Using in the main 7ft-8.6ft rods I have been in the market for a longer rod that isn’t too long to carry when guiding, and that I can use with the newer long leader river techniques as well as dry fly should I need to.
The reason I plan on carrying 2 rods this year is that with the hot summer/low water we are expecting, I think a lot of the trout will be holed up in the well oxygenated heads of the pools and fishing a couple of nymphs “French Leader” & Czech style will be a method that should work well.
Oh, and I don’t want to spend more than 200 quid either. I already have a 10ft 2wt rod but wanted something that was a little easier for my clients to fish with in some of the tighter stretches of water so I did some research on 9ft rods. I came across the Snowbee Prestige range and saw it contained a 9ft 2 and 4wt rod, also 10ft rods in 2,3,4 and 5wts.
I plumped for the 9ft 2wt as it fitted the bill completely and also comes in at £195 too.
The rod comes in a smart red tube and on taking the rod out I thought it was a good looking piece of gear with the maple burl reel seat being a classy touch. I also like the original purchaser lifetime guarantee, good quality cork and something I always like: alignment dots.
So far, I am liking the rod without having yet strung a line through it. To balance the rod I also decided to purchase the Onyx 3/4 reel (£49.99) that matches it perfectly.
I grass cast a few lines on the rod including the Snowbee XS plus line in a 2wt, an Orvis 2wt Wonderline and the Loop Evotec 85 in a 3wt just to see. I’d describe the blank as a medium fast actioned.
Of the 2wt lines I tried it's hardly surprising the Snowbee worked well, the Wonderline felt equally as good all be it just a little lighter making the rod a feel slightly crisper. That having been said I thought the heavier 3wt would be just a bit too much but having slowed down my casting stroke a little, I got to really like it although in the end the 2wt lines did shave it.
Bearing in mind that I also wanted this rod primarily for “casting” long leaders I had to get it on the river. I am really enjoying fishing this rod, it's light in the hand and therefore easy to keep line off of the water. It easily copes with early season heavy stuff such as nymphs with 2 x 2.5mm tungsten beads on the point along with a nymph with a single 2.5mm tungsten on the dropper. Lighter flies are no problem either and I have another long leader set up to fish the “duo” too.
I am a little ashamed as someone who lives in Devon where Snowbee are based to say that I haven’t owned one of their rods before but having fished with this rod pretty hard for a few weeks now I think it has done everything I want it to and a bit more as well. I am pleased that I decided on a 9ft version as it works well with the rivers I fish and guide on, if you happen to see me at work hunched over a pool with a client beside me you know that one of the rods we’ll be using is this one. I am really pleased I have this rod.
For more details please visit the Snowbee Website