Today I want to discuss one of the most important pieces of gear out there in fly fishing today. In my humble opinion, it hasn’t received appropriate treatment; certainly not the fanfare it deserves. That said, I want to sing its praises in a way that makes you take notice.
It is a fly rod. And yet, it isn’t just a fly rod. It is one of the most important fly rods to be designed, made, marketed, and sold in the last 50 years.
As is the case with most equipment, the aesthetics are the first thing that you’ll notice. It doesn’t mean that form trumps function. It is simply the consequence of how we perceive the world. First we see, then we touch. And with fly fishing gear there is usually a lot of looking and touching before any real fishing takes place. Frankly, this rod looks good. The cork invites the hand. The wraps and the blank just go together so well. It looks good because it looks like it was meant to be. Even if the parts of color scheme or hardware don’t seem to be much on their own, the total is greater than the sum of the parts.
But at the end of the day it is a fishing rod. Good looks will only get you so far.
Picking up the rod, what will impress you most is the sense that just holding this fly rod is completely natural. Without a thought, it balances in your hand. This, of course, is a precursor to how intuitive casting is. We have all had the experience of a rod not feeling “right.” This is generally the unfamiliar sensation of an action that isn’t in sync with our particular casting stroke. You may be able to cast the rod, but it takes thought. This rod is different. It puts the line where you want it (within reason) nearly all the time.
This isn’t to say that there aren’t limitations. Pinpoint precision isn’t going to come just because you’re wielding this rod. Casts to the backing aren’t guaranteed. Wind, startlingly large trout, and ten hours straight on the water will cause your accuracy and distance to falter. So will poor form. But this rod is the rod that will quickly help you overcome those hurdles. It may even smooth over some of your deficiencies.
Unquestionably, there are other rods on there vying for your attention. I am not going to say that the newest premium offering from a legacy angling brand is not a worthy tool. I won’t even go as far as to say that a cutting-edge fishing rod with a four-figure price tag isn’t going to score higher in a laboratory or latitudinally among human testers. This rod isn’t without hype. It just isn’t as loud, won’t pop up on a social media feed, and isn’t nearly as expensive. Still, it has plenty of adherents. A quick search will show that there are devotees across the country and from a wide spectrum of fishing scenarios.
This important piece of fly fishing gear – this essential fly rod is your fly rod.
The fly rod that you turn to more than any other. The fly rod that accompanies you on afternoon outings and long weekend excursions. The fly rod with a scratched reel seat and grimy cork. The fly rod that feels and looks right in your hand. The fly rod that does everything mentioned above but does so with the nostalgic cache of rivers, friends, and fish.
You’ve fished it season after season. Celebrate the fly rod that you own. It deserves every bit of fanfare.