This is the first ‘budget’ rod that I have ever reviewed, and have been looking forward to it. I received the rod from Terry Wood, who is the designer and builder of the VFM. The blank is made by Century, so there is a top combination here.
When I first saw the rod I honestly could not believe that it would sell for an astonishing £110. The look and feel of it gave me the impression that I was holding a more expensive tool.
It measures 12 feet in length comprising of a 7ft 6in tip and 3ft 6in butt. Guides are Fuji BNHG throughout, it’s got a casting rating of between 4oz and 6oz and a Fuji reelseat. Is there no end to the frills you you get with this tool.
When I slipped the rod out of its bag I thought to myself:”something must be up here”, the build quality is excellent and with all the above mentioned how on earth can it be worth only £110!  Well with great excitement I headed off to my local beach to put the rod through its paces.

Initial Impression: the first thing that came to mind was it is built for a high reel position, but that was not a problem because I intended to cast with the reel up and then put some coasters on and have a go reel down! I used my usual set up which is a 6500 sized reel, 0.31mm main line and of course 80lb shockleader.
I used a link to attach leads ranging from four to 6oz. Now, I must say this rod is in the price band that suggests it is for basic casting styles, so with this in mind I began with a simple overhead thump cast.

TESTING TIMES: It’s not often we get something entirely ‘special’ sent to the TSF office, but this rod is an exception. Barney Wright takes a look at what this beauty is capable of, all for £110!

Performance: lets make no mistakes this rod is not a power tool and has its limitations. It will comfortably put a 6oz lead and three baits 150 yards (without splattering it all over the beach which is more important!) I actually fished a match using the VFM and was delighted with its performance. I know that matches are fished by the clock, but nevertheless I watched the tip for bite indication, it showed every little knock and rattle perfectly. Whats more I managed to finish second.

All Rounder: I can confidently say the the VFM is a rod for everyone. By this I mean it is ideal for beginners and experienced anglers alike. Its ideal for an angler who simply wants to go fishing with no great financial outlay, because its such an easy rod to cast you can develop your casting without having to upgrade. Also an advanced caster/angler can use this rod for match fishing and normal beach work as well, it certainly is an adaptable rod for all occasions.

Summing Up: So to sum it all up, you really are getting a great deal here. It copes with all casting styles, takes 4oz to 6oz leads, up or down reel position plus  great bite indication, all for £110. On a final, the rod I tested was off the peg. Terry Wood will build it to any spec you want. This includes a fixed spool or multiplyer version depending on your own preference for no extra cost.

Editors Note: While I was taking photographs of Barney casting the VFM, I was so impressed with how far the lead was going I had to have a go with it myself. I cast OFG, I rarely pendulum cast, so with the reel up and 170g lead clipped to the leader I laid everything out for one of my normal casts. A smooth, progressive arc round with a quick flick at the end sent the lead soaring. I shocked myself with just how easy it was to cast, and just how far the lead went- I emptied Barney’s 6500Mag Elite right down to the backing-thats well over 200ydsOTG!
All I can say is that the VFM is going to be a massive hit with anglers of all abilities, if Terry can keep up with demand that is.

Pendulum:it was now definitely time to power the lead away with a pendulum cast. I had no doubt in my mind that this would not present a problem and I was right. The rod did perform extremely well. It is as good as a rod that would cost twicw the price, let alone £110! It truly is VFM (Value For Money)

Off the Ground: I stayed with the 6oz lead for the OTG cast because if it could cope with this then the others would be no problem at all. I started with an easy cast and the rod behaved beautifully, so I began to put more & more power into it. I can only say that whatever amount of power I put into the cast the rod coped very well and sent the lead further & further. Okay I admit that the rod is not an ideal groundcaster but it dealt with it very well.

Overhead Thump: after clipping on a 4oz lead to start with, a simple lob was the first cast and, to be honest, I was not surprised to see the lead zip out to sea.
It was very easy and uncomplicated, so I increased the power in the following casts, a bit more each time. The rod delivered a lot of power for this style and believe me it was sending the weight a long way! Now it was time to step up the lead size, on went a 5oz. Again the result was spectacular, so now onto the big lump, the 6oz. Well I must say that the rod delivered all three leads well out to sea with no worries at all so I felt confident enough to move onto the ground cast.