On impulse yesterday I invested $37.99 and bought a 7' 4wt. Not that I need one, since I have a perfectly functional 7'6" 4wt Loomis already, as well as a couple 3wts. But for $38, what the heck. I need a small stream loaner rod anyway.

Strung it up with a DT4F 444Lazer ($24.99 in the bargain bin) on a Bass Pro Hobbs Creek. Total cost of outfit, about a hundred bucks.

Fished it on the Gunnison today, caddis and hoppers. It is a faster rod than the Loomis, or maybe it is just enough shorter to feel that way. Throws caddis without effort, a #8 foam hopper with just a little oomph and some English to lay it under the cutbanks.

Well, it worked. Had a fair to middlin day, plenty of fish to hand, most of them on the hopper and most of them in the 16-18 inch range, with one that went 22". No problem fighting them, and no complaints at all about the rod in any way. It even handled some wind later in the day, and I only draped line over myself three or four times *S*.

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