alansb1982
Active member
Full blog post with pictures.
Mischief. Hooliganism. Rabble rousery. These are words that come to mind when I think about fishing with an ultralight glass rod. It’s been about a month since I received the Maxcatch 7 foot 3wt glass rod, all the way from China for about $60 shipped. It came in a standard cordura tube, and a fairly cheap rod sock. The website indicates it’s called the “Ultraglass,” but in almost all of its online listings, it’s generically referred to as the Maxcatch Fiberglass rod. The rod comes in three iterations in addition to the three weight; an 8′ five weight and an 8’6″ six weight.
First impressions are good with this rod. It looks the part. In the translucent orange color, it’s a spiffy looking rod. The chrome stripping and snake guides, along with the burlwood reel seat insert, compliment it well. It’s also lighter than I expected, weighing almost exactly the same as my Cabela’s graphite 3wt rod. Paired with a Cabela’s Prestige Plus I reel and 3wt line, it’s a lightweight package that fits in my two-door car without having to disassemble it. Which means it’s ready to cause trouble at a moment’s notice.
There’s a bit of a learning curve with glass; you gotta SLLLOWWWW DOWWWWWWN. This isn’t your graphite rod that’s ready to forward cast a fraction of a second after your back cast. Take a breath, ease up a bit; line speed isn’t the name of the game here. Also, you can’t go too heavy on the double-haul with this rod unless you’re a glutton for tailing loop punishment. A short, smooth tug is all you need to get the line moving a bit faster.
What I really like about this rod is its versatility. When I did my homework on this kind of a setup, I found a lot of sources that were billing 3wts strictly as small stream, dry fly specialist rods best used to chase brook trout. But these rods are capable of so much more. Here in FL, I’ve fished everything freshwater with this rod. Hard fighting peacock bass and cichlids are a load of fun on it; same goes for bream and bass. I have no problem casting size 8-12 beadhead streamers, poppers, dry flies, and terrestrials.
This rod is also my first foray into fishing with fiberglass, and for that, it’s an incredible deal. I could write about how good fiberglass is at keeping the stress off of lightweight tippet, increasing the chances of landing your fish. Or about the excitement of seeing a rod bend down to the cork grip, knowing it’s got a lot more to go. But the truth is, you’ve just got to experience it. And if it turns out not to be your bag, you could probably sell it on your local Craigslist and be out no more than $20.
But it is my bag, and I’ve since over-lined the rod with a 4wt double taper fly line . The rod has been able to handle this without a hitch, and casting distance has increased considerably. But where it really shines is in the streets and canals of the city. Tight spaces and short, quick casts. It doesn’t throw haymakers; it’s a quick jab artist. I’m definitely hooked on lightweight glass, and if you want to see a Calvinesque grin on my face, show me a big fish and dare me to catch one on this rod.
Mischief. Hooliganism. Rabble rousery. These are words that come to mind when I think about fishing with an ultralight glass rod. It’s been about a month since I received the Maxcatch 7 foot 3wt glass rod, all the way from China for about $60 shipped. It came in a standard cordura tube, and a fairly cheap rod sock. The website indicates it’s called the “Ultraglass,” but in almost all of its online listings, it’s generically referred to as the Maxcatch Fiberglass rod. The rod comes in three iterations in addition to the three weight; an 8′ five weight and an 8’6″ six weight.
First impressions are good with this rod. It looks the part. In the translucent orange color, it’s a spiffy looking rod. The chrome stripping and snake guides, along with the burlwood reel seat insert, compliment it well. It’s also lighter than I expected, weighing almost exactly the same as my Cabela’s graphite 3wt rod. Paired with a Cabela’s Prestige Plus I reel and 3wt line, it’s a lightweight package that fits in my two-door car without having to disassemble it. Which means it’s ready to cause trouble at a moment’s notice.
There’s a bit of a learning curve with glass; you gotta SLLLOWWWW DOWWWWWWN. This isn’t your graphite rod that’s ready to forward cast a fraction of a second after your back cast. Take a breath, ease up a bit; line speed isn’t the name of the game here. Also, you can’t go too heavy on the double-haul with this rod unless you’re a glutton for tailing loop punishment. A short, smooth tug is all you need to get the line moving a bit faster.
What I really like about this rod is its versatility. When I did my homework on this kind of a setup, I found a lot of sources that were billing 3wts strictly as small stream, dry fly specialist rods best used to chase brook trout. But these rods are capable of so much more. Here in FL, I’ve fished everything freshwater with this rod. Hard fighting peacock bass and cichlids are a load of fun on it; same goes for bream and bass. I have no problem casting size 8-12 beadhead streamers, poppers, dry flies, and terrestrials.
This rod is also my first foray into fishing with fiberglass, and for that, it’s an incredible deal. I could write about how good fiberglass is at keeping the stress off of lightweight tippet, increasing the chances of landing your fish. Or about the excitement of seeing a rod bend down to the cork grip, knowing it’s got a lot more to go. But the truth is, you’ve just got to experience it. And if it turns out not to be your bag, you could probably sell it on your local Craigslist and be out no more than $20.
But it is my bag, and I’ve since over-lined the rod with a 4wt double taper fly line . The rod has been able to handle this without a hitch, and casting distance has increased considerably. But where it really shines is in the streets and canals of the city. Tight spaces and short, quick casts. It doesn’t throw haymakers; it’s a quick jab artist. I’m definitely hooked on lightweight glass, and if you want to see a Calvinesque grin on my face, show me a big fish and dare me to catch one on this rod.
