Predator Fly Rod

A week of thousands of casts, rock scrambling, boat work and very spooky fish.

I’d taken a few rods Inc. two 9wt rods one with scientific angler jungle line, and one with a Sunray micro line. Both rods performed so well, super capable at distance casting, very precise, and the tip flex proved so useful with aerial, livid fish. Maintaining connection and vital elasticity on these super powerful Amazonian predictors. The paring of the Sunray rod and line helped enormously with the endless casting and its physical impact, the lighter Sunray line felt really direct, an extension of the rod and arm. The scientific anglers line was easily shot across bigger spans of river but in hindsight why sling heavy all day when you can sling light?! Go Sunray across rod and line. The ability to steer fish was easily managed with this set up. No issues managing and wrestling a fish away from rocks and trees mid river.

Rods were paired with Nautilus nv- g reels and proved really balanced with this set up.

My guides all tried the rods, and loved the tip flexibility, and its impact on accuracy of casting and aerial fish management. I saw a number of fish lost to less flexible tips, on more expensive rods due to direct contact between fish and reel without the buffer to impact resistance provided by a softer tip.

Amazing rods, bang on purpose. Take them to the wild wild fish!

The action was perfect to cast medium sized flies with very little back casting space, I’d move up to the #9 for larger flies. The size of the 3 Torzite K Series strippers means that I can have the head in the rings, strip to my feet and get the full head out again to recast in one false cast. Perfect with the obstructions behind us and for these lethal Pike flies. This fish took at my feet and the rod, being softer, took the impact and played this fish perfectly. It’s as though the tip follows the fish making it impossible to escape. Stiffer rods create shock between fish and rod, especially at short distance and you lose fish. I can’t recommend this rod enough.

Whilst I haven't actually fished with this rod yet, that won't happen until next summer. I did take it out to see if it would cast big Surffilauta flies. These will be used for salmon fishing in pretty rough white water, that would sink deer hair bombers. It did and even turned them over casting into a fairly stiff wind. These are foam backed flies that are 2 inches or so long, so quite a testament to the punch that this rod provides. It also carried my normal salmon reel on the reel fitting and wasn't put out of balance carrying such a large reel.

So, all good. All I need now is a salmon pulling the other way.

Thank you for the rod and accompanying Kevlar No Knot and EZ Cast lines.

I also bought the #9 weight Predator rod following on from this, just in case I need a bit more push. I haven't had the chance to try this one yet, but it does feel just a little stiffer, which is what you would expect.

All the best,

Jim

This rod is one of the lightest and yet strong to fight the big fish I have ever owned, line control and loading the rod is extremely amazing .The rod is another yet Tom’s carefully designed and product. Highly recommended.
Well done ,
Happy holidays 🇨🇦