It's nice to see another company getting in to the glass game.

I agree. I think it would have been far better for them to come in between $150-200. The Redington CT rod at $150 got some pretty decent acclaim. While $250 isn't over the top, it might be high enough that those on the fence with fiberglass may not want to take the plunge and give it a try.

It seems like the lower weight rods may come with reel seat rings (sliding bands). What did the 3wt come with Cameron?

... malcolm

they have to imply it was broken before they fixed it.

They still have to sell graphite to an indoctrinated market.
You know the people who write this stuff probably don't fish at all.

With Orvis and not the Sage/Redington conglomerate dipping their toes into the Fiberglass waters, things could get interesting.

Good - I love the name Redington chose - Butter Stick - and they matched it with a bright yellow blank. There will be no mistaking these for graphite rods. Redington describes the action as slow. Cameron describes it as softer than expected. The rod weights are very similar to Redington's graphite builds, so these aren't built on old school, heavy, glass blanks. The color scheme and wood spacer reelseat are nice touches. Three piece, 8 foot, 5 weights are a sweet spot for glass (as are the shorter, lighter rods). This sounds good so far.

Bad - A Western Super Fine grip with an uplocking seat is NOT retro and NEVER will be. In my opinion the Western Super Fine is the worst grip ever and an uplocking reelseat makes it even worse. At least the sliding ring model looks like it has a cigar grip long enough to hold comfortably. The purple PR prose is a bit much (Redington Reinvents Fiberglass ... ..features premium componentry [sic?! ] ... Redington brings fun to fly fishing. [WT%$#@?] - who writes this stuff?).

The $249 sticker price is very interesting. For glass this is competitive, not cheap, but competitive. Orvis, Hardy, and Scott are priced higher. Cabelas is much lower. These are even cheaper than the entry level Sage Approach. However, most Redington graphite is priced considerably lower. At this price the Butter Stick may get some looks at the store, but many buyers won't reach past the cheaper Redingtons for their next rod (or the TFOs on the next rack). This could lead to a situation like the Cortland Diamondglass in a year or so, with shops selling the rods off at cost to clear inventory. Cameron is right, a $199 sticker price would have a much better chance on the market.

Recommendation - Find the stores stocking Butter Sticks. If you find one you really like buy it - the good ones will be gone in a heartbeat (remember the Dglass 8'6" 4 weight?). Then watch carefully. If they sell well, that is good for our favorite material. If they don't sell well, watch for the fire sales (that is good for us as buyers). The retro Fenwicks and Diamondglass are more appreciated now than they ever were while they were in stores.

Tom

Tom ... excellent break down.

For whatever reason the PR people for Sage, Redington, and RIO have a dozen or so catch words that they go overboard and drown each press release with. "Reinvent". Hardly ... but we'll see where this series goes.

I'll just wait for a couple of years for these to be on closeout, just like every other Redington rod I've seen.

Don't forget Papa Sage's famous tagline for the "Circa"

In pursuit of fast, we re-invented Slow

... so, its OK to use the dreaded word SLOW now for rod descriptions

Very true.

And I totally agree that companies realizing that "slow" isn't a bad word is good for the future.

Good for Redington, yes, except that they are misinformed as to what most of us want in a rod's components/aesthetics. And I agree with others who say that this rod would likely sell better priced under $200. Having said that, I'd wait to pass judgement until I cast it. I see this as a rod that appeals to first time glass buyers looking specifically for a modern rod at an entry level price point. Lamiglas has been mentioned, but does anyone know for sure what blanks these are?

Far Bank enterprises owns Sage, Rio and Redington. Every Redington rod I've seen was made in China. At $249 I'm guessing the Redington glass blank is rolled and assembled in China also.