FIRST CAST Classic 4wt / 9ft – Travel Fly Rod

Pros: The rod is well-made, and appears to be durable. It's amazingly compact and easy to transport, either in a pack or in my SUV. Set-up is quick and simple. I had some reservations about how far it would cast with the line running through the center, but those proved to be unfounded. I haven't had the opportunity to play a fish with it -- the drought in Colorado is playing havoc with fishing on the Front Range -- but I'm convinced the rod will do that competently. Con: Only one, but for me it's a big one. The extended rod is *very* tip heavy. My right wrist has been injured several times, and it gets painful pretty fast when casting a tip heavy rod. If a rod is balanced right at the forefinger when gripping the handle, I can fish all day with it. I'm considering replacing some of the back end of the fly line with lead core to make the reel heavier. It will depend on how much line I'll lose if I do that. If it works, I'll post an updated review.

Unfortunately, the reel handle broke on the first use. Also, since I fish a lot with streamers, I found casting with this rod quite tiring; the line generates a lot of friction with the inside of the blank, which makes repeatedly casting very tiring and frustrating.

Loving it so far. Being able to have a fly rod that I can pack inside the saddle bags on my Motorcycle is awesome!