Redington Chromer and Behemoth Review

Redington's newest entry into the spey game, the Chromer, is a hell of a rod

This fall they gave me the opportunity to give the 13-6 8 weight a go along with the Behemoth as we spent our days on the Clearwater in search of early season steelhead.

First Impressions

The mid level price point of $399.99 is a nice way to get people into 2 handed casting without spending mortgage type money on a stick.  You can find some cheaper, but you can find dozens that close in on the $1000 mark or more.   So the price point is great, A+

Aesthetically,  the matt black finish looks great and the components all come together nicely for a great looking rod.  The biggest difference is this....polymer top and bottom grip points.

Traditionalists probably scoff, but I found that these touch points were really nice in hand and in running line management.

With regards to the Behemoth, again the price point of $109.99 you're not going to find many large arbor reels to match with a spey rod that can beat this reel.  The die-cast construction, the lock down drag (if necessary), and other features are exceptional on a reel like this.

On The Water

Paired with the RIO 38 ft Scandi Shooting Head, the Chromer was an all out pleasure to cast.  Each person is going to have different likes and dislikes in every rod they throw, but the break in time with the Chromer was minimal for me.  Once I found the proper anchor placement with the Scandi head, the rod allowed me to cast and cover wide swaths of the rivers I was fishing.    Back to the price point....it fishes like a $1000 stick if you know what I mean

With regards to the polymer grips and my used of mono running lines, I found them to be a big bonus feature with the Chromer.  Pressing the line into the polymer allowed for far less fouled casts that tend to happen with lines like Amnesia.

The reel did exactly what it needed to do.  I prefer a light to moderate drag setting, and I experienced no backlash or issues like that.  The line pick up of the 10-12 reel I had was very, very quick and allows you to keep solid connection with the fish

Any Negatives?

Completely nitpicking on this, the rod's cork could use a little work.  My particular model was missing a few pieces of cork filler but for the price point, do not expect the most amazing cork in the world.  It's a trade off, I'll take a lower grade handle for the awesome cast-ability of the Chromer any day.

On the Behemoth, there was an issue that I had from time to time.  There is JUST enough room for my running line to get caught outside the spool and thank goodness it never happened while catching a fish.  On those time when it happened, I had to loosen the spool a bit, pull the line over and then retighten it back down.  It's a fairly common problem that I am sure anyone has dealt with from time to time

Unanswered Questions

The only thing for me personally is that I never got the shot to throw the rod with heavy sink tips.  It's rare to find a rod that excels at throwing both scandi and skagit heads but I have a suspicion that the fast action and strong butt section will handle heavy tips like 12 ft of T14 with ease.


Conclusion

This combo of rod, reel and line gets a OH HELL YES rating from me.  There are few entries that can provide this much performance for the price.  I may or may not have shed a tear when I shipped them back to Redington, but that's between me and the UPS driver.

Redington SonicDry Fly Wader Review

Redesigned and redeveloped, the Redington SonicDry Waders are up for review

At $499 retail, these waders are no joke and are nudging right up there in cost and performance to the rest of the entries in the super premium wader market.   Having worn and abused the previous edition of these waders, I was super interested to see what has changed.

In the interest of full disclosure, I had my issues with the previous edition.  Two zipper fails and one de-lamination,  my main interest here was to see if they had listened to what the fishing market was telling them with this new release

So without further avail, here's the top 5 things I was impressed with in my testing phase of these waders

1.  The Zipper

The full zipper front of these seem to finally have it figured out.  The previous wader's zipper was a big problem and it's been addressed by switching to a YKK Aquaseal Slim Zipper that is easier to slide long the tracks and doesnt feel like it's about to hang up.  Nice work there

2. Continued Pocket Proliferation

They're everywhere, and the continued use of solid waterproof zippers is awesome.

3.  The Little Things

It's the little attention to detail that I've noticed.   Ever had a pair of waders that straps are always falling off your shoulders?  It's horrible, and with these there's a continued detail with the ability to adjust your back straps in multiple places (see the above picture) and the simple red plastic triangle keeps everything locked in place.  Kudos to that

4.  Solid Construction

The touch and feel test tells me that they've put more beef into these babies.  Whether intended or not, I think they will be able to stand up to the beating I tend to give my waders for longer than most have in the past.   With that said, the rock solid warranty these come with give you assurance that spending the better portion of five hundred dollars will be a good investment

5.  Comfortable as hell

I spent a solid 4 days in a pontoon in these, and several other river trips in these bad boys and they fit so well,  even in XXL.  Us big guys know that correct fitting is so inconsistent in outdoor gear, that it's great to find something that does fit


There's a bunch of other factors that I could continue to rave about.  These waders a great....

but....here's the disclaimer.  A BIG one.

The initial release of these waders had one big change.  They completely redesigned the bootie to more of a "performance and athletic fit"

Meaning, they fit a hell of a lot tighter.  The previous edition had ample room for my size 14 to fit comfortably, along with up to many layers of socks (winter steelheading, duh) and it was never an issue

From the moment I put these ones on, I knew it was going to be an issue.  I know that my shoe size is an outlier,  and for 90% of the fishing public out there, this wont be a problem in the slightest.

