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Coarse match · Poles · Our take
Matrix MTX5 Ultra Pole
16m package with match, power, short and cupping kits
A serious high-end pole package with loads of kits, useful extensions and the reach to cover pretty much any coarse-match swim.
- 16m total length including the mini extension.
- 638g at 11m and 1,437g at the full 16m length.
- Supplied with four Match Kit 3s, four Power Kit 3s and four Grey Short Kits.
- Includes a cupping kit, two groundbait cups, two mini extensions and an Ethos pole holdall.
Make sure it’s the right one. This review covers the Matrix MTX5 Ultra Pole package, including its supplied kits, mini extensions, cupping kit, cups and Ethos holdall.
Tackle Index Score
Tackle Index score
A premium, highly equipped pole package for committed match anglers, with the weight and price bracket making it less suited to casual short-range fishing.
Desk-research score from specs, price and fishing fit · How we score
- Product Quality9.7/10
- Performance9.6/10
- Impact on Fish Catching9.2/10
- Ease of Use8.3/10
- Value for Money8.8/10
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Who it suits
Is it right for you?
Great for
- Serious coarse-match anglers. You get the reach, spare kits and tactical flexibility needed for regular match work across different venues.
- Anglers fishing big commercials, canals and reservoirs. The 16m capability helps cover far-bank features, long lines and swims where a shorter pole simply can’t reach.
Maybe skip if
- Occasional pleasure anglers. The package is packed with capability you may rarely use, while the price and size are hard to justify for a few summer sessions.
- Anglers mainly fishing short, tight margins. A shorter pole or margin setup will be easier to handle and less faff when the fish are under your feet.
The lowdown
Introducing the Matrix MTX5 Ultra Pole
A serious high-end pole package with loads of kits, useful extensions and the reach to cover pretty much any coarse-match swim.
- 16m total length including the mini extension.
- 638g at 11m and 1,437g at the full 16m length.
- Supplied with four Match Kit 3s, four Power Kit 3s and four Grey Short Kits.
- Includes a cupping kit, two groundbait cups, two mini extensions and an Ethos pole holdall.
Quick verdict
Verdict
The Matrix MTX5 Ultra Pole is a proper top-end coarse-match package for anglers who want serious distance, lots of rigging options and a ready-to-go kit list. The Japanese carbon construction, 16m reach and generous selection of kits make it a cracking choice for demanding match work.
The trade-off is obvious: this is a high-value pole, and the full 16m length brings more weight than the shorter settings. For club matches, open matches and anglers who’ll genuinely use the extra reach, it looks spot on. For occasional pleasure sessions, it’s probably more pole than you need.
A premium, highly equipped pole package for committed match anglers, with the weight and price bracket making it less suited to casual short-range fishing.
Desk-research score from specs, price and fishing fit · How we score
- Product Quality
- 9.7/10
- Performance
- 9.6/10
- Impact on Fish Catching
- 9.2/10
- Ease of Use
- 8.3/10
- Value for Money
- 8.8/10
Japanese carbon fibre and resins, plus a generous selection of dedicated kits, put this firmly in the premium bracket.
The 16m reach and range of top kits give it strong scope across distance, margin and mixed-species situations.
Accurate presentation, multiple prepared kits and supplied cupping gear can help you react quickly when a swim changes.
The kit options are excellent, but the full-length weight and amount of equipment demand tidy handling and organisation.
It’s expensive, but the large package of kits, extensions, cups and holdall gives serious anglers plenty to work with.
Head to head
How it stacks up
Side by side with the closest kit we've reviewed. This updates as we add more reviews.
Matrix
Matrix MTX5 Ultra Pole (this one)
Top scorer
Top scorer
Scores are our own, out of 10. Best in each row is in green. Prices change, so check the latest before you buy.
The full rundown
Everything you'll want to know about the Matrix MTX5 Ultra Pole
The Matrix MTX5 Ultra Pole is aimed squarely at the angler who wants a serious bit of match kit, not just a pole for the odd canal bash. It stretches to 16m including the mini extension, so there’s plenty of reach for big commercials, reservoirs and those awkward long swims where the fish are sat miles away. That’s proper territory for a high-value pole.
