Words & Images: Aaron Hill
Looking like something that should be in the hands of Luke Skywalker on the Death Star battling Darth Vader, the One3 Fate Black Gen 2 by 13, with its fluoro green blank and black tangle-free guides, was built to grab your attention.
Preparing for our annual spring yella mission it became apparent that I was missing a rod with a little extra length to throw light vibes and small lipless crank baits. With lower than ideal water temperatures it seemed a finesse approach to some finicky golden perch was going to be the best way to turn a scale.
My attention was quickly drawn to the Fate Black, which comes in at 7ft 5in. It’s well and truly the longest spin rod I have ever owned and it has filled the void perfectly. The extra length allows me to cast lighter lures further into a strong breeze. The feature that most impressed me about this rod is the extra 8cm of Portuguese cork handle that sits in front of the reel seat. From the first time I picked up this rod I instinctively held the rod by the extra cork in front of the reel, which provided me with greater control of my lure when dancing it tantalisingly on the dam floor for longer periods of time.
This was especially beneficial when throwing ZX Blades during slow bite periods and having them bouncing almost on the spot like a shrimp or yabby, with the assist hooks floating behind proving irresistible for fussy midday feeders. The fast action of the 75ML really helps with maintaining contact with the lure and quickly set the hooks on any subtle bites. The extra handle also eliminated any fatigue experienced during the day and is perfectly balanced when paired with my One3 2500 Creed GT reel.
