The new pocket fisherman?

Recently, I received a Emmrod kayak king compact fishing rod combo as a birthday gift from a family member. Obviously, it is because I fish out of a kayak. It took us a while to figure out how to assemble the stainless steel coil tip. I appreciate all gifts given to me but I don't think this one will replace my Sage XPs anytime soon but I thought we should keep an open mind, be appreciative and maybe be surprised by trying to fish with it.

So, anyone remember the famous Popeil Pocket Fisherman? My dad had one when I was a kid back in the 70s. I remember trying to fish with it and the biggest problem with it was casting since the tip really didn't load or flex much. The Emmrod sort of reminds me of it except it has a coil in it that I suspect is meant to help in casting. My son was particularly excited about trying it out and he had watched the video on how to do a slingshot cast with it so we picked up some worms and headed to a nearby pond for a trial.

Personally, I couldn't see just how this rod can cast as far as a 6' fishing rod or have the same leverage if you actually caught a fish with it. I was able to cast as far as with my daughter's first Barbie pole which is to say it didn't cast too bad but with a light weight, less than 1/8 ounce, the coil tip wouldn't load and it cast fairly poorly. Obviously, this was meant to cast slightly heavier lures but we didn't have any at the pond we were at.

My son decided to fish with it anyways for a while. He eventually figured out how to cast it well enough but the fish were not biting though the red-ear turtles were going nuts and attacking the worms and were careful not to hook any of them. My son was sort of disappointed in the lack of fish and in the casting ability of the little rod though he wants to give it another test sometime. We may bring it along with us on a camping trip we have scheduled for Mother's Day weekend coming up.

Supposedly the rod weighs 8 ounces but I think it is probably a little more than that. This is a big difference in weight from my son's 8' 5wt Albright fly rod and reel that probably weighs less than half of that.

In looking at the website, I was astounded to find that besides a spincast and baitcaster version, they have a fly rod version of this! It doesn't really mention what the line weight to use should be. I have had fly fishing instructors that could cast and shoot plenty of line with just the tip section of a 4 piece fly rod but this seems weird.

Albright Tackle Oktoberfest Blowout

As I was reading one of the fly fishing forums today, I came across someone mentioning a closeout sale at the Albright web site. The link is http://www.albrighttackle.com/oktoberfest.html and they have several rods and reels for 70% off but selection seems to be diminishing quickly.

Since I have been meaning to get my son his own fly rod for some time, I went ahead and purchased a nice GP 8' 5wt for $37.50 along with a click and pawl reel for $14. Not bad! Once I scour ebay for an appropriate fly line, this will be a great Christmas present for him. Can't wait to see his face!

The closeout tackle doesn't come with the standard warranty but still comes with a product replacement guarantee. I just thought I should mention that.

Living Waters Fly Fishing Shop

This morning I drove about 15 minutes from my house to a new fly shop in neighboring Round Rock to check out a new fly shop that opened up about three weeks ago. It is called Living Waters Fly Fishing and is located in a shopping center just past the intersection of Sam Bass Rd. and Hairy Man Rd. very close to Brushy Creek. I was eager to check it out since the next nearest fly shop is about an hour away and the next one (in Cabelas) even further than that.

It was fairly easy to find. There was a small sign outside that said the shop was now open. When I walked in, someone was just leaving and I was greeted by the owner, a young man by the name of Chris Johnson, and we began to talk.

I knew Chris had worked at a chain sports store that had a "fly shop" in it. While that store originally had an OK supply of fly stuff, they never seemed to restock it well enough or stock it with items pertinent to our Texas location which should have included more items for the target species such as bass and redfish rather than the more traditional cold water trout. I was glad looking around that I did see photos of different species of fish other than just trout.

