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Hardy make a beautiful range of rods. The fact is that a whole generation of fishermen in the USA have not had any meaningful exposure to them in recent years. But those who have been fly fishing for a little longer than a generation know them only too well. The Hardy Perfect is the definitive small stream fly reel. Over the past few years, Hardy have been redeveloping their product line as well as expanding their range. And they have come up with some excellent products. They have essentially 3 ranges of rods. The Heritage series, the Classic series and the Performance Series. In term so performance rods, the range progresses from the mid $200 Uniqua range through to the $1000 fast action Angel. In addition they have a bamboo range in the Heritage series and a lightweight and glass range in the Classic series. The Stream Of late I have been fishing with their range of fiberglass rods. And as a dryfly rod it is truly a joy. I have been using the 7ft 3wt "Stream" rod. Fiberglass rods have been ignored for a couple of decades fishermen preferring the faster and light graphite rods which dominate the scene today. However, if you really like to dry fly fish on smaller waters the Hardy "Stream" is a rod which really should be tried out. You might ask, why fiberglass? There are a few reasons. 1. Fiberglass rods are more reasonably priced than their graphite counterparts. So if you want an additional rod for dry fly fishing it is a very worthwhile consideration. 2. Fiberglass is more durable than graphite. Every year I manage to break 2 or three graphite rods. It is fairly typical of most fishermen who fish in a range of situations. Inevitably a ferrule might come fractionally loose or a split shot might hit the rod during casting creating a weakness. The result will be a broken rod when you are out on the river at an inconvenient time. 3. In terms of presentation of a dry fly, there are many times in a smaller water or in pocket water one requires a slower more deliberate action which will permit one to place the fly very precisely. Fiberglass will enable the precise placement of the fly without the vibration which arises from a faster graphite rod. One aspect of fishing smaller rivers like the Frying Pan is that it is just not necessary to lay 60 ft of your line out on the water. With varying currents, line management becomes impossible, particularly when a fish strikes. Hence most of the advantages of a faster rod actually militate against good precise and consistent presentation in the small stream context. The Hardy Stream has 10% graphite added to it to stiffen the rod just a fraction. This overcomes the risk of the rod being too soft or too close to bamboo. It is a very compelling compromise. In addition, when mending a smaller fly, often a good graphite rod will transfer power all the way down the line and cause the float of the dry fly to be disrupted. Fiberglass will reduce this risk. All in all, it is difficult to overstate the excellence of the Stream rod for those circumstances where light deliberate presentation of a small fly is important to you. And at the price of $349 it is not expensive in the context of the price ranges of high end rods on the market today. Zane The Zane is a beautiful example of a saltwater rod which is equally effective throwing streamers on the Fork or the Colorado. I have a 7wt and it is excellent. It is light yet powerful, so that a long day in the boat throwing big double bead streamers is no difficulty. You can get more details at their website here.
If you want more details give us a call on (970) 927 3441. We offer all of the various rods with gift certificates provided you comply with the terms. Please note we do not discount any of them.
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