Disclaimer: please don't think that I used the pictures in this post to make folks think I am some sort of fly casting virtuoso. I am an average caster at best. I know that and I'm alright with that. Instead, I just wanted to included the pictures to give you an idea of the flexibility of the rod and to give visual credence to what I am attempting to describe.
After enjoying some grass casting with my new
Maxxon Double XX 7 weight fly rod, I grabbed some larger flies and headed to a pond near my house. I didn't go there to actually try to catch fish. Instead, I wanted to see how the rod would perform with actual water tension and flies attached to the leader. I took some of the largest flies I could find because I wanted to see if the rod would get overwhelmed by heavier flies.
To my delight, the rod performed exactly how I was hoping it would perform. The rod loaded properly and was able to send large flies (6 inch game changers and 6 inch articulated flies) further than I would need to throw them. The rod performed well with single hauls, double hauls, and shooting line. I have no doubt the brand new, slick fly line from the Cheeky reel helped. However, the rod showed me that it can perform under the conditions that I tested in and that was good enough for me!
After I was done throwing some flies, I wanted to get a little input from someone I trust deeply. I called my good friend
Ryan Walker of Ozarks Smallmouth Alliance to tell him about how the rod had performed. I explained that it is a midflex rod that you can feel load in a backcast. Ryan told me that this was exactly what was necessary when teaching someone new to casting a fly rod.
Ryan stated that feeling the rod load and feeling the rod "catch" in a backcast, according to Ryan, is exactly what a fly casting newbie needs. In Ryan's words, he said, "If someone new (to casting a fly rod) doesn't feel that sensation, how can that person know when it is time to forward cast?" As usual, my friend was right. When I coupled his insightfulness with decades of experience, I realized that I needed to put a lot of stock in what he said.
Typically, I would say that I need to see how this rod performs with a fish on the end of the line. However, I do not have any concerns about how this rod will behave after hooking a fish. I expect the rod to have a deep bend with a smallmouth, largemouth, or white bass on the the line. I expect it to be sensitive enough to feel headshakes but have enough backbone to play and wear out a fish. And while it isn't the rod's job to hook and land a fish, I feel like this rod has shown me that it has the ability to put a fly in front of fish and to do it in a comfortable way. The rest is up to me now!
