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Telescopic rods have had a pretty tough run of it over the years. And with good reason. Flaky, inconsistent and fragile, even the smallest predator can put up a real fight. Fortunately, they’ve got much better over the years and whilst they’ll never be in a position to replace the best lure fishing rods or even traditional travel rods, that’s not their primary purpose.
Telescopic rods are designed to get kids into fishing or for you to carry in a backpack if you’re hiking and fancy a no-frills rod that can handle a little trout or other smaller predators. The fast-action, low-power rods are great fun and a perfect way to get beginners hooked.
So whether you’re looking for a way to get your kids into fishing, a backpack or pocket-friendly option for hiking trips or just for a bit of fun when travelling, check out what we think are the best telescopic fishing rods on the market.
What’s on this page?
What is the best telescopic fishing rod?
The best telescopic fishing rod is Rigged & Ready’s Fish Rig 180. A super lightweight, carbon-made telescopic rod designed for the roving angler and made by the world’s only travel rod specialists.
With two removable carbon tips, a casting weight of up to 30g and a rod length of up to 5’11” it’s perfectly designed for telescopic fishing. Stick a lightweight lure or spinner on and you won’t be disappointed.
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What makes a good telescopic fishing rod?
A good telescopic fishing should be;
- Made from quality material: carbon fibre, graphite or fibreglass-made rods that offer flexibility and adequate durability
- Moderate to fast action: telescopic rods are not designed for larger, powerful fish. They’re designed for smaller predators and typically are best suited to fast action
- Transportation: Telescopic rods are designed for kids, hiking trips and holiday fishermen. So make sure packs away snugly into your bag, belt or pocket.
- Cost: Honestly telescopic rods aren’t meant to break the bank. Thanks to their collapsible nature, they’re going to break. Hopefully not on the first or second trip, but the sections have inherently more weak points than traditional rods. Spending somewhere between £50-100 gets you a more than adequate telescopic rod.
- Manufacturing quality: Find a rod made from high-quality carbon blanks, corrosion-resistant guides, secure reel seats and a comfortable, typically EVA handle
- The number of sections: Typically telescopic rods with more sections pack away into a smaller package, but tend to be frailer. So if you’re trying to catch moderately sized fish and don’t care about the travel size, choose a larger rod with fewer sections and vice versa.
At a glance
The 6 best telescopic fishing rods
Rigged & Ready Fish Rig 180Best overall telescopic rod
Amazon.co.uk
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- Two removable carbon rod tips
- Casting weight: Up to 15g or 10-30g depending on the tip
- Rod length: 5’4″ and 5’11”
- Travel length: 49cm
Rigged & Ready’s Fish Rig 180 is a super lightweight, carbon-made telescopic rod designed for the roving angler and made by the world’s only travel rod specialists. If you’re in the market for a telescopic rod made to a really high standard that’s perfect for targeting fish like perch, mackerel and other predatory fish up to the 2-3lb mark, Rigged & Ready’s Fish Rig 180 is the best available option.
With two removable carbon tips, the rod can be customised to suit the type of fishing you want. The longer, more powerful rod tip can support lures of up to 30g and has a slightly improved casting distance and power capacity thanks to the 5’11” length. The smaller version of the rod only supports lures of up to 15g and at 5’4″ long doesn’t generate a huge amount of power or distance, but is brilliant for fishing in streams and small rivers. A flexible, well-made telescopic rod that’s brilliant fun for smaller freshwater predators.
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Daiwa Ballistic Telescopic Fishing RodBest heavy-duty telescopic rod
- Fast-action telescopic spinning rod
- Rod length: 6’2″ – 10’8″
- Weight: 100g – 200g
- Transport length: 1’10” – 2’10”
Daiwa’s Ballistic Telescopic Spinning Rod is a lightweight, torsion-resistant telescopic rod designed for spinning. The fast-action rod is great for targeting smaller predatory fish and its sensitive tip is backed up by a carbon fibre blank and quality manufacturing specifications.
Supremely easy to transport – the smaller version of the rod packs down to under two feet in length – Daiwa’s Ballistic Rod is one of the best telescopic options out there. The Ballistic is a telescopic rod that can genuinely handle all manner of small to medium-sized predators without the tip breaking on the first cast.
Caperlan Sea Ledgering Seacoast Telescopic RodBest saltwater telescopic fishing rod
Decathlon UK
- Powerful telescopic rod designed for saltwater predators
- Two interchangeable tips – 40-80g casting weight and 70-130g
- Collapsed rod length: 130cm
Caperlan’s Sea Ledgering Seacoast Telescopic Rod is a bendy, robust telescopic rod with surprising power and durability. Designed for smaller saltwater game fish, Caperlan’s Seacoast Telescopic Rod is a versatile, multi-tip rod that can handle more than almost any other telescopic rod. Of course, power-wise it doesn’t stack up to traditional lure fishing rods. But when compared to other telescopic rods it sits right at the top of the tree. A telescopic rod that can actually cope with small-medium-sized saltwater predators.
What you’re giving up with this rod compared to other telescopic or travel rods are portability and weight. It’s significantly longer and heavier than traditional telescopic rods and its packaway length is 130cm. When compared to other pocket-sized rods, this isn’t the best for kids or long days out hiking. But it is a really good telescopic rod.
