Colorado Fish Report
Eagle Claw Featherlight (Product Review)
by Born to Fish Media
11-20-2013
Website
by Mitch Bradshaw
If you're a visual learner, I posted a video review here:
I wanted to take a minute out of my day and put together a review for a product that I purchased this summer and have been very pleased with - that product is an Eagle Claw Featherlight rod. I purchased this rod early in the summer as a birthday present for my Girlfriend and, between the two of us, we've put this rod through a lot use and abuse this year! This rod is always with us now: I leave it in the back of my Jeep; we take it with us when we camp, and we bring it along on all of our hikes near water.
I'm an avid fisherman and have used a lot of different rods on the market today. I have used a handful of different "inexpensive" rods and they always wind up breaking at one point or another. Whether its the rod tip, a guide, or the reel seat. My opinion when it comes to fishing gear is "you get what you pay for". Due to that opinion, almost all the rods in my collection are over $75 apiece now. This Eagle Claw rod definitely trumps that saying though. You get way more performance, durability, and quality than you should for the $20-$30 price point.
These rods are classic and iconic. The Featherlight series has been around for many generations, in fact I recall my grandpa fishing for panfish with an Eagle Claw Featherlight when I was a small child. These rods are all about fun! They are bright yellow in color and they come off a bit gaudy but I like that. They aren't expensive and won't break the bank, they can typically be bought for between $20-$30. These rods can take a lot of abuse as well, they have a fiberglass blank which gives you great durability, forgiveness, and feel. The features on this rod are awesome for the money too: nice reel seat, gold mylar wraps, nice guide wrapping, split grip, two-tone cork, ruler on the blank - to name a few.
The Featherlight rods come in 10 different lengths and styles: 1 casting rod, 6 spinning models, and even 3 different fly rods. The 6 foot spinning model, that I have, comes with a split grip handle which cuts down on weight, improves sensitivity, and helps with greater casting distance and efficiency. These rods come with a very nice looking two-tone cork handle which feels and fits good in your hand and can hold up to the abuse of frequent use. These rods have nice aluminum oxide guides and the wrapping around them is great. The gold Mylar wraps on this rod add a bit of flash and class while the black tipped guide wraps still maintain the "classic" feel of this rod series. There is even an 18-inch ruler down the rod blank for a convenient and quick fish measure and release!
I will be purchasing and trying out one of the fly rods of this series in the near future but in the meantime I'm having a blast with this spinning rod. This is a great light action rod, that's perfect for targeting sunfish, crappies, perch, or trout! I'm completely convinced that for the price, you will not find a better rod! The only negative that I have for this rod, is the same negative I have for all 2-piece rods, is that the pieces slip apart on occasion. This happens to me with all 2-piece rods and it's now second nature for me to make sure the two pieces are tightly together every 10th cast or so. The benefits of being able to break this rod down so I can put it in a trunk, a backpack, or any other small space definitely outweighs the small negative of them occasionally coming undone while casting, not to mention it's easily preventable.
Thanks for reading, I hope this review was helpful and informative for those who are in the market for a new, affordable, but durable light action rod. If you have any questions or comments feel free to email me at MWBradshaw2@gmail.com
I wanted to take a minute out of my day and put together a review for a product that I purchased this summer and have been very pleased with - that product is an Eagle Claw Featherlight rod. I purchased this rod early in the summer as a birthday present for my Girlfriend and, between the two of us, we've put this rod through a lot use and abuse this year! This rod is always with us now: I leave it in the back of my Jeep; we take it with us when we camp, and we bring it along on all of our hikes near water.
I'm an avid fisherman and have used a lot of different rods on the market today. I have used a handful of different "inexpensive" rods and they always wind up breaking at one point or another. Whether its the rod tip, a guide, or the reel seat. My opinion when it comes to fishing gear is "you get what you pay for". Due to that opinion, almost all the rods in my collection are over $75 apiece now. This Eagle Claw rod definitely trumps that saying though. You get way more performance, durability, and quality than you should for the $20-$30 price point.
These rods are classic and iconic. The Featherlight series has been around for many generations, in fact I recall my grandpa fishing for panfish with an Eagle Claw Featherlight when I was a small child. These rods are all about fun! They are bright yellow in color and they come off a bit gaudy but I like that. They aren't expensive and won't break the bank, they can typically be bought for between $20-$30. These rods can take a lot of abuse as well, they have a fiberglass blank which gives you great durability, forgiveness, and feel. The features on this rod are awesome for the money too: nice reel seat, gold mylar wraps, nice guide wrapping, split grip, two-tone cork, ruler on the blank - to name a few.
The Featherlight rods come in 10 different lengths and styles: 1 casting rod, 6 spinning models, and even 3 different fly rods. The 6 foot spinning model, that I have, comes with a split grip handle which cuts down on weight, improves sensitivity, and helps with greater casting distance and efficiency. These rods come with a very nice looking two-tone cork handle which feels and fits good in your hand and can hold up to the abuse of frequent use. These rods have nice aluminum oxide guides and the wrapping around them is great. The gold Mylar wraps on this rod add a bit of flash and class while the black tipped guide wraps still maintain the "classic" feel of this rod series. There is even an 18-inch ruler down the rod blank for a convenient and quick fish measure and release!
I will be purchasing and trying out one of the fly rods of this series in the near future but in the meantime I'm having a blast with this spinning rod. This is a great light action rod, that's perfect for targeting sunfish, crappies, perch, or trout! I'm completely convinced that for the price, you will not find a better rod! The only negative that I have for this rod, is the same negative I have for all 2-piece rods, is that the pieces slip apart on occasion. This happens to me with all 2-piece rods and it's now second nature for me to make sure the two pieces are tightly together every 10th cast or so. The benefits of being able to break this rod down so I can put it in a trunk, a backpack, or any other small space definitely outweighs the small negative of them occasionally coming undone while casting, not to mention it's easily preventable.
Thanks for reading, I hope this review was helpful and informative for those who are in the market for a new, affordable, but durable light action rod. If you have any questions or comments feel free to email me at MWBradshaw2@gmail.com
More Reports
11-17-2013
Born to Fish Media spent the day with Tightline Outdoor guides Nathan Zelinsky and Matt Mascarenas. In just a couple...... Read More
10-26-2013
by David Harrison, Born to Fish Media Pictured Above: A Three-Inch Chatfield Shad. Not all Shad are Equal, see Photo # 1 Photo...... Read More