Tried & Tested
Trout & Salmon|December 2017

SCOTT MACKENZIE’S MUCH-HYPED GRAPHENE ROD HAS BEEN PUT THROUGH ITS PACES ALL SEASON. IS IT WORTH BUYING?

Andrew Flitcroft
Tried & Tested

MACKENZIE FX1, 14FT 9WT £975

IN THE APRIL 2017 issue, we revealed Scott MacKenzie’s much anticipated new FX1 salmon rods, the first to be made with the Nobel Prize-winning wonder material, graphene.

The FX1 promised much and created a justifiable buzz within salmon-fishing circles. Scott, a former world spey casting champion and record holder, began rod-making 13 years ago. His double-handers have since gained a big following. Anglers love their robust practicality. There is something about a Mackenzie that gives you confidence. They feel rugged and considered. They are “fishing rods” not airy-fairy casting wands.

Does the top-of-the-range FX1 follow suit? My first outing with the 14ft 9wt model was on the lower Tay in March. I was on a boat at Taymount with larger than-life gillie Cohn O’Dea. I was far from confident. The river was high (the anchor was useless and Cohn had to use a 56lb weight to hold the bottom) and we were facing a strong upstream gale, which had earlier closed the Forth Bridge. There I was, standing in the stern of Cohn’s boat with him grinning expectantly at “the man from T&S”.

Given the conditions, we agreed that a Rio Skagit iFlight (600 grain/38.9gm) with a 15ft type 8 (8-9ips) tip and 6ft of 23lb Seaguar were needed to turn over and sink the huge 5in Willie Gun tube that Cohn had wrestled from my box.

The skagit and huge Willie Gunn flew across the river with ease. Cohn and I were staggered. I know that standing and casting from a boat – with its height and D-loop forming advantages – is different to casting when wading, but it was still very impressive.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 2017-Ausgabe von Trout & Salmon.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 2017-Ausgabe von Trout & Salmon.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS TROUT & SALMONAlle anzeigen
Mr Goldhead And The Grayling
Trout & Salmon

Mr Goldhead And The Grayling

Lawrence Catlow fishes the rapidly recovering River Irfon in Powys.

time-read
9 Minuten  |
January 2018
Moody Beasts
Trout & Salmon

Moody Beasts

Stan Headley searches for the elusive sea-trout of Loch Ailsh in the northwest Highlands.

time-read
8 Minuten  |
January 2018
Alone On The River
Trout & Salmon

Alone On The River

Cliff Hatton encounters a mighty Wye salmon.

time-read
6 Minuten  |
January 2018
Hop To It
Trout & Salmon

Hop To It

Richard Donkin has a no-nonsense approach to tackle and amphibians.

time-read
4 Minuten  |
January 2018
River Blackwater
Trout & Salmon

River Blackwater

THE BLACKWATER rises in the boglands of County Kerry, and although the peaty tinge it carries gives rise to its name it also flows through limestone and that helps it to support a diverse range of fly-life which provides plenty of sustenance for salmon parr and trout. The river is one of Ireland’s most productive salmon fisheries, along with the River Moy.

time-read
1 min  |
November 2017
Hampshire Avon
Trout & Salmon

Hampshire Avon

THERE CAN be few places in fishing more famous than the Royalty Fishery on the Hampshire Avon, even Mr Crabtree has fished its illustrious waters. Two seasons ago an enormous salmon of 40lb was caught in the spring at the Royalty and big salmon are regularly caught in the early months of the season.

time-read
1 min  |
November 2017
A Strange Kind Of Magic
Trout & Salmon

A Strange Kind Of Magic

Charles van straubenzee introduces a salmon fly that combines the most unlikely colours and materials to deadly effect.

time-read
2 Minuten  |
February 2017
A Deep-Water Experiment
Trout & Salmon

A Deep-Water Experiment

Stan Headley hatches a plan to catch three species of fish in one day at Loch Calder in Caithness.

time-read
8 Minuten  |
April 2017
Rutland's Old Warriors
Trout & Salmon

Rutland's Old Warriors

James Beeson enjoys supercharged surface sport with Rutland Water’s fry-feeders.

time-read
6 Minuten  |
October 2017
Plucked From The Jaws
Trout & Salmon

Plucked From The Jaws

Looking for affordable back-end sport? Andrew Flitcroft recommends the challenging Chollerton beat on the North Tyne.

time-read
8 Minuten  |
October 2017