carlz wrote:
Has anyone handled these rods yet?
Well, it's been over 3 years since he asked the above question, but I've fished the rod a few times recently and so I thought I'd respond. I decided to bump this old thread rather than start a new one so that those who may be interested in the rod can read the manufacturer's comments above.
For starters, the rod currently lists at $295 and in addition to being available through Leland I recall that Cameron put up a post on his blog about two weeks ago that they can now be purchased through his site/store.
Bottom line, I've been quite impressed with the rod. In terms of casting, it's got a nice smooth, progressive feel with quick tip recovery. Leland mentioned above that the rod was designed for graphite guys who wanted to try out glass and so if you like really slow glass then this may not be the rod for you. It doesn't really feel stiff to me--and it bends nicely with a fish on--but I did test cast it next to my Steffen 8' 3/4 and the Steffen felt like it loaded deeper into the blank. Anyway, the rod feels light in the hand, loads well even with just a bit of line out and I found it very pleasant to cast. I've fished it with dries and with a moderate nymph rig and it cast both nicely. I haven't tried it with streamers, but I think it would handle smaller ones fine. Bottom line, I think this is a pretty versatile rod that could serve as an all-around 4 wt (more on that below).
Above I focused on the performance, but a bit about the build (photos below). It has spigot ferrules and an uplocking seat. The blank is a translucent gold or dark amber and the wraps are a burgundy/maroon. The cork quality is pretty good for the price point. It's really a sharp looking build in my view. The one thing I'm not nuts about is the grip, which is a bit of an odd shape. I never thought it was uncomfortable, but it was different enough to my other grips that I definitely was aware of it when casting. But now I've kind of gotten used to it. I guess my bottom line on the grip is that it wouldn't be my choice if ordering a custom rod, but I don't view it as a reason not to buy the rod if you're otherwise interested.
I recall that last year there was a thread of the best rods (new builds) available for under $300. Sadly, there aren't a whole lot of options (I think the budget ceiling was then raised to $400). But I think the Red Truck rod probably would be at the top of my list. Even though it's more than twice the cost of the new CGR, I personally didn't think the original CGR was worth $59 and so I certainly wouldn't buy a new one at $129 (I'm not trying to get the CGR fans riled up, I'm just mentioning some other lower and midpriced rods and the CGR obviously is one of the most well known). I haven't cast it, but one alternative rod that might be more attractive for some is the new Fenwick Fenglass 704, which has received pretty good reviews from others here. Depending on the day it can be found on Amazon for $170 +/- shipped, and so that's a pretty wide price difference. I have a 7' 4 wt and enjoy it, but I also think it's kind of a niche rod due to the short length, and the Red Truck at 7'6" is a better length for an every day/all around 4 wt. Even though I haven't cast the new Fenwick 704, I have handled some of the other new Fenwicks and in my view the Red Truck has a superior build quality. Anyway, as between the Red Truck and the Fenwick, I guess it depends on your fishing conditions and budget. For me the Red Truck would be the better choice, but for a rod that you might only fish occasionally then the Fenwick at $125 less may be the way to go. And I guess it''s also worth noting that at $295 you're also getting close to the price at which you could get a used custom rod such as a Barclay or a Steffen.
Anyway, I like the rod and think it's definitely worth considering if you're looking for a 4 wt and don't want to pay the cost of a custom rod or a higher priced production rod such as the Orvis SFG. A couple of pics...
I've paired the rod with an Orvis Battenkill 5/6 and a Cortland Peach DT4. I tried the rod with a couple of different lines and found it to be pretty line friendly. My second choice, and it's a very close second, is the SA trout in a DT4. But based on my testing I would think that any true to weight 4 wt should be fine.