Monday, February 22, 2010

ON THE FLY movin' FAST!

Seems like the weekend events were all about speed!  Downhill skiing, bobsleds, speed skating, luge riders; even the "GO DADDY" girl Danica is all about FAST!  I had a chance to slow it down a bit, stopping by the annual fly fishing small scale show hosted by the Bear's Den a fine fly shop in Taunton, MA.  I cast the remarkable Sage ZXL 3 weight in an 8'6" configuration with the new RIO LT series line.  The ZXL S.L.O.W.S it down a bit from the 3 XP's which I own and weighs in at just over 2 ounces.  What a nice, smooth rod!  If you haven't had the opportunity to lay some line out with this beauty, don't hesitate!  The new RIO LT Trout series is a perfect fit, loads nicely especially at shorter distances and punched into a stiff wind on the backcast when lengthening out.  Pricey rod for sure BUT the folks at Flycatcher will build one up to your spec at considerably less $$$ than a factory rod.  Anyone have any experience with the custom offerings from Flycatcher??

Staying with the fast/slow theme for a bit, Great Bay Rods is offering a fine selection of fiberglass rods, handcrafted in the US, and SLOW action of course!  I wasn't able to cast a sample, but they look well crafted in a "blast from the past" effort to bring back fiberglass.

The Nautilus reels, featherweight models, US made, were most impressive at a reasonable price point.  The drag system and overall design appears to be a winner.  LOTS of new imported reels on display and none really impressed as much as this line!

Beulah Rods, a new company displaying switch, spey, and blue water rods was present.  An import of course and NO rods equipped with reels to demo.  It amazes me how an upstart new rod company can show up with an impressive display and "uhhhh we didn't bring any reels, so ya really can't sample our rods" approach to marketing.  All in all, a nice afternoon with fly fishing companions all eager for the weather to turn!!

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