Kastking Blackhawk II Telescopic Fishing RodBest telescopic rod for lure fishing
eBay
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- Moderate-fast action telescopic rod available in 14 lengths and actions
- Medium-heavy power options
- Spinning rod versions: 6’6″ – 7’4″ fast action and medium-heavy power
- Casting rod versions: 7’1″ – 7’3″ fast action and medium-heavy power
- Inshore casting rod versions: 7’6″ – 8’0″ and heavy power
KastKing’s Blackhawk II Telescopic Fishing Rod is perhaps the most flexible, versatile telescopic rod range on the market. With 14 different size options, varying from a 6’6″ medium power spinning rod right up to an 8’0″ heavy power inshore casting rod, KastKing has created a telescopic range with something for everyone. Particularly if you’re a fisherman who values convenience and needs something that can be packed into a suitcase.
With a reinforced carbon blank and – in what must be the only instance I can find – a solid glass tip, designed for durability and performance. The tip is inevitably the first section to break. Particularly on telescopic rods. So it’s reassuring that the components – glass tip, 24T carbon blanks, EVA handle and graphite reel seat are reasonably durable.
As with any telescopic rod, there are trade-offs. It’s not the lightest rod on the market. Nor is it the most durable. But the spinning versions are pretty sensitive and have a really nice action. It’s a very good rod for the price.
Shimano Catana FX Telescopic Spinning RodBest telescopic rod for casting distance and accuracy
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- Moderate to fast-action telescopic spinning rod
- 7′-10′ in length
- Casting weight: 10-30g up to 14-40g
- Transport length: 61-76cm
Shimano’s Catana FX Telescopic Spinning Rod is a fantastic telescopic lure fishing rod. When it comes to convenience, quality and light lure fishing, the Catana FX Telescopic Rod is a fantastic option. The reinforced carbon blanks make for a reasonably durable rod (even though it’s telescopic), which is why we think this is a really solid entry-level rod. Easy, portable and fun.
With lengths ranging from 7′-10′, this moderate to fast-action rod can cope with lures up to the 40g mark and is more than capable of handling soft plastics, lighter metals and jigs with ease. Of course, it doesn’t have the casting distance associated with traditional two-piece rods, but it’s an excellent option for kids and roving anglers on family holidays looking to fish from piers or engage in a little LRF action.
Dam Tele Shadow MiniBest miniature telescopic rod
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- Moderate – fast action telescopic rod
- 8′ long rod that weighs just 138g
- Casting weight: 7-30g
- 50cm long when packed away
Dam’s Tele Shadow Mini Spin is possibly the smallest, easiest-to-transport rod on the market. That gives it a relatively unique selling point as a travel fishing rod, particularly as the rod’s lightweight nature makes for an ultra-sensitive tip and responsive blank is fantastic fun fighting smaller fish on small spinners and lures. Like all telescopic rods, it isn’t suitable for fighting even medium-sized predators. But perch, small jack pike and other small coarse predators are all manageable.
The new version of the Mini Shadow rod features lighter-weight, more durable wrap-around guides and an even shorter rod length that can fit into almost any conceivable bag and even the occasional pocket. A fantastic little option for kids, days out hiking and messing about on the bank.
Best of the rest
Shakespeare Firebird Telescopic Rod
Fishing Republic
Fishing, Tackle & Bait
Shakespeare’s Firebird Telescopic Rod is arguably the best entry-level telescopic rod on the market. It may be the best all-around entry-level rod period. To get beginners (particularly kids) interested and involved in fishing at an early age, you want a flexible, easy-to-use and setup rod that can handle small fish in streams and rivers. And the Firebird is a great option. Particularly if you’re the one paying.
Great for targeting smaller coarse fish and possibly a little LRF action (although a powerful 2lb mackerel could be a stretch), the Firebird is so cheap you won’t mind it breaking at all. There’s also a Firebird Rod and Reel Combo that is well worth a look. The lighter-weight rods are a personal favourite as you’re only buying a telescopic rod for the convenience and ability to catch small fish. They just aren’t suitable for larger fish.
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Daiwa Megaforce Telescopic Rod
Daiwa’s Megaforce Telescopic Spinning Rod is a really solid range of telescopic rods from a brand synonymous with good-value fishing gear. With fast-action rods ranging from 6′-10′ in length and casting weights from 10-40g right the way up to 100-300g, the Megaforce may be the most flexible telescopic rod on the market.
Generally, telescopic rods are not particularly good at targeting larger, more powerful fish or using larger lures and baits. With good reason. They aren’t supposed to be able to handle such high levels of stress due to the inherent weaknesses associated with collapsible sections. They’re adept at targeting smaller fish in streams and rivers. As such we wouldn’t recommend getting the heavier-duty versions of these rods, sticking to 20-60g and below.
Shimano Alivio
Shimano’s Alivio TE GT Rod is the top offering from Shimano’s telescopic rod range. This fast-action telescopic rod comes in a range of casting weights – from 10-30g up to 50-100g – and is designed for LRF and general saltwater lure fishing. Ideal for family trips to the coast, beginner rods for kids, and stream fishing.
Like all telescopic rods, the beauty is in its simplicity and portability. Of course, rods like this aren’t suitable for serious anglers targeting big fish, but for beginners, travelling anglers, those short and space and kids it’s a brilliant option. Packing away into bags, belt clips and vests, it’s fantastic for LRF when the hike to get there is a real challenge.
FAQs
There are some very good telescopic fishing rods on the market. These rods offer the convenience of portability without compromising on performance. What telescopic rods are not suitable for is targeting powerful, or even moderately powerful predatory fish. As long as you accept that telescopic rods are great for beginners, smaller fish and flexible fishing, there are some great ones.
Hi, I'm Harry. A keen, albeit exceedingly average fisherman. I've spent the last few years trawling London's waterways with - if I'm being kind - varied success and would love to help you avoid the mistakes I have made.
