I’ve always wanted to catch largemouth bass on a fly rod. Casting the gaudy “bass bugs” into shallow, still waters and having largemouth bass erupt on them seemed like an incredibly fun way to fish. As a fly-fisherman, however, I fall somewhere in-between absolute novice and proficient caster, so while the clam-pack beginner sets are somewhat below me, the ultra high-end rods are well above me, and frankly unnecessary for chucking big bugs at bass and pickerel. Then, one day while flipping through the Orvis catalog, I saw one of their new offerings, the Clearwater. The rod retails for $225, but carries the Orvis name and reputation for performance. I was not disappointed with the rod. The 9-foot, 6-inch, 6-weight model handles like a fly rod well above its price point, and has allowed me to been easily cast gawky deer-hair bugs into the lairs of largemouths and pickerel. Watching a “v-wake” track my fly and then demolish it has been some of the most fun freshwater fishing I’ve ever experienced. Bass and pickerel both make a good account of themselves on the long, limber rod, which is also suited to cast to smallmouths, trout and even small bluefish and stripers. The Clearwater 9-foot, 6-inch, 6-weight fly rod is the perfect choice for anyone looking to add a fun new dimension to their freshwater fishing.
$225
www.orvis.com