Maxcatch 3-12wt Medium-Fast Action Premier Fly Fishing Rod-IM8 Carbon Blank for High Performance,with AA Cork Grip Hard Chromed Guides

You see all of these reviews and they all start to sound the same, so I'll tell you where I'm coming from, my thoughts on the rod, and give my verdict.I love fishing. There's nothing I'd rather do on the whole world. Nothing. You know what I mean... Lol! I've been fishing for decades, but have only been fly fishing for 3 years or so. I have several spinning rods in the $100-$200 range, and they are amazing. Unfortunately a $200 fly rod isn't the same as a $200 spinning rod. You can easily spend $3000 on a high end fly rod!Well, I don't want to. I don't think it's necessary. But I've been fishing long enough that I can feel a great rod when I handle one. That's good, because I've seen lots of very expensive rods that were trash, and a few hidden gems that punched WAY above their weight. The Maxcatch Premiere line is one of those hidden gems. I picked this 3WT up just to check out, and after I effortlessly my fly 55' and landed it precisely where I wanted it. Over and over again. I mean it is so accurate that it's almost boring lol! And it's a $55 rod!The blank is very sensitive, very light, very well finished and attractive, and the cork and dark chromed accents are beautiful. I'm surprised at how nice the cork is at this price point!So I fish. A lot. I used to sell fishing equipment for a living, and I've handle a lot of gear. Is this Maxcatch a Loop or high end Sage? No. But it's also not $400-$900. However, I'd put this up against ANY Reddington, Fenwick, or lower end Sage any day and put money on the Maxcatch.Get this rod. You'll be glad you did. You'll catch a ton of fish if you do your part, because this is a magnificent tool at an amazing price!EDIT: I caught that monster 'Bow on the 4wt. Great fight! The rod was bent in half for 5 minutes, and held up great. And I felt every run, head shake, and dive. Great rods!

For a 1st rod, I'd say no but for a second or 3rd rod then yes. It's very light in the hand and feels good casting. It's got it's made in china quirks about it, like the alignment dots that don't quite line up but I can overlook that since it feels so nice. I mainly use a Sage 9ft 5 weight fly rod for trout fishing and some occasional creek smallmouth bass fishing but wanted to try something far less expensive just to have in the truck. I got this in the 4 weight and it's noticeable when throwing heavier flies that it doesn't have enough umph to get them out there like the 5 weight can. Where it does shine though is when you fish light nymphs especially under an indicator for trout. Overall I'm happy with it and after adding an inexpensive reel and line (about $80 total-rod/reel/line) to it, it's the perfect budget fly rod once you've figured out what you're doing.

I purchased one of these as a backup for my mainstay Orvis. Fly rods break and there’s nothing worse than having a tip snap off the first day of a fishing trip. I’m by no means an expert fly caster, but I’ve spent some time with the Max Catch Premier and discovered a few pros and cons. On the Pro side, I can cast just as far and as accurately with this rod as a more expensive rig, after making some adjustments. It’s very lightweight and the rod seems well made. On the Con side, it’s noisy. I tried a couple of different lines and noticed that the rod just seems to create and transmit more noise from the guides than other rods I’ve used. There’s a more vibration and less damping - I’d characterize this rod as a little bit “nervous.” Also, the reel seat is pretty flimsy; the rings turn with the rough squeak and uneven friction of cast metal and the hood is a very thin piece. I put a little marine lubricant on the threads and it feels much better. But this is minor nitpicking; if you don’t catch just as many fish with MC Premier, it’s your fault, not the rod’s.

It took a week, but I finally got to get to the water and try out this rod. I purchased the #5 Premier 9ft Rod. Its a 4 piece rod that comes in a divided hard (cordura) tube with dividers for each of the 4 sections. It has a handle and zippered top with foam insert to protect the rod. Great for travel or just keeping handy in the car, it kept my rod safe for a few days while I traveled around in my old Yukon full of camping gear, clothes, necessary refreshments, etc. I loved the performance of this rod. I matched it with a Maxcatch 5-6 Eco reel and some flourescent green weight forward line. It was SMOOTH casting. I felt like I had as good as or better control than any of 5 other fly rods I own. The cork handle has a velvet touch to it and seems to be made of the highest quality material. The reel seat fit securely and has a set of double threaded rings that are easy to tighten and lock into place. It demonstrated a great combination of strength, flexibility and sensitivity. This is a 9 foot rod, but breaks down into 4 pieces that all fit into a 30 inch tube that can easily be transported or carried in a larger suitcase. Each piece is marked with a small white dot to insure that it is all lined up properly. I have included a picture that shows the dots near the end of each section. The finish of the rod looks flawless, each section fit perfectly to the next, with a smooth and consistent finish where each guide is attached. The guides allowed the line to flow freely and smoothly as well as any rod I've tried. I'm very happy with my Maxcatch Premier Fly Rod and would purchase it again.