We’ve been putting 3 and 4wt 10’3” rods, from our friends at Mystic, to work for a few weeks now and we’ve had a BLAST with the longer rods. They actually built up a couple fresh rods in a week or so just to get us fishing fast. Talk about a company who gets it! A big thanks to Dennis for making it happen even with the busy spring show schedule.
The extra length means you can reach runs on the far side of the river without wading in and spooking fish. They can tuck a lot of line upstream under the branches while standing on the bank for presenting to the still pools for rising fish too. The 3wt is perfect for putting wet flies in runs on along the other bank all day long. My shoulder was happier with me at the end of the day than if I’d high-sticked with a 9’5wt for hours. I’m not getting old, just a little squeaky in the joints. I felt like I’d borrowed a friend’s rod and was cheating on my usual rig.
I don’t always get to fish when the guide calendar is busy so most of my fishing days are when the weather is rotten. My friends who fish the Gunpowder know that the wind can crank up when it is pushed up and down the river basin. When angling pressure is high, being able to make a longer cast can make a big difference in the number of hook-ups. I pulled out the 4wt last week on such a day last week and was able to load that rod up in the stiff breeze and put my tandem wet-fly rig exactly where I wanted it. It was so much fun that I had to pull out my phone and call my brother to tell him about it. I also had the pleasure of hanging up and stuffing my phone in my waders because I hooked up while talking to him.
In a nutshell, I had a blast trying out these new rods from Mystic. I’m looking forward to a long summer putting them to work. Not a broomstick-stiff 10’ rod that was designed for competition casting but one that was built to cast and catch fish. A little extra tip for anglers like myself who have made an art of busting 7x tippet and light enough to fish all day – these rods are fun. That’s what it’s all about isn’t it? Want to give one a try? Give us a call and we’ll make it happen.
Keep your tip on the water (or really high!) – Micah
