ECHO Trip 8pc Travel Fly Rod

I was looking for a rod that broke down small enough to fit in my backpack while biking in the backcountry. This one fit the bill perfectly. 9’ 5-weight with medium action is pretty much the perfect all-purpose rod. The guys at Echo know how to design and build great rods at a reasonable price and that definitely includes this one. I typically switch between dry flies, dry/ dropper, euro nymphs and indicator rigs throughout the day and this rod accomplishes all of that with aplomb. If I’ve described the rod you are looking for I’m pretty sure you’ll be pleased.

(9'-0" 5-weight) So far I have only cast this on the lawn, but I am stunned by how good the rod feels for an 8-piece rod. It's easily better than some really good 4-piece rods I've owned. Over the past 30 years, I've owned rods from Sage, St. Croix, G. Loomis, Echo, TFO, Scott, and Winston. This rod, at around $279, performs at least $100-150 above its price range, in my opinion.

These are fantastic rods. We are beginners and travel a lot, so we don't use them as a back up, but as our main rods since they are so easy to transport. We have a 5wt and an 8wt. Have used them on rivers, lakes, and flats (8wt salt only). They are smooth and forgiving. They 8wt struggle a bit with heavier flies and against the wind, but if we size down, we're back in control. Both rods feel way better than our starters sets/outfits from Reddington from years ago (a 2 piece 5wt and a 4 piece 4wt). I suspect that even after we graduate to grown up ($$$$) rods, these will stay in our arsenals due to their convenience. Also, the finishes are great. They are both very pretty to look at, particularly the salt with the shimmering blue color.