Fly fishing wasn’t always as rock ‘n roll as it is now. There was a time when it was an easier, quieter sport, a place for positive reflection, a peaceful pursuit of tranquility.  They both have their place in our little world of fun–you can still bang out eight inch streamers for browns with a stiff rod and an aggressively tapered line, all while listening to Anthrax.  But sometimes it’s just as fun to slow down, relax, and maybe sip some scotch while waiting for your rod to load and swinging an easy riffle.

Anglers all over have been asking us to bring back those slower, smoother tokens of the past, the Echo Fiberglass Spey rods.  Tim took his time with the designs on the new versions, appropriately, and gave us a rod that effectively couples the benefits of glass with modern casting techniques and lines.  And while the rods are a little more Tom Waits than Louis Armstrong now, they are 100% fun.

Tim used S2 glass and increased blank diameters with thinner walls to improve rod recovery and lower the blank weight.  This provides increased performance without sacrificing the “fun” of glass, and allows anglers to more effectively fish short spey heads.  By using rod lengths on the shorter end of the two-hand rod spectrum, the new Echo Fiberglass Spey rods feel crisper and generate more line speed without sacrificing the “why is my handle flexing?” feel of traditional glass spey rods.  Additionally, S2 glass fibers have increased elongation compared to graphite, which allows the angler to maintain maximum pressure on fish without worrying about pulling the hooks or snapping tippet.