseur name has always stood for, and the G90 Pro keeps that toughness while being stiffer and lighter than the G90 it replaces.

Daiwa have built it with Super MSG Nanoplus and V-Joint Alpha, with ITS taping and a Diamond Satin finish, and the Section Alignment System helps you line the sections up as you ship in and out.

Those are technologies you'll also find higher up Daiwa's range, and part of the G90 Pro's appeal is that it brings some of the Air Z and Airity updates down to a more affordable pole.

The white butt sections with the green G90 lettering and the black PHEX extension certainly look the part on the platform.

All the top kits are made in the UK and come pre-bushed, and the pole comes with end caps and a holdall to keep it in good condition between matches.

For a pole that's going to be shipped hard on commercials week after week, I'd have no worries about the build, and that's the Connoisseur's biggest selling point.

Performance & Handling

Daiwa have aimed the G90 Pro at better performance when fished long, and being stiffer and lighter than the old G90 is exactly what you want at 16m, because a stiffer pole is easier to hold steady and keep your rig still.

Daiwa list it at 1376g for the full length, and the Connoisseur has always put strength first, so I'd see it as a tough all-rounder rather than the lightest pole money can buy.

The More F1 kit selection shapes how it fishes. The four Professional F1 top kits are made for F1 fishing, the three Interlastic Speed Kits are there for when you're catching fish in numbers, and the Professional Match Kit comes fitted in the pole.

Daiwa give the recommended maximum elastic as 16, or 20 depending on setup, so there's plenty of power for carp at close range too.

The short No.4 lets you stiffen the pole further when you're fishing shallow, and the Super Light PHEX911 mini extension gives you extra length for slapping shallow or fishing on a slope towards an island.

Is it good value for money?

This is a serious outlay, but the Connoisseur range has always been about value near the top end, and the G90 Pro package costs a good deal less than the Matrix MTX5 V2 and well under the Daiwa Airity Pro 16m or the Air Z Pro.

You give up a little of the refinement of those poles, but you keep the Connoisseur strength and a lot of the same technology.

What really makes the price work is the package.

Eight top kits in total, a short No.4, a cupping kit with cups, the PHEX911 extension, end caps and a holdall adds up to a lot of kit to buy separately, and the top kits are pre-bushed so you only need to add your own elastic, which is the one extra cost to plan for.

If the F1 kit mix doesn't suit your fishing, Daiwa also do a More Power package. This one suits serious match anglers who fish commercials regularly, catch F1s and carp in numbers and want a tough, well-kitted 16m pole without going to Airity or Air Z money.