I know that some go all weak in the knees at the thought of grass rods and that is cool, whatever you dream of that if fine with me. The traditionalist long for the good ole' days. My dreams are quite different, I tend to be a technology, cutting edge kind of guy. We had a casting clinic at our local TU Monday night. I was helping a lady and her husband get their double haul down better when another member walks up with a Helios. While I have read about them and even picked them up in the store, I had never cast one. The owner handed me his 7 wt steelhead outfit and asked me if I would like to try it. I was already drooling and looked him in the eye and said, what the XXX took you so long to ask.

First thoughts were how amazingly light the rod was, which I have experienced in the store too. But it was the sheer power of the stick that put an even larger smile on my face. We were not casting on the water but in a park with dandilions and grass that hadn't been cut in a while. I stripped off 50 to 60 feet of line, pulled it back, one false cast and shot the total length with amazing ease. I then stripped off the entire line, with the arbor knot off the reel. Two false casts and shot 90' of line. Bluntly I have never been able to do this with any rod before. The feel of amazing power, accuracy and light feel in the hand and I was a giddy as a school girl on Friday night.

Days later I am still thinking "what an absolute cannon". Now I am know for being a cheap Bastid and while I don't see myself parting with $775 for one stick. There are many people that part with that kind of money on a rod. If I ever found myself in that situation I would have to have one of these. Bluntly I think that I could get rid of all of the rods that I have and get down to 2 or 3 of these instead. Now theres a thought. Can't wait until they change models and sell these off at a discount. I'm a patient person.


Rick