I asked Chris about the best spots to wade in the nearby creek for bass and carp and he was quite helpful. Before he opened the shop, he used to guide on the nearby creek as well as other rivers in the area. I was mainly interested in carp from the last encounter I had a few weeks back with a fly fisher I met on the San Gabriel. It turns out that Chris new the gentleman that I was speaking of and that man had come by the shop just the day before! Small world!

I picked up some materials for tying some olive and some black woolly buggers since it been a long time since I had any of these successful flies in my fly box and I need to get back to some basics. Chris suggested some slight variations from what I normally tie and after getting home and tying a dozen flies, I think I like the results.

We continued with our conversation and another gentlemen entered the store and we had a conversation with him about carp, gar, Rio Grandes, and other topics as well. My wife was waiting for me at home for us to go to an outlet store so I couldn't stay too long.

I got a good impression of the shop, small as it currently is, that it will likely be around for a while. While he does't carry a lot of items at the moment, Chris said he can place special orders for the brands he carries if what I am looking for isn't there. He also plans to at some point carry Winston and Sage rods to supplement the TFO and Ross rods he is carrying now. I really don't need any rods myself but that should round out the selection.

Chris also plans to have fly tying stations in the back of the store for customers and for hopefully monthly tying seminars.

All I can say is that I hope that this store is around for a long time. We've needed another fly shop for a long while in this part of Austin and there are plenty of fly fishers around that should be supporting the store. I'll be one them for sure.

A versatile tackle bag from Maxpedition

I've been fishing for years and had all sorts of ways of carrying my fishing lures and accessories. I've bought chest and shoulder packs from Orvis and waistpacks for wading from William Joseph. They either didn't carry enough stuff or they were uncomfortable or inconvenient to wear. Then after being on the Every Day Carry forums web site for a while and purchasing several of Maxpedition's excellent pouches, backpacks and other gear, I ran across a new Maxpedition Fatboy for very cheap on the *-bay and figured "why not?".

Well, the pack arrived and after adjusting the strap to my 6'1" frame, the location for the pack felt very convenient. Unlike my waistpack (a fishing version of a fanny pack), I didn't have to swing it around to take things in and out of it and the Fatboy was easy to access. The strap was also very comfortable.

I started loading up the pack with "stuff".

On the right side, I was able to put a Surefire 6p in the supplied holster without a problem.

On the left side, the pocket was perfect for my handheld GPS that contains waypoints to some favorite spots on some rivers, lakes and bays I go to. The outside MOLLE straps also were useful as a place to holster my clamps that I use to remove fly hooks. This pocket could also be useful to hold your polarized sunglasses.

The cellphone holster held my small slider style phone but I can see where some larger phones may have some issues.

The front flap has a small zippered pocket on the outside that would be useful to store hooks, swivels or anything small that can be kept relatively flat and would be useful to access without opening up the flap.

Under the front flap and front most pocket I placed some fly leaders, tippet, line clipper and in the front zippered compartment a medium size fly box along with a small LED headlamp (such as the Princeton Tec Aurora) for night fishing.

The main compartment can hold a large fly box or several bags of plastic lures or a small Plano box with crankbaits, etc. tucked into the mesh panels on the inside. I was also able to stow a set of compact binoculars in there as well.

Of course, if you are fishing in a really remote area filled with wild pigs, gators, or other predators or bandits and you are able to carry a small pistol, that of course will fit in the CCW pocket located at the rear of the pack accessible by the zipper on the top of the pack. If not for a CCW then this would be a good spot for a small first aid kit in a waterproof plastic baggie.

I also purchased a Maxpedition Three-by-Five pouch to attach to the pack to hold a small digital camera because of course nobody will believe how big that fish you caught and released was without photos, right?

It turned out that the velcro patch area located on the top of the pack had a useful purpose for me in that it was an ideal place for a foam fly patch to put flies to dry after use. It turns out that I have more than a couple of foam fly patches that have the velcro already attached from other packs from Orvis and William Joseph that worked perfectly but they can be obtained from just about any fly shop or you can obviously make your own.

