Horizon Tactical CompetitionNymph Series Fly Rod - Terry Babich

HORIZON TACTICAL COMPETITION NYMPH SERIES FLY ROD

A Review - Terry Babich

This Euro nymphing thing is growing like crazy and with it the need for specialised rods. More and more anglers are trying their luck at Euro nymphing with great success. I find this type of fishing to be very technical and it calls a rod with a very specific function.

The whole technique is geared up to increase the sensitivity of the rod and to detect subtle bites while getting your light tackle rig into the zone where the fish are. Seems obvious?

The technique requires that you cast light leaders with lighter flies than what we have been accustomed to fishing with when using other methods. The flies need to be placed accurately and one has to get them to sink quickly. All of this needs to be done with a rod that still has the ability to pull strong fish in fast flowing water and land them on tippet that previously we would not have dreamed of using. These rods are designed with all that in mind.

This brings me to the rods itself.

Frontier Fly Fishing has developed two models in their rage that are specifically geared up for this competition-style method of nymphing. That doesn’t mean they are only for the competition guys. These rods are for anyone who wants to refine their fishing and catch more fish. The rods come in ten foot long three weight and ten foot long six weight derivatives to fill the two basic niches of flyfishing - trout and yellowfish.

Both models are designed as specialty Euro nymphing rods. This means that they have a softer tip action for bite detection, the taper necessary for the casting action required to get the flies down in the best way possible and the subtlety to not break the light tippets that are necessary to fish most effectively. These rods also have a back bone to them that allows you to pull rather hard and land fish in conditions that you previously would never have dreamed of on a light rod like a three weight.

So having fished these rods and having landed a few stream trains (and catfish) in the river I was pleasantly surprised. I have always been an advocate of fishing as heavy as possible without limiting your catch rate and getting the fish out quickly for a safe release. Never did I dream of fishing a three weight in the Vaal for yellows and being able to horse them out in the way that I can with this rod.

The six weight also works well in the river but being that little bit heavier it means that you will probably use it for extremely fast water and maybe line-up on the tippet. Not a bad thing at all. Although I haven’t fished it off the boat as yet it has also doubled-up as a fast-loading casting rod. I did test it on a few grass carp and was surprised that it handles fish in the twenty pound range without any trouble. I would however suggest using a longer net for such large fish as I don’t think that this is what it was designed for with that soft tip. But staying true to myself I am inclined to really test tackle to its maximum - and maybe a little beyond that.

Balance Control – The utilisation of a down-locking reel-seat transfers the rod’s swing-weight further down the rod to enhance feel and sensitivity in the tip. There is a small fighting butt on both rod models.

Rod Protection – Horizon Competition Nymph rods come packaged in a partitioned cotton bag inside a protective, zip-up Cordura tube.

Measurement Wraps – Incorporated into the superb finishes of the rods are measurements wraps, placed 30cm and a further 20cm from the butt, giving a total length of 50cm from the end of the fighting butt. This allows the angler quick a n d e a s y a c c e s s t o i m p o r t a n t measurements.

Quick Assembly – All sections have witness marks, or alignment dots for easy assembly.

Frontier Fly Fishing have made use of good quality components on the rod with a AAAA cork handle and the latest NANOHOOP graphite technology in the blank. The rods have a matt finish which I rather like.

They also have markings on the blank for the easy measuring of leader requirements in competitive angling. Even if you’re not a competitive angler making use of these markings to consistently tie the same leader will help you catch fish more consistently. As we all know without references we often tie a different leader every time we break off or lose a fly (a rather bad habit I might add).

In summary, I have been very happy using these rods and I am sure I will be using them for a long time to come. I would comfortably recommend the six weight version for a budding flyfisher and the three weight for the experienced angler. Just remember that they have soft tips and fish them accordingly.

I have been asking suppliers to the flyfishing market for tackle or fishing related items for review. No-one seems to have anything they want me to check out! Maybe they’re afraid I will break it - fair enough, point taken. Hahahaha. If you have something that you think needs to be shown to the public and you are brave enough for an honest review about it then contact me at ofishallybabich@gmail.com and let’s make this a regular insert in the magazine!

Let's see what you have to offer and how it stands up to the BABICH destruction test . The SA market is a tough one and needs good quality products tested under local conditions. This is a good platform to use to present your goods to the market or make them aware of an already existing product.

Frontier Fly Fishing says: "The new Horizon Tactical Competition Series of rods has been designed from the bottom up with input from some of the world’s leading competitive anglers.

The rods have been carefully thought out and designed with the utmost attention to detail.

The 3-weight rod is specifically designed for Euro-nymphing with a quick action and sensitive tip and the butt of the rod has been strengthened for anglers who want to target large fish on light tackle.

The versatile 6-weight rod is perfect for Euro-style nymphing as well as making long casts on still waters. The additional strength in the rod’s butt will assist in subduing big fish, while the sensitive tip helps register subtle bites from nymphing fish and protects the lightest of tippets."

SA Flyfishing Magazine spoke to some other experts:

"Both the 10 3 & 10 6 are very capable, honest sticks. You could easily spend twice the money for something possibly 5% better in the metric that matters most - how they fish." - Gary Glen-Young

"They are not perfect and I want another butt section for my 10 3 with an eye on it (10 3 shortcoming for nymphing) and hopefully locking rings that are easier to grip (shortcoming on both the 10 3 & 10 6).

The 10 6 casts almost as well as my 10 6 Hardy Zenith.

The 10 3 would be the first rod I would take on any "nymphing" trip if I did not know how I would nymph and could take only one rod." - Herman Botes (who fished a 10 3 one afternoon on the Val and bought himself one the next week- editor)