The Redington Review





The soft sleeve for my new Redington 4 piece

  
I finally broke down and actually spent money on a new rod. I started out last year fly fishing with an old Eagle Claw 5/6 weight that was 8'6". This rod served its purpose just fine for the time being and I was quite happy with it. ..However, I had not yet gotten into any sizable fish with it. When I broke my hand-me-down Eagle Claw last week I almost cried - worst time to break your only rod is during a nice two or three day warm-up. So, after some smooth talking with my Secretary  wife, I was able to jump online and order a new rod.

I asked a few friends for a recommendation on a decent rod that would be inexpensive and of good quality. I was told that Redington makes good rods for good prices so I started looking around. I had some Cabela's points saved up so that's where I started. They had just what I was looking for...fly rods on sale. I looked over the reviews of all that were in my price range, $100 or less, and found that the majority rule was on the Redington fly rods. So after picking the size I wanted and double checking my "needs over wants list" I went ahead and clicked the send A.S.A.P. button. (come to find out they charge extra for overnight delivery - insert comment from wife "$40 dollars? Are you insane??" - so I had to wait a few days).

So it finally arrived and I was as excited as a three headed cat in a creamery. The day I picked it up of course was cold and very windy, but I had no choice to put it to work right away. The wind was whipping at around 20 knots or so? O.K. I admit I don't read knots, but it was a stiff wind anyway - the kind that grabs your float line and turns it into a sail dragging your wet fly with sinkers down stream at a pace that only a warm river trout could catch, or see for that matter. But here comes the good part.... wait for it.....


Pretty cold and just pretty



The down side of fishing in the cold is cleaning your eyelets every five minutes



My new rod and a Martin reel



The very next week I found a slight warm spell and was able to really test out my new rod. Even though it was cold and windy the river had slowed back down a little and the water was lower and really clear. The steelies were good and active that evening. The Redington 9' 8 weight was amazing. In the wind using the chuck and duck rigging with three small split shot I was able to toss my line almost effortlessly into the wind and across the river some fifty feet +/- . The Crosswater rod has a good backbone and is very forgiving for an amateur like me. The light weight and noodle-like feel is great for finding the difference between the general gravel bottom bounce and the light strike of a lethargic cold water steelhead. I had a few good casts that day and two really nice fish that came in very easily with the aid of my new rod. 



21" chrome caught on my personal #14 veiled egg

 



This dark river queen weighed in at 4 -3/4#

 

I guess now I just need either a new fishing vest or a nice chest pack to carry my camera and other stuff while on the river (hint, hint). If anyone knows where I could inherit one to do a review on I'd gladly give them my mailing address. :)

I'd like to thank Cabela's for their great customer service and also my friends who said the Crosswater was a fine rod. But most of all right now I'd like to thank the nice folks over at Redington for their quality rods and their good low prices making it possible for poor folk like me to enjoy the sport as well.

Keep your tip up,

                                                                  

                                                      Coyote Luke