If you use conventional tackle, you can also take a look at the TALS tackle tubes which have a very innovative set of products of which the tubes are the main one that attach to velcro surfaces. The tubes rotate open so that you can remove and safely store something like a crankbait and have it easily accessible on any surface with velcro. To the right is a closeup photo of a TALS tube that I could attach to the velcro patch of the Fatboy if I were so inclined.

Some folks may not like the color scheme I picked but I did say I got it cheap off the *-bay, didn't I?

I think I'm going to like this pack more than the ones I have had in the past that were specifically designed as fishing gear. It certainly seems more versatile.

TXL ultralight rod first impressions

The UPS man came by and dropped off my new Sage 7' 10" TXL 2wt today. My son took the box before I knew about it and opened it thinking it was a wooden sword I had ordered for him and instead shouted from the living room in a somewhat disappointed voice saying, "Mom, it's ANOTHER fishing rod for dad!".

I proceeded to inspect the new rod and reel and put it together. The TXL comes in a black aluminum tube with a black rod sock. I feel like a professional hitman for some reason carrying the tube though the rod itself is a wispy thing with a beautiful golden olive colored blank. The micro-stripper guide is tiny but then again so is the line that passes through it.

The little Lamson LS1 reel was a good choice as it balances very well on the rod.
The dark gray Hard Alox satin finish on the reel is much nicer than the light gray Guide finish on the pre-2007 Litespeeds.

I took the kids with me to a park they like that I'm not too keen on because the pond there has too many trees surrounding it and far too many ducks. The ducks are one reason they like going there. Regardless, the kids and I were there to hopefully have some fun.

While at the park I talked to a spin fisherman who pointed me to some logs in the water that he said held a lot of bluegills. I had to cast at a 45 degree angle to it from shore in order to avoid too many trees around the log and behind me. I wanted the line to fall as close and parallel to the log as possible to increase the chances of hooking up to a gill.

Casting wise the TXL is amazingly easy to load and shoots line effortlessly. It tracks very well and can lay the line just where you want it. Even though the day was pretty windy and gusty, I had no problem laying the line where I wanted it. I was very impressed!

I originally tied a #16 Humpy but it wasn't drawing strikes so I switched to a dark helgramite (kind of black/olive with red highlights) colored #14 BH Hare's Ear nymph. I wasn't sure how the rod would cast the heavier fly on the 5X 7' tapered leader but it had no problem.

After a cast or two, I felt a subtle strike. I really felt it! When I swept the rod, I could really feel the flutter of that sunfish as it tried to get away. When it came closer to me, I could see the tip of the rod whip around as it continued to fight. This was the feeling I was wanting from a brim rod! It truly heightened the experience of catching a 5" fish to a level I had not experience before! I'm really wondering now what a 8" or 9" fish will feel like!

I only had 45 minutes at the pond but I did catch a few more brim that were all about the same size but even the smallest one was truly enjoyable on the TXL. I intend to give it a good workout at one of the other ponds that I catch bigger fish and I expect more fun then!

So, to summarize the first impressions, this is one sweet rod! It was worth every penny and I will post additional impressions of the rod as I get to fish with it more. I think my XPs will be jealous that I will be spending a lot more time with this new rod!

An ultralight fly rod

This weekend I sold the SLT 4wt I had recently purchased. It wasn't because it wasn't a nice rod but because it simply wasn't what I had hoped or expected. It was basically very similar to my 4wt XP except much "firmer" even though it has a medium-fast action. It was gorgeous and could sling a line 70' with ease! Still, I was really looking for a short ( around 8' ) rod with a medium action to get the most out of catching small brim.

I had been reading quite a bit lately about ultralight fly rods at Bill Byrd's website. I thought skipping a couple of weights down from my 4wt would provide a visible difference so I chose to try a 2wt.

