Preston Innovations Inception Flat Roller

How well is it built?

The Inception is built around a four-leg frame, and every leg is telescopic, so each one can be extended to suit the ground under it.

A long horizontal roller sits between vertical rollers that are fixed at an angle, which means there are no extra hinges or knobs on the uprights to work loose, and the whole layout feels purposeful rather than fussy.

The roller turns on silent bearings, which is a nice touch at this level, as a quiet, smooth roller is exactly what you want behind you when you're watching a float.

The spirit level is integrated rather than clipped on, so it's far less likely to get knocked off in the car or in the bottom of a carryall.

It doesn't have the double-extending legs and locking handwheels of the Preston Innovations Absolute Pole Roller, but then it's a much cheaper roller. For a mid-priced roller, though, I think the build is very solid, and the 8.5 is well earned.

Performance & Handling

Silent bearings are the heart of how the Inception handles. A roller that spins freely and quietly lets the sections run back without juddering, which matters most when you're shipping back in a hurry to net a fish or to rebait.

The fixed angled uprights help keep the pole on the roller, and that's handy on a breezy day when a long pole wants to drift off the side.

Because they're set at an angle rather than standing straight up, they should cradle the pole instead of letting it bounce off a vertical post and over the end.

Can one roller really cover low and high work? Between the fold-flat setting and the 64cm height of the Standard, it should suit anything from a low seat box on a snake lake to a higher platform. For me, that flexibility is what lifts its handling to an 8.5.

Stability & Footing

Stability comes from the four individually adjustable telescopic legs. On a sloping bank or a lumpy peg you can set each leg to the ground beneath it, rather than wedging something under one foot, and the integrated spirit level then lets you get the roller sitting horizontally.

A level roller matters, as a pole that runs downhill and off the side is the last thing you need mid-match.

Folding the legs up gives it a second option. Laid flat, it sits right on the ground with a very low centre of gravity, which should make it hard to knock over in a wind and handy when your box sits low on a platform.

To be fair, the Preston Innovations Absolute Pole Roller has two leg angle settings and a far taller height range for really steep banks.

On typical commercial pegs and level match lengths, though, I think the Inception is about as steady as most anglers will need, and the 8.5 is fair.

Is it good value for money?

Is it good value? It costs roughly half as much as the Preston Innovations Absolute Pole Roller and a fair bit less than the MAP Dual Pole Roller Mk11, yet it handles the core job of a roller very well on most pegs.

The extra on those two buys the Absolute's huge height range and the MAP's movable centre upright for double shipping, and plenty of anglers will never miss either.

Next to the Preston Innovations Ignition Pole Roller it costs a bit more, but the Inception brings silent bearings, an integrated spirit level and the fold-flat low setting to the same four-leg idea, and that's money well spent if you fish regularly.

Overall, I'd recommend the Inception to commercial and club match anglers who want one quality roller that copes with uneven banks and works right down at ground level. If you double ship a lot or fish steep river banks, the MAP or the Absolute is worth the extra.