Last Friday, I took the rod to a local lake to sling some wooly buggers and get a feel for how the Clearwater casts. I didn't expect much because fishing has been slow so the evening was just dedicated to getting a feel for the rod. There were only a few, small fish caught but if I'm being honest, the casting was more fun than the catching on this particular evening!
Admittedly, I have no idea how to give a proper review for a fly rod nor do I know how to accurately test a fly rod. There will be little technical jargon and more layman speak. With that being said, let's move forward.
I put a Scientific Anglers Infinity line on the reel. It is a floating line. While the rod is a 10 foot, 4 weight, I decided to pair the rod with a 5 weight line. It was my intention to make sure that the rod loads properly and since it is a 10 footer and a faster rod (potentially a tip flex), I chose to potentially overload the rod rather than underload the rod. I'm extremely happy with my decision. I can feel the rod load in a backcast, which is nice.
The first thing I noticed was the rod is smooth but powerful. You can feel the flex, to a point, and then it feels like the backbone of the rod accepts the flex. From there, the rod launches the line forward in the forward cast. I have been told by others (that own more expensive rods that me) that you are paying so much for a rod because it can do a lot of the work for you! I feel that in this rod. I could cast this thing all day without getting tired and without my casts getting shorter by the evening.
The fact that the rod is 10 feet long is new to me. I'm used to throwing 9 footers and there is a subtle difference with a 10 footer. It just feels...longer. I know that doesn't mean a lot but it feels like I just have a little extra. I need a little space above and behind me. The angle that I hold the rod is a little different when stripping a streamer compared to a 9 footer. It also seems like I need to set the hook a little harder too but it could be that I was just having a bad day.
Overall, I like the rod but it's going to take a little getting used to but I believe this to be true about any rod that is new to you. Just like each fly casts a little different and different lengths of leaders can affect a cast, each rod has its own unique tendencies. With a little time and thoughtfulness, I have no doubt this is going to be a great rod that I plan on casting for a long time!
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