Some of you out there probably swear by single piece rods but those of you who fly fish have probably used 4 piece rods for years without issues, as they have become almost standard. And the improvements made to ferrules over the past decade give multi- piece rods the performance of single piece rods.
A few weeks ago I was at the RISSA show in Rhode Island and came across a new offering from Temple Fork Outfitters. Having used TFO’s fly rods for years I was already intrigued by their line of spinning and conventional rods that they developed with the legendary rod builder Gary Loomis. But now they had expanded their selection to include 3 piece travel rods. These rods carry a similar lifetime warranty as their fly rods which puts my mind at ease when you stuff an expensive rod into a kayak. Another unique feature of these rods is the color coded butt section which helps you quickly identify the weight of the rod.
My initial impressions of the rod were good so I picked up a 7’ MH spinning rod (TFG TRS 705-3) to try out. I matched the rod with a Quantum Catalyst PTs inshore reel and 15lb test braided line. The next week I found myself on a plane traveling to Florida where I met up with Dee at Reel Kayak Fishing and put the rod to the test. I hooked up on Redfish and Trout and rod performed flawlessly. It is a fast action rod that allowed me to make long accurate casts with ease and had plenty of backbone to handle any fish we caught without feeling like a broom stick. I’m looking forward to chasing some Stripers and Pike with it as soon as the water warms up back home. I would recommend this rod for any traveling anglers out there as well as any other anglers who use multi-piece rods.
| Construction/Quality | 9 | Very nice finish and high quality components. |
| Sensitivity | 9 | You can feel the smallest fish hit your bait. |
| Power | 9 | Lots of backbone to control fish. |
| Design | 9 | These are good looking rods. |
| Ergonomics | 9 | These have a short 9” butt section that makes them nice to fish from the kayak. |
| Price | 7.5 | List Price 149.95 not cheap but a lot less than anything else with Gary Loomis’ name on it. |
| Condition you got it in | New |
| How many times have you used it? | 1-2 trips |
| Rate it! 1-10 |
9 |
About the Author: Gregg Crisp has been an avid fisherman all of his life. In 2008 he discovered kayak fishing and has never looked back. As an environmental contractor he has traveled and lived all over the United States, having fished in over 20 states. He currently resides in New Hampshire with his wife and two sons. Gregg is also the author of YakFish.net.
