Wychwood Agitator Lr-S Lure Rod

How well is it built?

The Agitator LR-S is built on a high-modulus carbon blank with a no-flash finish, so it shouldn't throw glints of sunlight across clear, shallow water where perch and pike can be wary. It's a thoughtful touch on a budget rod.

The guides are deep-drawn, impact-resistant SiC, with a double-leg butt guide and single-leg running guides at custom spacing. SiC rings are smooth and hard-wearing with braid, and a double-leg butt guide is a sturdy choice on a rod that's going to get knocked about on the bank.

There's a VSS-style reel seat and a custom EVA handle, and the whole rod breaks down into two sections.

To be fair, nothing in the spec is poor, but it's a solid budget build rather than a refined one, which is why it stops at 7.5.

The Savage Gear SG4 Medium Game has a Toray 30T blank and Seaguide guides with SiN rings, and even the Revenge SG2 Medium Game gets SiN-ringed guides, so the Agitator sits a step below on components. For the money, though, I think it's a well-made rod.

How well does it cast and feel?

Crisp but progressive is a good balance for a do-it-all lure rod. The crisp side should transmit the thump of a spinner blade and the tap of a bite, while the progressive bend is built to load smoothly through the cast and forgive you if your timing is a little off.

The 7ft 4in models are a handy length for rivers, canals and lakes. The 15-35g version covers spinners, small soft plastics, plugs and cranks for perch, zander and jacks, and the 30-60g version is built for bigger shads, spoons and spinnerbaits aimed at pike.

The 8ft 6in 60-100g model is a different animal altogether, made for heavy lures on big waters, where the extra length should add distance and help keep a big lure under control.

For me, that spread is the strength of the range, because pretty much any lure from a small spinner to a big pike shad has a model to match it. With a sensibly matched action on each one, I think 8.0 is a fair score.

How does it perform when playing fish?

Once a fish is hooked, a progressive blank bends further into its length as the pressure builds. That should help soak up sudden lunges near the bank and keep small trebles in place, which matters with braid because it has very little stretch of its own.

The models split the work neatly, with the 15-35g rod suiting perch, zander, chub and jack pike and the 30-60g and 60-100g rods having the backbone for bigger pike.

Whichever one you choose, use a wire trace for pike, as their teeth will cut through braid or fluorocarbon in an instant.

Why not a higher score? It's a budget blank, and I'd expect less reserve power and fine control than the SG4 Medium Game when a big fish heads for snags. Still, it should land the predators most UK lure anglers catch without any fuss, and I think 7.5 is fair.

Is it good value for money?

So, is the Agitator good value? I think it's excellent.

It costs a little less than the Savage Gear Revenge SG2 Medium Game and well under half the price of the SG4 Medium Game, yet it offers three models, including a heavy 60-100g pike rod that neither Savage Gear rod goes anywhere near.

The Fox Rage Warrior Shad & Spin 20-60g is a touch cheaper and does a similar job to the 30-60g Agitator, but the Wychwood gives you braid-friendly SiC guides, a no-flash blank and a choice of length and power.

If you mainly fish tiny lures for perch, the 15g bottom end of the lightest model is a bit heavy, and a light rod like the Westin W3 Street Stick 2nd suits that job better.

Overall, I'd recommend the Agitator LR-S to anglers on a budget who want one rod for perch and zander, or a proper pike lure rod, without paying SG4 money.