NGT Profiler Travel Rod 9ft 4pc Carbon

How well is it built?

The blank is carbon, built super-slim and ultra-responsive with a low-reflection finish, which is handy on clear water where a shiny rod can catch the light. Carbon keeps a 9ft rod light in the hand, and a slim blank is easier to carry and pack than a chunky one.

The fittings are simple and sensible. Black-framed guides run up the blank, a SEAGUIDE reel seat sits above a full shrink handle and a black butt cap with a laser-etched NGT logo finishes it off.

Shrink tube is hard-wearing and easy to wipe clean after a trip to the coast, so it suits a rod that's going to be thrown in a car boot or a suitcase.

To be fair, there's nothing premium in the build, and the three joints between the four sections are one more thing to look after than on a two-piece rod. For a budget travel rod, though, I think a 7.5 feels about right.

How well does it cast and feel?

How should a four-piece rod cast? As a general point, a multi-piece travel rod tends to be closer in action to a normal two-piece than a telescopic rod is, because it has fewer joints in the blank.

At 9ft, it's long enough to put a lure or float a decent distance out, and short enough to manage on a tight, overgrown bank.

The 20-50g casting weight is the key number. That suits mid-sized spinners, spoons, metals and soft lures, plus float and light bottom rigs, which is the all-round fishing the rod is built for in both fresh and salt water.

It's on the heavy side for tiny perch lures, so I'd look at something lighter if that's your main fishing.

For me, a slim, responsive carbon blank should give a reasonable feel for a budget rod, but it won't have the crispness of a premium travel blank. A 7.5 sums that up nicely.

How does it perform when playing fish?

Once a fish is on, the 9ft length gives you some leverage to steer it, and a 20-50g carbon blank should have enough backbone for the general run of fish you'll meet on a holiday or a short session, from a hard-fighting bass to a jack pike.

If you do target pike, use a wire trace every time.

The joints are where travel rods lose a little. More joints mean a less even curve under load than a two-piece of the same length, and it's worth checking each one is pushed home firmly before you cast so they don't work loose while you're playing a fish.

It isn't a big-fish rod, though, and I wouldn't use it for heavy pike baits or strong tides. For everyday fishing at the lighter end, I think it'll cope well enough, and the 7.5 reflects that.

Is it good value for money?

Is it worth the money? I think so. It's a lot of rod for budget money, with a 9ft carbon blank and a branded SEAGUIDE reel seat, and the cloth bag means you don't need to buy a separate sleeve.

Next to the Angling Pursuits Travel Max, which shares the 9ft length and 20-50g rating, the Profiler has a carbon blank rather than glass, so it should be lighter and crisper in the hand, and it packs down a touch shorter at 74.5cm.

If you want something that packs much smaller, the NGT Profiler Travelmaster goes down to 33.5cm, but it's a 6ft rod with a lighter 10-30g rating.

Overall, I'd recommend the Profiler Travel Rod 9ft to anyone who wants one budget carbon rod for lures, floats and light rigs on holiday, or a spare to take on trips to the river or the coast.