The Airspeed Surf 435 was the first rod into the fast-paced world of continental or three-piece rods from Akios and set the benchmark for all that has followed in the range built from high modular carbon and Fuji components throughout.
The Airspeed really is A sublime rod to use with its easily accessible power delivered by its C curve action and its delicate tip it is A match men’ best friend a simple overhead flick will put a lead with three baits a good distance with little effort,
but the beauty of this rod, in my opinion, is that your baits will arrive as intended without fear of blowing the guts out of lug baits or losing your tails of your Maddie’s, leaving you confident that you are fishing with baits in perfect condition.
Bite detection is as expected we have worked hard on getting the blend of materials just right on all our hybrid tips, the Airspeed is no exception picking out the slightest bites while maintaining composure in windy conditions or in strong tidal conditions.
The Airspeed is no slouch either when comes to fishing large leads and baits and is fantastic fun when hound and ray fishing.
Personally, I’ve fished comfortably with 175 grams of lead and A whole decent sized squid or large peeler baits but I prefer to use 150 grams unless conditions dictate otherwise.
A few words on one of the best rods I’ve ever used the Airspeed’s bigger brother the Airtorque 435.
Once again Akios set the bar high when developing this rod made from HMX 43T carbon and fully fitted with Fuji fittings throughout this rod has A significant step up in power throughout the three sections up to the same fantastic hybrid tip that features in the Airspeed.
Offering more of A J curve action the Airtorque will definitely need more effort to load but is still very user-friendly and manages to retain the same pious and delicacy as the Airspeed when using soft baits or in windy or strong tidal flow.
When using heavier leads and bigger baits you really can feel the difference the Airtorque relishes 175 grams of lead and larger baits are not an issue for the rod whatsoever, this rod is very much A firm favourite of mine and is the first rod I offer other anglers to try if they are thinking of buying an Akios rod.
The Airtorque is literally A joy to use Ray fishing on clean ground and even over mixed ground fishing for Congers and Huss without A problem.
In my humble opinion, both these rods are fantastic all-rounders and capable of holding their own along any beach both home and abroad and have done so many times.
Thanks for taking the time to read this.
Tight lines Paul