Posted on June 26 2010
When I started fly fishing my first fly rod was a seven foot Eagle Claw Featherlight coupled with a simple Martin fly reel and a level line. I would have never expected that bright yellow stick to become so ingrained into my fly fishing DNA but nearly twenty years later I am as geeked about getting my hands on the new generation of Featherlights' as I have with fly rods costing ten times as much.
I've always liked the Featherlight line up and at first impression it seems Eagle Claw has taken a historically good idea and made them even better. Granted, there is a little graphite in them now but they actually cast pretty well. The slightly faster action should help shed the bad rap of being a "floopy" and a poor casting rod.
I am really surprised at the hardware and cherry wood insert that is used. It's pretty nice for a $30 fly rod. Granted the epoxy work on the wraps is a bit rough but you really can't expect perfection in a fly rod at this price point.
I am very glad to see the gold mylar wraps were kept and Eagle Claw didn't try to over modernize the series. The two tone cork grips, wood insert, and hardware are enough "new school" and the black tipped guide wraps and mylar keep it strikingly "old school".
I commend Eagle Claw for not cutting costs and wrapping the Featherlight series in single foot guides. I've always thought that they make fly rods look like spinning rods. These are fly rods through and through.
One thing that I'll pass along from casting all three of these rods is that the rods seem to like the top end of the line weight designation for each rod. The 3/4 weight 6'6" likes a four weight and even a five weight fly line, the 5/6 weight 7' casts with authority with a 6WF line, and the 5/6 eight foot Featherlight feels more like a 6/7 weight. I've been using a 7WF Bass Taper line on it and it casts bass flies like a cannon.
Though my review on the Eagle Claw Featherlight series is just beginning I'll mention a few final points about these rods. In my mind the Featherlight series of fly rods are all about fun. They are unapologeticly bright yellow and come off a little gaudy. I like that. They aren't expensive. The ruler down the blank is pretty cool. You'll enjoy this fly rod and won't worry about your kid trashing the water with it either. These rods beg to go fishing or at the very least tossed in the back of the car always ready for an impromptu fly fishing trip.
I've always liked the Featherlight line up and at first impression it seems Eagle Claw has taken a historically good idea and made them even better. Granted, there is a little graphite in them now but they actually cast pretty well. The slightly faster action should help shed the bad rap of being a "floopy" and a poor casting rod.
I am really surprised at the hardware and cherry wood insert that is used. It's pretty nice for a $30 fly rod. Granted the epoxy work on the wraps is a bit rough but you really can't expect perfection in a fly rod at this price point.
I am very glad to see the gold mylar wraps were kept and Eagle Claw didn't try to over modernize the series. The two tone cork grips, wood insert, and hardware are enough "new school" and the black tipped guide wraps and mylar keep it strikingly "old school".
I commend Eagle Claw for not cutting costs and wrapping the Featherlight series in single foot guides. I've always thought that they make fly rods look like spinning rods. These are fly rods through and through.
One thing that I'll pass along from casting all three of these rods is that the rods seem to like the top end of the line weight designation for each rod. The 3/4 weight 6'6" likes a four weight and even a five weight fly line, the 5/6 weight 7' casts with authority with a 6WF line, and the 5/6 eight foot Featherlight feels more like a 6/7 weight. I've been using a 7WF Bass Taper line on it and it casts bass flies like a cannon.
Though my review on the Eagle Claw Featherlight series is just beginning I'll mention a few final points about these rods. In my mind the Featherlight series of fly rods are all about fun. They are unapologeticly bright yellow and come off a little gaudy. I like that. They aren't expensive. The ruler down the blank is pretty cool. You'll enjoy this fly rod and won't worry about your kid trashing the water with it either. These rods beg to go fishing or at the very least tossed in the back of the car always ready for an impromptu fly fishing trip.