The clever bit is that Matrix hasn’t stopped at the pole itself. This comes as a full package, with four Match Kit 3s, four Power Kit 3s and four Grey Short Kits. That’s a hefty amount of top-end hardware in the holdall, and it means you can have different rigs and elastics ready to go before the whistle blows. Less stripping down. More fishing. Bob on.
The Match Kit 3s are the natural choice for general pole work and lighter presentations, while the Power Kit 3s give you a more robust route when bigger carp are on the munch. The Grey Short Kits are handy when you want compact top sections for tight swims, margin work or quicker shipping. It’s the sort of spread that lets you change gears without turning the bank into a tackle explosion.
There’s also a dedicated cupping kit and two groundbait cups included. That matters in a match setting, where accurate feeding can make or break a swim. You can introduce loose offerings neatly, build a line at distance and keep your feed going without reaching for a separate pole or improvising with a rigged top kit. Small detail, but dead handy when the rods are off and time is ticking.
Length-wise, you get useful options rather than one big all-or-nothing setup. The supplied mini extensions cover 11.5/13m and 14.5/16m. So if the fish are just beyond the shorter line, you can nick a bit more distance without automatically going all the way out. That’s useful on changing days when the wind picks up or the bite moves a few metres.
The weight figures tell the real story. At 11m, the MTX5 Ultra is listed at 638g. At 13m it’s 889g, rising to 1,156g at 14.5m and 1,437g at the full 16m. That’s perfectly understandable for a long pole with this level of reach, but it does mean you’ll want sensible technique. Support the sections, avoid waving it about like a flag and don’t fish long just for the sake of it.
The construction uses Japanese carbon fibre and resins, which is exactly the sort of material choice you’d expect in a premium pole. In practical terms, the appeal is about keeping the blank refined and responsive while still giving you the length needed for distance work. It should feel like a precision tool rather than a huge, clumsy broomstick, particularly at the shorter working lengths.
The 1,800mm closed length is worth considering before you buy. Ten sections plus the extra kits and cupping gear make this a proper bit of luggage for the car. The included Ethos pole holdall helps keep the package together, though you’ll still want to think about storage at home and how you’ll carry it from the car park to the peg.
On the bank, the best approach will be to treat the MTX5 Ultra as a flexible platform. Start shorter, feed accurately and only add sections when the swim calls for it. Use the Match Kits for controlled presentation, move to the Power Kits when the carp are giving it large, and keep the Grey Short Kits ready for margins or faster work. That way, you’re using the pole’s options rather than lugging all that capability around for a single line.
Overall, this is a cracking package for the angler who’ll get proper use from it. The reach is serious, the kit list is generous and the intermediate extensions are genuinely useful. It’s not the sensible buy for every angler, and the full-length weight deserves respect, but for committed match fishing it looks like a very capable bit of kit rather than a flash purchase.
Specifications
The nuts and bolts
- Maximum length
- 16m including mini extension
- Closed length
- 1,800mm
- Sections
- 10
- Weight
- 638g at 11m; 889g at 13m; 1,156g at 14.5m; 1,437g at 16m
- Construction
- Japanese carbon fibre and resins
- Package contents
- 4 Match Kit 3s, 4 Power Kit 3s, 4 Grey Short Kits, cupping kit, 2 groundbait cups, 2 mini extensions and Ethos pole holdall
Specs checked with Matrix, Oct 2026.
Spot a model or spec change?
Our take
Why this pole stands out
The big selling point isn’t just the 16m length. It’s the complete package around it. You get four Match Kit 3s, four Power Kit 3s, four Grey Short Kits, a cupping kit, two groundbait cups, two mini extensions and a holdall. That gives you loads of scope to keep different rigs ready and switch tactics without constantly stripping one top kit down.
At 11m, the pole is listed at 638g, which makes that distance look particularly appealing for regular fishing. Push it out to 13m, 14.5m or the full 16m and the weight rises, as you’d expect. That means the smart angler will use the extra sections when the swim demands it, rather than treating 16m as the default every time.
The package
A full match setup, not just a bare pole
The MTX5 Ultra is supplied as a complete system. Alongside the 16m pole, you get four Match Kit 3s, four Power Kit 3s and four Grey Short Kits. That gives you room to prepare different lines, elastic strengths and rigs before the session, which is exactly what you want when a match is moving quickly.
