Braid's premium graphite-composite stand-up rod series features top-quality components, custom-contoured foregrips, eye-catching finishes and unbelievable fish-fighting actions.

Renown for the most awesomely effective offshore fishing tackle available on Planet Earth, Braid Products, Inc. proudly announces the latest innovation of master angler Dennis Braid. Ten years in development, Dennis Braid Power Play™ Stand-Up Rods give big game fishermen the exact tools they need to stand up to - and beat - the ocean's toughest game fish.

These are the rods that serious anglers have been waiting for since the first days of big-game sportfishing 100 years ago - and they're available just in time for the new millennium! The connection couldn't be more clear: New rods for a new age, these sticks are leading fishermen into the future with equipment so advanced that sportfishing will be forever changed.

"Whether bringing your catch to the boat for tag-and-release, or leading it to gaff for the table, the five highly refined actions that comprise the Power Play™ Stand-Up Rod Series offer fishermen the advantage of graphite-composite blanks appointed with the finest components available," notes Dennis Braid, founder and president of Braid Products, Inc. "These sticks are so strong, so sensitive - and so good looking - that you'll be proud to call them your own."

Designed for 30 to 130-pound lines, Power Play™ Stand-Up Rods are the culmination of Dennis Braid's personal quest for the ultimate stand-up rod. Developed by Dennis and tested in oceans all over the globe, these high-tech sticks are perfect for trolling, chunking, kite fishing or live-baiting for giant tuna, marlin, swordfish, sailfish and other hard-charging brawlers. Just ask Dennis, who has used these rods to land bigeye, bluefin and yellowfin tuna exceeding 300 pounds. He is believed to be the only angler to have accomplished this feat using stand-up gear.

This outstanding line-up consists of:

Model BR66L: A 6½-foot Brute Buster featuring a medium-light action, this rod is perfect for 30- to 40-pound-test situations. Great for live-baiting or light-tackle trolling.

Model BR60M: This medium-action 6-footer is dialed in for 50- or 60-pound-class lines. It is an excellent choice for bait fishing or medium-tackle trolling applications.

Model BR60HR: Designed for 50- to 80-pound line, this heavy-action 6-footer is ideal for trolling or live-baiting with medium and large baits.

Model BR56XHR: Engineered to beat giant fish quickly, this 5½-footer is rated for 80- to 100-pound lines. Excellent for heavy-tackle trolling, chunking or kite fishing.

Model BR48XHR:The ultimate for giant bluefin and yellowfin tuna, this ultra-short 4-foot, 8-inch powerhouse puts leverage on your side. You can really pour on the pressure when using 100- to 130-pound tackle.

Built in the United States at Braid's state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Palmdale, California, these precision big game tools feature a custom look, with triple-wrapped guides and decorative diamond wraps gracing a handsome black blank. Most impressive is the blank itself, as Braid's unique process layers graphite cloth and fiberglass from tip to butt, wetting it out with the finest resins to create the most awesome big game stand-up actions available today. Or tomorrow.

The result is a rod that delivers the best qualities of graphite - fast, line-gaining "recovery" on the downstroke, sensitivity and light weight - along with the no-fail strength and durability of fiber-glass. Ordinary rods can't match the performance of Braid's high-tech composite construction.

After extensive curing under carefully controlled conditions, the blanks are fitted with custom-anodized, heavy-duty machined-aluminum reel seats and matching gimbals. The deep-blue reel seats are accented by gold hoods - striking a visual harmony with the black-and-gold finish of the AFTCO roller guides used on the three beefiest Power Play™ Stand-Up Rods. The anodized guides are sized to accept wind-on leaders, and are secured with triple wraps of midnight blue, azure, black and gold. The two lighter actions are triple-wrapped with hardened-alloy, black-chrome Turbo guides with aluminum oxide inserts. As you would expect from a premium rod, the brilliant colors of the base wrap are protected with a long-lasting two-part epoxy finish.

A signature feature of Power Play™ Stand-Up Rods is Braid's exclusive Power Play™ Rodgrip. Measuring 22 inches in length, this extended foregrip gives big game anglers the upper hand in several ways. For starters, the Javon-composite rubber provides a soft yet firm grip - offering comfort and control during long fights. The grip's most noteworthy design elements, however, are the finger-contoured upper section, and flat top side. Braid's exaggerated "finger ribbing" keeps hands from sliding down the grip and losing leverage - a definite asset when pulling against giant fish. The flat top section lets you use your thumb to pinch line against the grip, so line won't slip off the spool as the fish nears the boat during the crucial end game.

Equally functional is the heavy-duty aluminum gimbal that's built into every stick - even the medium and medium-light actions. The reason, as Dennis Braid will tell you, "Is to prevent power-stealing 'reel wobble' from hampering an angler's ability to beat a big fish quickly. You fight the fish, not your outfit." Coupled with the no-twist, Power Play™ Rodgrip, it's an unbeatable one-two punch that gives fishermen the ultimate advantage.

The Dennis Braid Power Play™ Stand-Up Rod Series joins a proud family of more than 200 proven offshore products from Braid. Naturally, these "new rods for a new millennium" are perfectly matched to this offshore outfitter's awesome line-up of rod belts, harnesses, leaders, lures and accessories. Depending on rod model, manufacturer's suggested retail prices range between $285 and $695. For more information, contact Braid International, Inc. www.braidproducts.com