I decided to test cast a Sage TXL 2710-3 which is a 7' 10" 2wt 3-piece rod. I cast it on a fairly windy day and was surprised with its short range accuracy and casting ability for a 2wt! The rod was so light as well weighing in at only 2 1/8 ounces! It also had the "feel" I wanted in a brim rod so I decided to buy one. I ordered one with the complimentary Sage Quiet Taper II DT2F line and I bought one of those new Lamson-Waterworks Litespeed Hard Alox LS1 reels to complete the rig. Sure, a reel like this may be unnecessary for such a small rod but I'ld like to know that if I ever "accidentally" hook a bass, catfish or carp that I could take it on with a reel with a nice drag.

I'll be writing up a more detailed review after I get to fish the new rig hopefully on the weekend. The local ponds have been showing evidence of brim around nests and I've seen some really big Rio Grande Chichlid also around these nests.

Sage SLT

It's no secret I truly love Sage's premium fly rods. When you are serious about any sport such as golf, tennis, cycling, etc. you end up appreciating finely made tools. Though I own 4 XPs, I tend to think that in the larger weights they rule which is why the 6wt XP is my favorite stick.

At one time I did own a 7wt SLT and it was a beautiful rod both in looks with its tiger eye colored blank and in the silky smooth casting and feel. Still, I considered my 6wt and 8wt XPs to be better big fly and big fish rods plus having the extra umph to cast the extra 10 feet so I sold the SLT.

At one point I also owned a Sage 8' 4wt Launch. It wasn't a premium rod but it was a perfect little rod for brim on tiny waters. Accurate, smooth and light. I ended up selling the rod because I already had a 4wt XP. I occasionally regret selling it.

I had the opportunity to purchase a new 8' 4wt 4-piece SLT at a 30% discount and it wasn't a difficult decision. I will continue using the 8' 6" 4wt XP for larger water requiring longer casts or mainly for bass but the new 8' 4wt SLT will become my new brim rod. I can't wait.

Fully stocked fly box

I was finally able to get some fishing in this weekend. I took along one fly box with me containing streamers, most of which I tied on the cold weekends while not fishing. The box contains some new minnow patterns I tied that I want to prove on some white bass sometime this month.

I also finally finished filling my brim/carp fly box yesterday after tying a half-dozen Skip's Dads crayfish flies which I intend mostly for carp along with some damsel nymphs. As you can see from the photo, I really like beadhead nymph flies. I find I get many more strikes from subsurface flies and the beadhead hare's ear type nymphs do catch fish.

At some point, I may want to learn how to tie stimulator dry flies with elk hair for when the fish are hitting bugs on top but it will have to be when I have more space in this box.

Tackle art

I was taking photos of my collection of rods and reels for insurance purposes and decided to create a new wallpaper for my computer from one of the photos. I basically haven't found any fly fishing tackle related wallpaper on the 'net that I've really liked so that's why I did my own.

I took a photo of an arrangment of rods and reels and then ran it through a great piece of open source software called GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) which is very similar to a commercial photo imaging software. I ran the image through an "Oilify" and "Canvas" filter to produce a look of a oil on canvas painting. I hope folks like it...

Edit: I redid the original 1600x1200 and cropped it to a 1280x1024 with a slightly higher oily and canvassy appearance to make it look less like a photo and more like a painting. Here is the new one:
Here is what a cubist painting of the above would possibly look like (used cubism filter along with canvas filter):

Sold!

Well, last week I decided to sell the Sage SLT 7wt 2-piece. It is a gorgeous rod but I like the 6wt and 8wt XPs more now so rather than let the rod sit in the closet, I sold it. I got just a bit more than I bought it for which was nice.

With the sale of the SLT this leaves me with four 4-piece XPs now. I hope I don't make any more rod purchases for a while. I will miss the simplicity of putting together a 2-piece (especially at night) but there are some advantages to a 4-piece that I think will make it better off (the ease of travelling with one for example) in the long run.