The cupping kit and two groundbait cups add another useful layer. You can feed accurately at range without nicking a precious fishing top kit out of service. Add in the two mini extensions and the Ethos pole holdall, and the package feels properly geared towards regular match anglers.
Worth knowing. The quoted weights change quite a bit with length: 638g at 11m, 889g at 13m, 1,156g at 14.5m and 1,437g at 16m. Use the shortest setting that reaches your line and you’ll have a more comfortable day.
On the bank
Built for anglers who’ll use the options
This makes most sense for serious coarse-match anglers fishing venues where distance, spare kits and quick tactical changes matter. Big commercials, reservoirs and long canals are all natural territory. You can keep a short line, a long line and a margin option ready, then react when the fish move.
The Power Kit 3s should appeal when carp are involved, while the Match Kit 3s offer a more general route for controlled pole work. The Grey Short Kits make sense in tighter pegs, around the margins or whenever quicker handling matters more than maximum reach.
It’s less convincing for someone who mainly fishes small ponds at six to eight metres. You’d be paying for a huge amount of range and kit that may stay in the holdall, while a lighter, shorter pole could be less faff and more enjoyable.
Straight answers
The bits anglers usually want to know
The pole has ten sections and a closed length of 1,800mm. Its maximum length is 16m including the mini extension. The two supplied extensions cover 11.5/13m and 14.5/16m, so you can fine-tune the working length around the swim.
The package includes four of each Match Kit 3, Power Kit 3 and Grey Short Kit. That’s a strong spread for preparing different rigs and approaches. You also get the cupping kit, two groundbait cups and an Ethos pole holdall.
The main thing to remember is that a 16m pole is a specialist tool. Don’t automatically fish it at full reach. Start at the shortest useful length, stay tidy with your shipping and only add sections when the fish or the peg demands it. That’s how you keep the session comfortable and the presentation sharp.
On paper
Pros & cons
What we like
- A very complete package with plenty of spare and specialist kits.
- 16m reach gives you serious options on big venues and long swims.
- Japanese carbon fibre and resins are used in the construction.
- Useful mini extensions cover intermediate lengths rather than forcing you to fish fully extended.
- The included holdall and cupping gear make the package easier to organise from day one.
Worth knowing
- The full 16m setup is substantially heavier than the shorter settings.
- High-value kit that may be overkill for casual pleasure fishing.
- A long pole needs careful handling, especially in wind and when shipping through tight swims.
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Your questions answered
What anglers want to know
The stuff you’d ask your mate on the next peg. Straight answers, no waffle.
01How heavy is the Matrix MTX5 Ultra Pole?
How heavy is the Matrix MTX5 Ultra Pole?
It weighs 638g at 11m, 889g at 13m, 1,156g at 14.5m and 1,437g at the full 16m length. Those figures show why the shorter settings will usually be more comfortable for long spells.
02What kits come with the Matrix MTX5 Ultra?
What kits come with the Matrix MTX5 Ultra?
The package includes four Match Kit 3s, four Power Kit 3s and four Grey Short Kits. You also get a cupping kit with two groundbait cups.
03Can you fish the pole at intermediate lengths?
Can you fish the pole at intermediate lengths?
Yes. The package includes two mini extensions for 11.5/13m and 14.5/16m, giving you more flexibility than simply fishing fully assembled or dropping back to a much shorter length.
What anglers say
The word from the bank
Our read: verdict. The strongest reasons to choose it are a very complete package with plenty of spare and specialist kits. and 16m reach gives you serious options on big venues and long swims.; the main trade-off is the full 16m setup is substantially heavier than the shorter settings..
Our take on the feedback
Why it appeals
Checked Sept '26 — “A very complete package with plenty of spare and specialist kits.”
Best fit
Checked Sept '26 — “Serious coarse-match anglers: You get the reach, spare kits and tactical flexibility needed for regular match work across different venues.”
Worth knowing
Checked Sept '26 — “The full 16m setup is substantially heavier than the shorter settings.”
Tackle Index’s take from the product details and fishing fit we checked. We haven’t found enough independent public feedback to call this an angler consensus yet.
Angler score
What our readers rate Matrix MTX5 Ultra Pole
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Owner reports
Own this? Help the next angler.
Quick multiple-choice reports from people who say they own the Matrix MTX5 Ultra Pole. Not verified purchases, and kept separate from our score.
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