I can at present get away with a light sock under these waders, but beyond that I cannot currently wear the socks that I will need for the upcoming fall and winter fishing seasons.

In speaking to Redington, their designers are aware of the issue and are working on a quickly coming out revision to the problem for the big footed folks out there

Again, the vast majority of people out there can consult their SIZING CHART and should find zero issue.

The best thing you can do is go to your local fly shop, try them on and buy them there.  If you're in Spokane check out The Silver Bow Fly Shop, as they carry the full line of Redington Waders   They'll take care of you there so you can see right away if they're going to work for you.

Foot issues aside, give these waders a look and hopefully they'll work for you as you get out there and get after it.  We will update this review as soon as the solution to the bootie issue has been resolved.

The Redington Dually Spey--Lots of Rod for Little Cheddah.

So Redington comes out with a $249 spey rod.....and the first thought through my mind

Yeah Right....

Then I spent 3 days pushing line with the spray pole.....and the next thought is....

I think I found my go to dryline rod.....

In my case, I tested the 12'6 6wt model which turned out to be just about perfect for the smaller/medium sized river like the Grande Ronde where I am magnetically drawn to in the fall.

Here are the top 7 reasons why I loved this little stick, and 1 reason why I didnt.  Each rod has it's sweet spot in terms of what application you put it to and in this case, pushing a fly just under the surface or even on top is where this model shines

The Goods....

1.  The Price-- Looking to dip your toes in the spey game to see if it's for you?  Here's your token to get on the ride.  Seriously, this rod casts like it should be sold at a $400-$500 price point

2.  The Cork-- The full cork on the handle is very unique, all the way through the reel seat.  I think it's a pretty darn cool touch

3.  The Color--Distinctive in a black/green/blue dominated market, the maroon outside the norm.

4.  Up-locking Full Metal Reel Seat--Classy, very.

5.  Handle Options--3 of them for the choosey folks out there.

6.   Chrome Magnet--See exhibit B

7.  The Sweet Spot--I found this rod to be exceedingly fun to cast scandi lines on.  I settled in on a 420 grain head and it felt as if it was matched perfectly.  This particular 6wt model is made for rivers like the Grande Ronde and the Methow where you dont have to make 100 foot casts.  Working 60-80 feet is fully effective on those rivers and I will tell you this rod lets you feel every tick tick tick of a dryline take but has the nuts to crank the fish in at the appropriate time.  I sat in one run and threw my rudimentary snake roll time after time after time and loved every second of it.  Zero fatigue, ready to roll for more time on the river.

The "Ehhh" part of this model

1.  Throwing tips-- the vast majority of time I spent with the Dually was without sink tips.  When I did....I wasnt throwing the greatest loops.  I cant blame the rod, more than likely it doesnt suit me when dredging is in order.  A lighter tip than I was throwing would suit the rod better and then this gripe can be thrown away.  Farther up in line weight models and I dont think it would be or is an issue.

All in all, the Dually gets the Chucking Line and Chasing Tail stamp of approval and I will be adding this stick to the quiver quite soon.

Get more info here on the entire line of Dually Spey and Switch Rods.


The Dually by Redington from Far Bank on Vimeo.

The Redington Trask Flannel

Flannels arent just for hipsters.  Oh no no...

Nor do fishing shirts have to be singular in color with no personality.   We all have a few of those, right?

Enter the Trask  Long Sleeve Flannel by Redington

Here are my top 5 reasons why I dig this shirt

1.  Wife Approved--Not a lot of what I sport on the river makes the grade on date night.  This one does.

2.  Vintage Look--And I dont even have to step foot into a vintage clothing store and deal with the people that work there.    Sorry Macklemore, but  6'8 dudes usually don't find clothing in stores with names like the Eclectic Rabbit.

See...cool buttons and everything

3.  The Collar --It stays put.  I've had this piece for 6 months and have washed it countless times.  Boom, the line in the collar is unwavering.  No ironing needed

4.  Double Bubba means Double Bubba--Long enough to the waist, long enough in the arms.  They tech speak term that Redington uses is CastCut, allowing for more freedom of movement.

5.  Long and short sleeve options.....because not all of us experience winter, or the converse of that.

The Redington Trask Flannel passes the Chucking Line and Chasing Tail test.   Anything that lasts 8 months in my closet in both a fishing and general living adaptation has me smiling...and this shirt does for me.

Good luck this fall, go out and get some.

Top7 Reasons You'll Love the Redington's Form Game Rod

The Redington Form Game Rod....gawd this little guy is fun.


Here are the top 7 reasons why this fly rod practice tool should be part of your arsenal.

1.  How often do you practice your casting in the house, only to look like a pantomiming idiot because there's nothing in your hands?  For me, that answer is A LOT.  Now you can cast the length of the living room with a legit fly rod

2.  The size of the rod and length of the line make it a great teaching tool for adults and children

3.  It will drive your cat or nutty Labrador absolutely nuts.  Cast and retrieve, play the cat as if it was a jumbo brown trout.  Release and send back on it's way.