Maybe I'll purchase a 2wt or 3wt SLT one of these days when they end up being discontinued and I can fetch one at a discounted price.

Inventory turnover

Last week I put up for sale my VT2 6wt and Launch 4wt and 5wt and they sold (for a total of $490). The new owner of the VT2 has already received it and is thrilled with the rod. I'm happy he's happy and the new owner of the two Launch rods will be picking them up next week. I can't say I became attached to the 5wt and 6wt but I'm probably going to miss the little 4wt a bit...maybe. I'm waiting for the arrival of a new Sage XP 8' 6" 4wt rod I picked up for 40% off which will take the place of the Launch. I've been having fun with the 5wt XP recently but I expect that to be more of a lake rod while the 4wt will be my small lake and pond rod for small bass and brim.

So, with the turnover in the recent couple of months it looks as if I'm pretty much an XP man now (486-4, 590-4, 691-4, and 890-4). This also completes the conversion from 2 piece to 4 piece rods. Well, not completely...there's still the 2 piece 7wt SLT. I'm really torn with that rod. It is such a sweet rod but having the 691-4 and 890-4 now, I don't really expect I will get much use from it. I do believe I can recoup the $250 I bought it for easily or get more for it but it's such a gorgeous rod though. *sigh* I'll have to mull it over some more I guess. Maybe when I have to pay my property taxes in a month or two will I have that decision made for me. *sigh*

Two more for the quiver

I got a call back from my local fly shop, Sportsman's Finest, that they could offer a 25% discount on the XP. I told them that was good enough though I wish it had been a deeper discount. Still, seeing as I haven't really supported the only real fly shop in the area since last December when I purchased a Sage Launch from them, I was intent on giving them my business. BTW, the fly shop in Cabela's south of Austin doesn't count. They just aren't the same when it comes to a true fly shop.

I went down and picked up the Sage XP 691-4 I had cast and really loved. I asked if the same discount would apply to a XP 590-4. I already have a Sage Launch 590-4 but really wanted to pick up another XP since I was there so I cast it and there is something about those rods that just scream performance so I purchased it, too.

Now to sell the Sage VT2 and Sage Launch since I don't expect to be using them now and it will help offset the total cost I paid though I did save $300 so it wasn't all that bad.

I also got an email from my cousin asking me to come fish the coast with him the weekend of August 26 so you bet I will be taking both the XP 691-4 and 890-4. I hope to baptize at least one or both in the brine on some reds or trout!

Morning Star Lanyard

I often head to the the local ponds with my 4wt to catch the occassional brim and go pretty light and carry just the essentials. Usually it's a small fly box with a few choice flies, a line clipper and hemostat. I usually just stuff them in pockets but often times I wear a polo shirt so it means stuffing them in my jeans which is uncomfortable and I've lost at least three hemostats that way.

Enter a fly fishing lanyard from Morning Star Lanyards I bought a week or so ago. It's very well thought out in design and just what I need to carry those essentials in a convenient place...around my neck. The lanyard also has an alligator clip so I can attach it to my shirt so it doesn't move much. I hate anything pulling on my neck but the weight of the lanyard is neglible. You soon forget it's there except if you run and I don't run with a fly rod in hand. Besides the clip, there is a neoprene fly patch and a retractor which I use for holding the hemostats. I wish the rectractor line was also braided steel with a nylon covering like the lanyard itself rather than braided nylon which may added some additional service life to it. The pad at the top of the lanyard is very comfortable.

I really don't know why I didn't try one before but will certainly keep using it. It's great! I really want to see if the lanyard continues to be comfortable when sitting in the kayak with my PFD on. I think it will but will have to test it further.

The only negative about wearing this lanyard is that my wife refers to it as my "fly fishing necklace". I really hate that. :(

Sage XP being discontinued?

There is a recent discussion in the Fly Anglers Online website's forum discussing that as of August 1, the Sage XP are being discontinued by Sage and dealers are starting to offer discounts of 25% to 40 % !

