I finally had a chance to test the new Elkhorn 905-4 AMP fly
rod and was pleasantly surprised at the performance. The rod was delivered to
me by manager Dan McGann and Jim Cooper of the Elkhorn Fly Shop in Loveland, Co
after learning about my misfortune last December when my truck was stolen
including most everything I owned, including my guide gear. I was completely
blown away at that simple act of kindness, and so grateful.
The first stage of the test was to simply cast the rod on
the grass fields of Pioneer Park here in Nevada City, while varying different
lengths of line both two-step casting and false casting. The line chosen for
the test was a RIO Perception weight forward in a size 5 to match the official
rod weight. The AMP loaded quickly and easily with about 25 feet of line out.
The rod is tagged as a medium-fast action rod and I found that to be pretty
much spot on, except the tip is a bit softer than most rods that I use, which I
can appreciate as it protects tippets from breaking off on larger trout. The
blank is manufactured in Korea to specific specs and hand built by the Elkhorn
staff in Colorado.
The best way I can describe the action is very smooth and
crisp, it’s the kind of rod that is just fun to cast. I set up a few targets to
cast to and the AMP responded better than I thought with dialed in accuracy.
When it came to distance and false casting an excessive amount of line out the
tip, the rod did not collapse or wither. It actually excelled with a longer
amount of line and the AMP seemed to be in its happy place. The shooting
ability of line was also very good. As a big stillwater angler, this rod would
easily excel at Lake Davis or Frenchman Lake when casting to far away targets
like large cruising rainbows during the damsel migration.
I fished indicator rigs with added split shot and heavy
flies and the AMP could turn over the entire package well, but it even mended
better. In my opinion though, it excelled most at fishing dry flies. The way
the fly presented itself on the water with a delicate landing and combined with
great accuracy now has me reconfiguring my arsenal for this summer. The AMP
will be my go to dry fly rod on the technical waters of Northern California. I
honestly cannot wait for the PMDs and Green Drakes to pop and have this rod at
my side. I have a good feeling about how the AMP will increase my enjoyment for
such.
Aesthetically the AMP is a real looker. The rod features a
really cool custom reel seat and a glowing olive green color that punches out
when the sun hits it just right. Simple snake guides and beautiful wrappings
round out this gem. Bottom line and overall review is…impressive and extremely
versatile. Here is how Elkhorn Fly Shop describes the Amp on their website:
The new 905-4 is the newest addition to the AMP Series of
rods. This 9 foot 5 weight 4 piece rod is designed with performance and
aesthetics in mind. This fly rod is finished with an “unsanded” blank which
adds strength and reliability to the rod while adding a beautiful olive acrylic
finish. This is a medium-fast action rod with a progressive taper that will
definitely suit any level of caster with its control and feel. You won’t find a
better value in the market from any maker at any price if you’re shopping for a
high end rod – Period!
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