James Beeson buys the Redington Chromer and puts it through its paces
Although they haven’t quite reached the level of popularity in the UK as their sister brands, Sage and Rio, the latest range of rods and reels from Redington are excellent value for money. The first Chromer I picked up was one of the 11ft 6in switch models. I was impressed. The slim handle and general feel of the rod is very comfortable, when I put a line on it I found it to be responsive and powerful. So, when I was looking for a longer 8wt Spey rod to add to my collection the Chromer was top of the candidate list.
I couldn’t be sure that the longer rod with a higher line-rating would perform in the same way. Fortunately, I had a salmon fishing trip to the Wye that presented the opportunity to try it out.
Before we talk about the different lines and general performance of the rod, we need to talk about the grip. The top and bottom handles on the Chromer are mostly cork but the top and bottom have a polymer, rubberised section. I wasn’t a huge fan of the polymer grip on the Redington Vapen – I bought a cork version – but the sparing application of it on the Chromer I like. It may not be for everyone, but I think it has two significant advantages. The first is that it makes trapping a thin monofilament style running line (I favour the Gripshooter) easier and it provides an excellent guide as to where to grip the rod in order to hold it properly, a clue you can feel as well as see.
It being early in the season and the river high I started out with a 550 grain Skagit iFlight and 5 by 5 iMOW tip. The Chromer was able to cast this fairly heavy set-up without a problem. It is a rod that bends nicely and progressively with good power in the lower portion of the blank. The next line I tried was a 485 grain Scandi Short VersiTip and this really brought the rod to life – even when using the fast-sinking Type 6 tip. I was able to reach a pleasing distance with this line and the extra length and power of the Chromer over my more familiar 12ft 6in 7wt. Sticking with the Scandi-style heads I also tried the Scandi 3D F/H/I and this combination really excelled. Skagits and Scandis are all I really need for the rivers I fish, but sometimes it is nice to put a longer bellied line on and not have to strip armfuls of running line every you reach the end of a swing. I had a Long Head Spey with a 66ft head in an 8/9 on a spare spool, I started out with a fast-sinking Versileader – with the full length of the head outside the tip ring this was too much for the rod to handle, but by removing the Versileader it worked better. It would be wrong to say that the Chromer and long-bellied lines are an ideal match, but it worked well enough for me not to worry about it given the relatively few occasions when I fish that way.
If you mostly like to fish with shooting-heads and are looking for a new rod I suggest you have a word with Guide Fly Fishing and give the Chromer a go. With a trip up to the Scottish Dee on the horizon, plus an autumn trip to British Columbia, I’ll definitely be keeping my Chromer and I expect it will become a big river favourite. I’m looking forward to getting that first salmon or steelhead on it.
More details from Guide Fly Fishing
