M MAXIMUMCATCH Maxcatch for Traveler 7-Piece Fly Rod IM10 Carbon Travel Rod Fly Fishing(7weight 9ft)

After breaking my $200 Orvis rod for the second time, I decided to order one of these for $79 rather than pay the $70 "handling fee" for the Orvis lifetime warranty service. That way I'd have a rod in two days rather than wait months for Orvis to return my rod.Now, is this rod every bit as good as the Orvis? Well, maybe not *quite*, but it's pretty darn close. When you have a lot of line out on the water the Orvis rod does an amazing job of picking it up for the next cast. But this one is no slouch, and most of the time there's not much to choose between the two. I have no problem making accurate casts with the Maxcatch Traveler, and it makes nice tight loops for cutting through headwinds.So I'd say if you're rich, by all means splurge on a more expensive rod, but for most people this will do the job very well, and with the money you save you can buy a decent set of waders, or a spare spool with a sinking line for when the fish are down deep.Now initially I was a little more lukewarm about this rod; I found that roll casts were a bit of a chore. Then I noticed they'd sent me a #8 instead of a #5. Switching to a heavier line immediately solved most of the issues I had with it. I suppose I should have sent it back, but after using it I decided #8 was better for me. #5 is usually the beginner recommendation for an all-around *trout* rod, but native trout are ancient history in my area; mostly I go after bass.The difference between trout and bass is that trout are picky eaters and bass are greedy. Bass will take any trout fly if they're in the mood, but if you want to improve your odds of catching a good sized bass your best bet is a large fly, and for that you need heavier line. Now fly fishing instructors can cast these with a #5, but ordinary mortals will find a #8 rod much easier to manage. I'd rather cast a lightweight dry fly with a #8 rod than try to cast a heavy streamer on a #5 rod. Of course at these prices, the best choice is to have one of each size.Now a word about service. I did break a section of my Sensing Traveler... this is a normal occurrence with any high modulus rod that combines ultra light weight with power. I've had some absolutely bulletproof rods, but they're much heavier than this and after a long day of fishing you've had a real workout. A rod like this you can cast all day, but eventually you'll have a mishap and break a section. Now given the low price of this rod, you could simply buy another one; but over time this negates the price advantage.It took me a couple of weeks to get a hold of Maxcatch, but once I did they sent me a *free* replacement section promptly. Now I don't really expect free section replacements for life, not at this price, so I have to give them props there. But being without a rod is the whole thing I was trying to avoid in the first place. I'd much rather be able to *buy* replacement sections and have them shipped promptly than to get a free section shipped but not have a rod for a month. So I'll deduct one star from what would have been a five star rating. If they start selling sections separately I'll up it to five stars.

this rod was purchased for backpacking and I expected to have trade offs in exchange for compactness. I'm very pleasantly surprised after using it for two weekends. One large river that demands technical skill and very long dead drifts (Lee's Ferry) and a small creek where it was mostly a pole (Oak Creek) with some very light casting. I use different rods in these two, but wanted to get a feel for this new stick. I use a 5 weight Sage XP on the Ferry (Very fast action) and a little 7'6' 1weight on the creek that's a little softie. It was too much rod for the creek, but functioned well enough I guess. It was a welcome surprise on the Colorado River though. It shot line like a rod many, many time the cost and held it's own on the retrieval as well. The biggest we landed was probably 16 inches so I can't tell you how it handles the pigs, but I'll bet it holds its own.If you're looking for a stick to take back packing, on a bike, or motorcycle, then I can recommend this one without reservation.5 stars compared to all my rods? no. 5 stars for a inexpensive 7 piece rod? absolutely!BTW they DIDN"T give me one to do an honest review. I just wanted one and there wasn't many reviews.

I love backpacking and fly fishing. In the past, I had taken my 4 piece rod but was tired of looking like the "Green Army Man Radio Guy", with the tube poking up like the antenna. So I searched and came across this 7 piece unit that seemed to fit the bill. I wanted a good rod, light weight and small pack size. I just received the 9 foot 5 weight rod and took it into the back yard for some casting. The quality is good and the rod was firm with a good feel and cast very well. The cost was reasonable at $80.00 and the rod's quality and action is similar to much more expensive rigs- and I could not find anything else that compared in terms of size and weight. Case, rod and bag weigh in at 15.1 ounces, rod and bag alone at 4.3 ounces and the rod only at 3.0 ounces. Overall the length of the pieces are about 15.5 inches long and the case is about about 18.5. Compact enough to fit into the pack or side pouch with out sticking out. Can't wait to try it out- will revise this review if needed.

First: the aesthetics of the rod are really good in this price category. Fit and finish are excellent. The blank has a high gloss finish with green undertones, as indicated in the pix. Alignment dots facilitate assembly of the 7 sections. The cork grip has some filling, but that is to be expected in this price class and has no effect on performance. The rod really does have an attractive hardwood insert reel seat.I was not able to weigh the rod or find specs for the weight, but it is VERY light, which could occasion some balance issues with cast-metal 5/6 reels. Assembly is in China. The rod blanks are made from graphite fabric from Korean giant SK Fiber, better known for golf club shafts. The "IM10" marketing label has no meaning in this context except to suggest that the material is fairly high modulus, enough so that you will want to handle the rod with due respect. A lunker fish is not going to do it any damage, but you very well might by dropping it on a hard surface or otherwise mishandling it. Carry it in the nice Cordura tube.The action is more "medium-fast" than "fast", but the rod has backbone. This is more than just a special-purpose travel rod. It used to be the case that multiple (4-7) sections involved a trade-off between portability and action. With modern ferrule designs that is much less the case now, and although I have been limited to lawn casting so far, the action seems fine.