4.  The 30 ft fly line loads the rod so you'll feel like you're actually casting a normal fly rod

5.  Get back to camp from fishing and now you have a way to determine who is the more accurate caster.





6.   Perfect to teach kiddo's on.

7.   It's wicked tiny.   Cast in your home to your hearts content without breaking the tip on the ceiling or getting the line caught in your wife's hair.

With Christmas rapidly approaching, you can thank me later for saving the day by suggesting that this may or may not be a heck of a gift to put under the tree.

Happy indoor casting...errr, wait.  Dont tell my wife.

Redington Sonic Pro's--A Ladies Perspective

Today we have a guest post from my buddy Loran Kerrigan from Peak7 Adventures, regarding her experiences with the Redington Sonic Pro Waders, made specifically for women. 

Loran and her husband Ryan run Peak7, a fantastic organization that give disadvantaged youth a chance to experience the great outdoors through rafting, camping, climbing and more.  Hopefully in the future we can get them to expand their offerings to fly fishing!
----

You could say I come from a fishing family. 

Being from Cincinnati, OH my dad grew us up going to the Boundary Water Wilderness Canoe Area
(BWWCA) in Minnesota and Canada. I learned what portage was and how to fish and camp up there.

My brother who is ten years older spent his college summers and furthermore into graduate school as a professional fly fishing guide on the Flathead River through Spotted Bear Ranch. 

I would visit him several times and he taught me how to fly fish. Of course, at first he took us to the holes where trout would jump at anything, so I was hooked on the fly from then on. We'd stalk fish from boulders above and land them. It was awesome. 

There was only and has only been one problem, my gear!  I have always borrowed my brother's and dad's gear, which is never cut right for women and generally makes a long day on the water much longer.

The fishing world has taken notice to what ladies need as I now have my own pair of female specific waders, the Redington Women Sonic Pros

They are so cute, with double zippers and the teal Redington logo on the front pocket.  Despite the cute and creative girlie accents, the waders are very comfortable and technical. The hip belt is easy to maneuver, although.  I wish you could pull the slack tight against the belt without having a slack loop, but I just tucked the strap into the belt loop, so it was smooth, without a big webbing loop when tightened. 

The neoprene feet socks may not feel form fitting, but when you put your boots on,they fit perfectly inside the boot and are very comfortable. I have worn my waders now in the Spokane, Provo and Clearwater and love the waders so much. 

But, I think after getting suited up and getting in the car at Clearwater, I realized that I should probably have the size M/L, which means medium/long. I don't have as much flex in the knee
and leg area to bend down. They're fine, but when I get my next pair, I'll get the M/L, as I am 5'9

The fabric of the wader is not Gore-Tex, but one that is very similar and just as good. I have been wading to a deep as the bottom of my breast pockets and evenhad my phone in the pocket for pictures and they're completely dry and safe. The straps and suspenders detach along with a front zipper, making accessibility and adjusting super easy and comfortable.  

Needless to say, I really do love my Sonic Pro Women's Waders! I'll never ever go back to borrowing men's waders, it's not worth it now that I know the feeling of being comfy and cute on the water!

Redington Sonic Pro Wading Jacket Review

Into the 8th hour of our float on the Olympic Peninsula, it was pretty easy to say that this jacket is bombproof.

If there was ever a place to test rain gear, the Oly Penn is the place to do it.  In this years excursion to the land of Twilight and Sasquatches , we were treated to just about every form of liquid downfall..but mostly, it just poured on us in a rate I had previously never experienced.

I stayed 100% dry.

Brand new to the Redington lineup this year is their redesigned wading jacket.  OMR has the previous edition and lets say that I think they threw that old one away and started from scratch.

Smart Choice.

Here are the top 6 reasons to love this jacket.

1.  There's a billion pockets.  No, seriously....there's enough on this jacket to stow away so much gear you're going to forget what you put in there.  Nothing like finding a snickers bar a month later.  That's called a bonus

2.  It's Thick.  As in solid.  As in 4 layer construction.  As in blocks the crap out of the wind

3.  The Flask Pocket.  A bit of a addendum to the first one, but on the left inside, there's a pocket that I have to believe was specifically designed for a device that holds whipskey....

4.  The Waterproof Cuff.  When releasing a fish and your hands dunk into the water, the secondary bonus is that your sweatshirt or whatever you have on underneath stays dry.

5.  Sizing.  When they say it's a XXL, it is.   For a big dude, correct sizing is a must.  They really nailed this one

6.  No Stitches.  Yep.  Less opportunity for me to break, rip or tear it.  I do those things well.  Any guard against that is a damn good thing

The one negative--the hood
It's really, really big.  As in huge.  Expect some time trying to dial it in to fit your noggin.   According to Redington their design team is in the midst of fixing this issu.

The positives on this jacket are a mile long.  With the hood fixed, this jacket completely gets the Chucking Line and Chasing Tail stamp of approval.