sweetandsalt
Well-known member
While there are long established makers whose rods I have I have enjoyed and relied upon for decades, I have a passion for new companies striving to make a reputation for themselves with quality products. I've been aware of Douglas Outdoors virtually since their inception in that I have been aquatinted with their rod designer, Fred Contaoi, for almost two decades, appreciating projects he has previously worked on, he is talented and smart. Once perfected, Douglas plans on building rods in their own sophisticated rod shop upstate New York, the first such facility built from scratch in the US in years. This is an exciting prospect I eagerly anticipate. For the time being their rods and Nexus reel are produced by S. Korea's premier shop while their in-house designed Argus reel is machined at home in New York.
I have fished several of their rods and been impressed by all of them from Deep flexing 8'8"/#4 Upstream on a little spring creek to 9'/#9 SKY on Biscayne Bay. This season in Idaho though is the first time I have fished SKY in its 9'/#4 configuration. With so many Western rivers flowing high and off-color from unusually heavy snowpack and a pattern of persistent thunderstorms, the great Henry's Fork, immune from such influences was our home river for almost two weeks. Few large rivers emphasize the prerequisite for precise, delicate and articulate presentation as does the Fork, the worlds largest spring creek. High performance 9'/#'s 4 and 5-weights are standard issue on this river and an informal survey of anglers' trucks and campers in the Rail Road Ranch parking lot is like visiting a huge, sophisticated fly shop. Henry's Fork rods are called upon to generate high line speed, smooth and tight loops at all distances and reels must assist in bringing hard running, jumping wild rainbows to hand. My new Douglas SKY outfit felt right at home.
Sky #4's action is progressive but quick, perhaps the faster end of medium fast. There is enough flex in the tip section to never be perceived as stiff but surely not soft enough to induce any tip bounce form counter-flex oscillation, quick recovering and full of feedback. It smoothly transitions into a mid section that is supportive to the tip and intuitive to load. Finally, the lower taper has lots of reserves of power to enable distance casting more frequently associated with heavier line weight rods. And it is well appointed with Fuji's advanced, angled, Torzite stripping guide and US nickel titanium, single foot Recoils. Its twin reel seat lock rings have an imbedded polymer washer to assure a snug, never jamming fit. Its matt gunmetal finish is echoed in the reel seat hardware which also features a perfect anodization match with the Nexus reel. The reel seat's spacer is complexly burled hardwood. A handsomely finished, cosmetically understated rod with good cork bracketed front and rear with a brace of durable cork composite rings. The craftsmanship is not paint deep, the blank is straight with minimal spline, tracks true with zero bias and the taper transitions are smoothly predictable as well.
I don't know the weight of this rod only that it feels very light and balanced in hand. As is increasingly frequent as reels become skeletonized and lighter, this 4-weight is best balanced with Nexus 5/6 rather than 3/4 which also affords about a 125 yard 20# Dacron backing capacity. I fished two lines successfully on SKY, Cortland's 1/2 heavy long belly, long rear taper, Modern Trout and slightly lighter RIO Gold. This SKY's seamless taper transitions, light weight, accessible power above average for a 4-weight and crisply communicative feel render it a delight to fish. Not merely optimal for the PMD hatches on the Henry's Fork but a valuable compliment to my overall trout kit.
SKY 9'/#4 is priced at $696, a high performance to price value.
I have fished several of their rods and been impressed by all of them from Deep flexing 8'8"/#4 Upstream on a little spring creek to 9'/#9 SKY on Biscayne Bay. This season in Idaho though is the first time I have fished SKY in its 9'/#4 configuration. With so many Western rivers flowing high and off-color from unusually heavy snowpack and a pattern of persistent thunderstorms, the great Henry's Fork, immune from such influences was our home river for almost two weeks. Few large rivers emphasize the prerequisite for precise, delicate and articulate presentation as does the Fork, the worlds largest spring creek. High performance 9'/#'s 4 and 5-weights are standard issue on this river and an informal survey of anglers' trucks and campers in the Rail Road Ranch parking lot is like visiting a huge, sophisticated fly shop. Henry's Fork rods are called upon to generate high line speed, smooth and tight loops at all distances and reels must assist in bringing hard running, jumping wild rainbows to hand. My new Douglas SKY outfit felt right at home.
Sky #4's action is progressive but quick, perhaps the faster end of medium fast. There is enough flex in the tip section to never be perceived as stiff but surely not soft enough to induce any tip bounce form counter-flex oscillation, quick recovering and full of feedback. It smoothly transitions into a mid section that is supportive to the tip and intuitive to load. Finally, the lower taper has lots of reserves of power to enable distance casting more frequently associated with heavier line weight rods. And it is well appointed with Fuji's advanced, angled, Torzite stripping guide and US nickel titanium, single foot Recoils. Its twin reel seat lock rings have an imbedded polymer washer to assure a snug, never jamming fit. Its matt gunmetal finish is echoed in the reel seat hardware which also features a perfect anodization match with the Nexus reel. The reel seat's spacer is complexly burled hardwood. A handsomely finished, cosmetically understated rod with good cork bracketed front and rear with a brace of durable cork composite rings. The craftsmanship is not paint deep, the blank is straight with minimal spline, tracks true with zero bias and the taper transitions are smoothly predictable as well.
I don't know the weight of this rod only that it feels very light and balanced in hand. As is increasingly frequent as reels become skeletonized and lighter, this 4-weight is best balanced with Nexus 5/6 rather than 3/4 which also affords about a 125 yard 20# Dacron backing capacity. I fished two lines successfully on SKY, Cortland's 1/2 heavy long belly, long rear taper, Modern Trout and slightly lighter RIO Gold. This SKY's seamless taper transitions, light weight, accessible power above average for a 4-weight and crisply communicative feel render it a delight to fish. Not merely optimal for the PMD hatches on the Henry's Fork but a valuable compliment to my overall trout kit.
SKY 9'/#4 is priced at $696, a high performance to price value.
