North 40 Fly Shop eMagazine December 2016 | Page 51
Clutch React 250+
This is a streamer rod. A specialty streamer rod.
A specialty one piece streamer rod. It’s made for
streamer fishing.
The React 250+ feels light when you move it. The
taper is fast and it features an ultra-quick recovery.
These attributes correlate to both efficiency and
accuracy when pumping out casts. Just what you
would expect from a compact 8’ 1” one piece rod.
One issue when working big streamers with
conventional 9’ rods is tip flex. Tip flex defeats
fly action. To really activate and have control of
streamer flies, especially large ones, you’ll need a
rod that does not fold up against the jerk strip. It
needs to be fast and powerful. That is exactly what
you’ll find with the Clutch React 250+. When you
move your rod tip, you will move your streamer.
Jerk it, and you can move it a lot.
The connection you feel when working your fly
transitions to another level of connection when
a fish eats. It’s powerful, solid and unyielding. In
other words, you will know it when it happens. It
feels like a baseball bat against a tree. We’ll not
exactly, but you get the idea. The feeling of an
aggressive eat is electrifying when transmitted
down a compact one piece carbon stick.
Fighting fish with the React 250+ feels quite
different than with a longer more flexible rod. On a
tight line, you will feel every motion the fish makes
and it feels great. If you go soft or the fish charges,
there is little flex to take up the slack. You will lose
touch until you get locked tight again. Once locked,
it’s game on. If you want or need to lift a fish from
cover, this rod will get it done.
The React 250+ is not ideal for steeple casts or
carrying line above bushes. If you are wading,
you will need to give yourself some space. Wading
an open flat with back casting room works well.
Working up a steep structured shoreline is not
recommended.
This stick is ideal for pounding the banks and
shooting line to targeted structures from a boat.
Lift, load, shoot, strip, lift, load, shoot, strip. The 26’
head of an Airflo Streamer Max 280 grain flies like a
bullet. If you want a floater, lines like the SA Titan
Taper or Rio Pike Musky line work great.
When compared to a typical 9’ 8wt rod, the React
is a compressed powerhouse. It’s ideal for active
casters who want to cover water efficiently and
effectively. While it is not a rod for everyone, it
definitely has a niche if you want the perfect tool
for the job. I look at fly rods like golf clubs. I like
multiple options for different shots. The React
250+ is really fun to fish and it makes for a great
shot when you’re firing streamers.
GET YOURS NOW
Echo TR2 Trout Spey
The Echo TR series has been updated for 2017.
It includes a couple new two handers that trout
fishers are going to love. Both the 11’ 3 wt and the
11’3” 4wt are great options for trout. Tim Rajeff says
that the TR2 offers plenty of power in the bottom
half to generate increased line speed and facilitate
a compact stroke.
I recently got a chance to play with the TR2-4113. I
set it up with an Airflo 270 grain Scandi Compact,
a 10’ Airflo Poly Leader and about 3’ of OX FC
tippet. To that, I tied a Montana Intruder. On my
first cast, while I was getting a feel for the rod, I
was interrupted by a solid Brown trout. The rod
handled the fish perfectly. Plenty of bend, but also
enough power to land the fish properly. After a few
casts, to get the feel of the rod and a few more fish
to enjoy its fish fighting ability, I can say without a
doubt that the TR2 Trout Spey is spot on for two
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