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EC Featherlight = Big Smiles

1K views 14 replies 7 participants last post by  LCnSac 
#1 ·
My $28 Eagle Claw Featherlite 8' 5 wt., custom built by seasoned craftsmen with care and precision, came in today, and I'm giggling like a kid. It is SO much fun just to lawn cast. I could of course go through the fittings item by item and be critical of quality; of course it's low end--it's $28. The cork--however---is LIGHTYEARS better than on most TFOs and certainly the Stowaway I just received. I think it looks cool too. It's pretty yellow…

I can't make a bad cast. That's……pretty new to me :). It's a lazy motion but it lays out as much line as I can do in my front yard, which isn't much given the trees, maybe 40 feet, but it's kind of accurate and oh so smooth. I have a Galvan T5 on it which is too light. It won't look right, but an Allen Trout would probably be good. They are really heavy. Maybe even my Dad's old Ocean City. The spooled line is a WF6F Rio Grand so in theory it's over lined, but it seems to work quite well.

All I can say without fishing it yet is if $28 buys this, what will $200, $250, or $330 buy? I cannot imagine not loving fishing glass. And hey, thanks a lot. You guys are about to cost me a lot of money :confused:
 
#4 ·
I haven't, but I'm taking it with me this weekend. I ended up getting three more glass rods, and have used them all. It's safe to say I've become a glass homer.

One thing I've found from initial use, is that the action and fishability of glass varies more than in graphite, in my opinion. An $85 Redington CT 3 wt is a wonderful rod, and I'd guess fishes pretty close to a $300+ rod. I have two budget glass rods, one mid priced, and one better rod, a Steffen Bros. 5/6. The Steffen Bros. rod is light years better than any of the others. I have one rod thats an import, and I'd be hard pressed to buy another offshore fiberglass rod, excepting from certain rollers known to produce exceptional quality, and that's a $200 rod.

The Eagle Claw is of course offshore made, but let's see how it does over the weekend, and I'll report. It really does cast bass bugs well on the lawn. That's all I know for now.
 
#8 ·
There are 3 available, and they come in 6'6", 7', and 8'. I've read the 7' is the best; I have the 8' rod. Prices bounce around. I've seen them from $20-$35. I've never seen them in stores, just online. They are all marked 5/6, regardless of what you might see online. My 8' likes a 7 wt. line, so it's likely it's going to end up as a bass rod, primarily.

For either side of $25, it's not much of a risk. I got mine to see if I even wanted to get into glass, and even though I haven't fished it yet, the casting sold me on getting more and better glass. If you like fast graphite and find the Eagle Claw just too slow for your casting style, the general feel is the same as with any glass rod, so you're out $25, not several hundred. Fortunately, I've found glass to match my style perfectly and I have no plans to add to my graphite collection. I have about 23 rods now, and the Steffen Bros. 5/6 has quickly become my favorite of all. I plan on selling some graphite rods I thought I'd never sell, and replacing them with good glass rods. A "good" glass rod costs around $400, or about half the price of an equivalent quality graphite rod.
 
#14 · (Edited)
Sorry, no fishing report on the EC as promised. Two days, three guys, nine hours on the water, two hooked, one landed. Tough weekend. I did land a 19" stud with my Echo 4 wt. fiberglass rod though!

What I can say is the EC casted well, and wasn't tiring. It's a bit heavy, but I have a heavier reel so it's balanced out nicely. I was carrying 3 rods, and had this one rigged with a Type IV. I was throwing a two fly setup with the first fly often a titanium Rufus streamer, and it was able to cast both flies good distances fine. Feels good in the hand. My two friends with me played with it and really liked it. Now to actually get a fish on it.
 
#15 ·
As of yesterday I have given the Eagle Claw 8' Featherweight a great fishing workout. If interested in details, you can read Epic Day with High Sierra Trout post in the trip reports.

In brief, I will take most anything I've said good about this rod. It is truly junk, and is not worth $25 in my estimation--better to spend a little more and get a used Fenwick. Huge disappointment, as I kind of like the looks of it ;-)
 
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