Now I wonder about that deal I got wasn't just one of those discounts on a discontinued model. The price I paid was exactly 40% off original price after all. It makes sense; there were a lot of XP s but then again there were also a lot of Xi2s. I also have noticed that the San Francisco fly shop Leland's is selling several new XPs on e-bay. Maybe there is some fact to this rumor.

But how can there be something better to replace the XP? Maybe it's time to call the local fly shop and see what I can pay for an XP 691-4.

Got my new Sage XP today!

I arrived to find a well packaged box containing a Sage tube with the Sage 890-4 XP and unfilled warranty card in it waiting for me! The rod looked absolutely new and in perfect condition! I was just thrilled it arrived in time to try it this weekend.

Now for first impressions. I put the rod together and it was incredibly light. Even though it states it weights 4 3/16 ounces, in the hand it feels lighter than the Sage VT2 6wt I bought not long ago which is around 3 3/8 ounces. It even seems to feel about as light as my Sage SLT 2-piece 7wt which is 3 3/4 ounces. Amazingly well balanced rod. I can see casting this rod all day without any fatigue.

I went ahead and put on my Lamson Velocity 3 reel with a spool of WF8F line and went out to lawn cast it. This rod loads easily and casts so easily and beautifully. It doesn't even feel like a fast action rod. You can cast out to 65 feet with ease! I bet if I get the casting stroke just smooth enough and produce a tighter loop, I can get the line out to 75 feet.

In addition, the XP may be a fast action rod but it does not feel stiff at all. My VT2 6wt seems stiffer in comparison. I wonder if it's the soft tip that makes it not feel as fast or stiff as folks seem to make it out.

Craftsmanship-wise, the XP is on par with the SLT. The cork is very nice as is the rest of the hardware. The wraps and epoxy are immaculate. The dark green color of the blank makes the rod appear black almost except when in direct sunlight when you can see the bands of green. All in all, a very attractive rod!

In summary, I can't wait to fish this rod! I expect it will have the same fish fighting feel as the SLT when a fish is on and should offer at least 10 feet or more in additional casting distance over the 7wt SLT. Man, I now wish most of my other rods were XPs! I consider this is an excellent buy for the $360!

new sage xp

I told my wife today that I got lucky and immediately she knew it had to do with a fly rod purchase from ebay!

As I mentioned before, I was looking for an 8wt to replace the Scott SAS 8wt I sold a while back. I was considering an Xi2 and XP but found favor with the XP so that at least I could use it in freshwater for bass buggin' for largemouth as well as on the flats for reds and specks. I was concerned with the specialty of the Xi2 and I had sent a question to Sage about the XP to which they replied:

The XP is a fast action rod and the Xi2 is even faster. For current model, the VT2 will be faster than your SLT but not as fast as the XP. I believe the XP is the most versatile rod we produce. The XP is fast but sensitive, it fishes very well and delivers the fly in the most demanding conditions. The XP rods are the best selling rod family that we have ever had for a reason, and the beauty in them really lies in their versatility.

So with that, I felt better about my decision so I kept an eye for a good deal on one on ebay. Finally last weekend I saw several Sage rods with warrantees go on ebay from a seller and I placed the starting bid of $360 on a new 9' 8wt XP 4 piece which retails for $600 and was going to wait until tomorrow night when the auction was scheduled to close to see how I did. Interestingly enough the seller ended all his auctions early today and I won! Come to find out the seller is a fly shop/outfitter in New Hamsphire so I feel good about the purchase. I can't wait to get it and hopefully have a shot soon at fishing it at the coast!

I love ebay!

I sold three fly reels today on ebay that I had lying around and got around $300 for them! On the average that's pretty close to what I paid for them altogether so I'm pretty happy! I've made some great buys on ebay like my Teton Teton #5 reel with spare spool that was new for $100, the Sage VT2, my Sage SLT (had the warranty card and was like new-in-tube for less than $260), and on and on.

