Fly Fishing Rod with Carrying Case, Fast Action, The Rambler

The craftsmanship on this rod is absolutely top-notch. From the moment you take it out of the case, you can tell it’s made with care and attention to detail. As someone who really appreciates quality gear, I was impressed right away. Out on the water, this rod performs just as well as it looks. The casting is smooth and accurate, with a great feel and balance in hand. It loads well and delivers a clean presentation without much effort. I’ve used it primarily on the North Platte River in Wyoming and had excellent success with it—plenty of control even in variable conditions, and the backbone to handle feisty trout. The weight feels just right for all-day use, and I had no issues with fatigue or strain after long sessions. It’s clear Moonshine Rod Co. knows what they're doing. Whether you’re a seasoned angler or just looking for a rod that will help you grow in the sport, this is a rock-solid choice and a great value. The weight and size of the rod are perfect for larger rivers. It's not the best choice for fishing small rivers and creeks but for decent sized fish this is a great option. Highly recommend—beautiful rod, reliable performance, and a great company behind it.

I love my Moonshine rods. I have a 5 wt and a 7 wt from the Drifter series. Moonshine rods are high quality in look, feel and function. All of their rods come with a spare tip. You break the tip section simply replace it with the spare. You're good to go and your trip is not ruined

Amazing rod so far. Took it out for the first time and landed two small trout. I love this rod. The quality and craftsmanship is phenomenal and the bundle for the price is great. I have it paired with an orvis Clearwater III with some 5wt Rio line. Cast great!

Was a little hesitant to purchase after reading a handful of bad reviews from a web search. Then I realized the vast majority of the reviews were great and the few bad reviews were really probably people slinging $1000+ rods. Hey whatever you gotta say to yourself to justify your vanity purchase with your wife. Most of us live in the real world and that means $200-$300 rods. I also figured that most any rod in the $200-$300 price range was going to be made in China even the ones from the more well known rod manufacturers. I got the Drifter 2 in the 5wt/9ft. First of all, the rod looks great from a purely cosmetic standpoint. I have fished it twice and felt like it was on par with my other rod in a similar price range from a large fly fishing retailer. For the price, you get a nice looking rod, a nice case, an extra tip section and if you break it you pay $40 for a replacement section versus $60 replacement fee from another manufacturer. I could not find a rod company that offered a “no cost” warranty. If I wind up breaking it after a couple of season then I am only out $200. So, buy the rod and give it a run. The extra money you save invest in a higher quality fly line.

Fast shipping made it possible to take on my latest trip. I was pleased with the build quality. Rod was easy to load and very accurate for short distances. Happy overall

I bought my first fly rod setup in 1994, so I have been at this a while. I was looking for a nice backup rod and reel without breaking the bank. I purchased the Moonshine Drifter 5wt rod and I paired it with the Kingfisher Big Blackfoot Reel with a loaded it with RIO Perception WF5F fly line I found on sale. The rod was packaged in nice rod case and came with a spare rod tip. The rod is light weight and seems to be well made. I love the look of this rod with the copper accents and the wood reel seat. I spent a week on the river fishing with this rod and it worked perfectly. This rod is on par with some of my more expensive rods. I am planning on purchasing another Moonshine rod in a 9wt. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to have fun and catch fish, but a good rod and reel along with a good fly line makes it more enjoyable. If you are looking for a nice rod either as a beginner or an avid fisherman, this rod deserves chance.

I found Moonshine Rods while researching for blanks to build a flyrod to replace one that got donated to the fish gods. I spent 3 days researching Moonshine after finding them here on Amazon. I've enjoyed fast action flyrods for years, but as I get older I find I like a little slower, less demanding action. The Drifter seemed like "the one" to me. I ordered a 9' 5weight. 2 days later, I was opening a box to reveal something I didnt expect. A VERY NICE looking rod appeared as the packaging went away. Initially, you are attracted to the burl wood insert on the reel seat, then the cork handle, and then your eyes start wandering over the guides thread windings. Beautifully executed, no gaps, no lumps and well done top coat finish. After receiving my new reel and line, I strung up this gem and headed to the yard to see how this baby casts. Few false casts to feel out the action and let her rip. That's when I noticed something you don't see even on high dollar factory rods unless its a custom build on a mass produced blank. Most rods don't have enough line guides. This causes the line to sag between the guides, slowing down line speed and making casting long distance difficult. This rod has more line guides than most 9' rods, and if you load the action up statically, you'll find the line follows the blank perfectly! The Drifter casts effortlessly for me to 50-60 feet. and further with a bit more effort. Well done Moonshine Rod Co, for actually building a flyrod correctly!!! The extra tip section is a nice bonus as well. I'm looking forward to actually fishing this rod. At 200 bucks, I wouldnt call this a "budget" rod, but I would call it a very high value/per dollar spent rod. You can spend more, you could spend less, but this rod hits right in the feels for the best bang/$$ IMO. BTW, customer service is unbelievable. I emailed a question at 6:30 PM mountain time, I got a response and hour later. How many business answer emails after hours? These folks are awesome

First off, I don't leave reviews almost ever, so that should tell you something right off the bat. I started my fly fishing journey about a year ago with the KastKing Emergence combo. It's a ~$130ish rod 'n reel set up that gets you in the water as quick as possible. For someone who had never fly fished before, it was a fantastic combo to get you going. As I started to fly fish more often (around 3-4 times a week) I decided it may be time to invest a bit more into my hobby. I did my research, watched my YouTubes, and found my way to this guy here. One of my gripes with the Emergence was that I felt as though I couldn't ever cast out as far as I needed to. I'm primarily a stillwater fisher; you won't catch me on streams and such often (no trout where I live). I decided to stick with a 5wt, but went up to a 10 foot rod. My first cast with this rod took about a fourth of the amount of false casting I normally would've done to get the amount of line out that I needed. After two days, I've already landed a personal best largemouth. This thing is the truth! If my old rod was a rifle, this thing is a howitzer. It's unbelievable how far I can cast out with this rod. Pros: - Beautiful rod, very classy - Well constructed, appears durable (time will tell) - Medium action, allows for more tactile feel while in the water and also more bend in the rod for longer casting. - Effortless casting. A beginner was able to operate this rod like a seasoned pro within 15 minutes. - Comes with extra tip section. Cons: - No guide dots on the sections. This is a minor gripe and can be DIY remedied if you wish. - The cork feels wonderful, but I noticed very small pieces of it flaking off once my hand got a little wet. I'm unsure if it'll last through the rigors of kayaking, but again, time will tell.