Daiwa Ninja Tele Whip

How well is it built?

The Ninja is a telescopic carbon whip, so the sections slide out of each other rather than pulling apart like a take-apart system whip.

Carbon is the right material for a short whip, as it keeps the weight down and gives the blank some crispness, and the weight is very respectable for a 3m whip at this sort of money.

The handle area has a matt grip paint finish, which should give a more secure hold with wet or slimy hands than a gloss finish would.

There's an elasticated hook holder to keep the rig secure when you're not fishing, and the red and grey Ninja graphics give it a finished look without cluttering the handle.

To be fair, it isn't built to the same standard as the Daiwa Connoisseur Pro Speed Whip, which uses HVF carbon and V-Joint sections. For a budget tele whip, though, I think the 8.0 is well earned.

Performance & Handling

How should a 3m whip with a solid flick tip behave? A solid carbon tip is softer and more forgiving than a hollow one, so it should give a little as a fish takes and help keep small, lightly hooked roach and bleak on as you swing them in.

That's exactly what you want when you're fishing to hand for silverfish.

The 3m length suits close-in work on canals, drains and slower rivers, where bites often come quickly and a short line makes swinging fish in simple. Because it's so light, it shouldn't tire your wrist on a long session of lifting and swinging either.

For me, the woven lily yarn connector is a real plus too, as it's soft and kind to fine lines and lets the rig hang neatly from the tip.

Overall, it should handle small fish well, but it isn't as crisp as a dearer whip like the Drennan Acolyte Pro Tele Whip, and that's why it sits at 8.0.

Ease of Use

This is where the Ninja really earns its keep. The built-in yarn connector needs no cutting or gluing, so you can attach a rig and be fishing in a minute or two. When you've finished, the elasticated hook holder keeps the hook safe while you collapse the whip down again.

It closes to 116cm, which fits in pretty much any holdall and makes it easy to carry between pegs or along a towpath. The matt grip paint also helps when your hands are wet from unhooking fish, which happens a lot when you're catching quickly.

The only thing it lacks is a choice of tips, which you do get with the Guru Aventus Zero 600 Tele Whip, but for most anglers one solid tip is plenty. Overall, I'd give it an easy 8.5, as there's very little to set up and nothing to fiddle with once you're fishing.

Is it good value for money?

So, is it worth it? I think it is. It costs a little over half as much as the Daiwa Connoisseur Pro Speed Whip, yet you still get a carbon blank, a solid flick tip and a fitted yarn connector, which are the three things that matter most on a short whip.

It costs a bit more than the Nytro Impax Elasticated Whip and quite a lot more than the Guru A-Class Whip, but those are built for beginners, whereas the Ninja is a proper flick tip whip that a regular canal angler could happily use in a club match.

Overall, I'd recommend the Ninja Tele Whip to anyone who wants a light, well-made 3m whip for roach, perch, bleak and skimmers without spending a lot.

It suits club anglers, pleasure anglers who enjoy a bag of silvers and newer anglers who are ready to step up from a starter whip.