Now, what to do with the proceeds ? I sold my Scott SAS 8wt last year (on ebay and made a slight profit over what I paid for it) and have yet to replace it. I'm really considering a Sage XP or Xi2 this time. I've seen good buys on new or lightly used ones with warranty cards on ebay for between $350 and $450 which beats paying $630 for one. It's either that or just buying a Sage VT2 8wt but I'ld really like the premium rods and with the extra cash in hand, I don't think my wife would be to opposed me paying an extra $100 or $150 out-of-pocket for one (or maybe she would).

The 8wt would be primarily for whenever I need to cast large/heavy flies, windy conditions on the lake or when I get the chance to go after redfish at the coast. But since I don't go to the coast every month, I'm not sure if the Xi2 is the way to go though I really want that rod!

Oh well, I guess I just have to go cast each of these three side-by-side and decide and then look for a good deal on ebay. Man! I love ebay!

I like the VT2!

I'm starting to really like the faster action found in this rod. I didn't catch any big bluegills today but just a few dink bass but the rod performed very well. I discussed with a friend of mine going Saturday morning to wade fish the San Gabriel river. Of course I intend to take the VT2 along!

Early VT2 trial tomorrow!

I had lunch in the office then went to a nearby park that has a small lake and retention pond for a walk. The lake is where I caught my biggest bass and I've seen some big bass around 5lbs in the pond though I've only caught up to a 2lber.

The water in the main lake was algae green. Such a shame. Since the owners of the lake (a local church) started building next to it, it seems the water quality has suffered.

The pond on the other hand looked fairly clearer than usual and that let me see lots of HUGE bluegills protecting nests! I also saw some bass cruising like sharks amongst the nests.

So, I think I will stop by the pond early tomorrow morning before work to see how they attack a fly. If they take it eagerly, I will be back on Saturday morning with my kayak since with all the trees surrounding the pond, it is difficult to cast from shore to some of the choice spots plus I'll be able to approach the 'gills and bass more quietly.

Yet Another Sage Fly Rod

I purchased a 4-piece 9 foot 6wt Sage VT2 off ebay last week and got it yesterday. I paid half-price for it and it was new. It still had a plastic ring to hold a price tag on the stripping guide sans the price tag. The cork still had what I call "cork dust" on it indicating it was unfished. The only thing was it didn't come with a warranty card or the case. I have a case already and I can live without a warranty though it would've been nice.

OK, now for a short first impression of the rod. Even though it says it weighs in at 3 3/8 ounces, it feels heavier. It feels heavier than my 2-piece Sage 7wt SLT (this rod is smooth as butter) which supposedly is 3 3/4 ounces and my 4-piece Sage 5wt Launch which is 3 1/2 ounces. Both these latter rods are medium-fast action rods though they have plenty of backbone. The VT2 definitely has some backbone and is stiffer. I expect it feels heavier due to the faster tip which may be where it has additional weight compared to the other rods even though overall it's supposedly lighter. I have to say though that the color of this rod is very nice. It has similar qualities to the Launch in that the color changes slightly depending on the light and perspective. Head on it looks a deep blue but sometimes it looks like an aqua or blue-green color.

OK, so how does it cast? It's pretty accurate and easy enough to cast even though it's slightly stiffer than the other two mentioned rods I own. It loads well and allows less false casting before shooting the line out to 60ft without much trouble. It casts a 6wt and 7wt WF line easily enough. It also roll casts well.

I still like my SLT 7wt more but I think I'll get used to the VT2 and expect to sell the Lamson Radius I have on it and put the Lamson Velocity 3 I have on the 7wt since it seems to balance better and replace the Velocity with a Ross Rhythm 3.5 that has slightly more backing capacity.

I'm going to try and fish with the new rod this weekend for bass (and maybe carp) and see how it does.