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IMPORTANT
SITE UPDATE:
Visit the relaunched
Fish & Fly at fishandfly.com
Mid Price Rod Review
Make:
Snowbee
Model: Classic Junior
Length: 7'
Line weight: 5/6
Number of sections: 2
Price: £45
Description
Brown blank and wrappings, single stripping ring and American chrome snakes with hayfork tiptop. Cigar handle and Fuji reel seat.
Guarantee
Snowbee
fly rods have a five year guarantee. For the first year there is an unconditional
guarantee against manufacturing faults plus warranty against accidental
damage. A handling/postage fee applies. For years two to five there is
an unconditional guarantee against breakage or accidental damage. Handling/postage
fee for Prestige II rods is £25 and for Diamond II, £15.
E-mail: flyfish@snowbee.co.uk
Web site: www.snowbee.co.uk
Testers' comments
Terry Lawton: Surprisingly, this is Snowbee's best selling rod in the UK. Although it was designed as a junior rod, it is proving very popular as a short brook or river rod. The build quality was a reflection of the price. The wrappings and coating on the rings looked slapdash. I was surprised that a rod built for youngsters has such a long handle. I am sure that a shorter handle would look better and help balance the rod better.
While the rod is light to cast, it felt unbalanced with a 5# line. It is much better with a 6# line but that line should be fitted to a smaller, lighter reel than would be normal for this weight of line.
I
am sure that the rod is OK for youngsters to learn to fly fish on stillwaters
but I don't know why anyone would want to buy it for brook fishing with
a 6# line.
Richard Slaughter: This is a functional rod let down slightly by
the quality of the cork handle. I felt that the balance was too far down
the rod making it feel strange. It handled short casts OK but medium casts
seemed easier as the longer line length balanced the set-up better. I
struggled to cast a long line and I needed a very strong haul to get the
line to turn over properly.
The
rod worked for me only when using the 6# line. Its weight, length and
cost will make this a good choice for the junior/beginner, primarily for
river fishing. But do buy a 6# line for it.
Simon Lewin: Not entirely sure about this rod. It's marketed as
a good rod for children but I'm not convinced. I tried it with a 5# line
and I really needed plenty of line out to be able to get the rod casting
well - and surely this isn't something that a beginner will be able to
do.
The rod felt slightly off balance - with too much weight in the handle. That said, the performance of the rod did increase dramatically when tried with a 6#.