SCOTT MACKENZIE’S MUCH-HYPED GRAPHENE ROD HAS BEEN PUT THROUGH ITS PACES ALL SEASON. IS IT WORTH BUYING?
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.
Denne historien er fra December 2017-utgaven av Trout & Salmon.
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Denne historien er fra December 2017-utgaven av Trout & Salmon.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Mr Goldhead And The Grayling
Lawrence Catlow fishes the rapidly recovering River Irfon in Powys.
Moody Beasts
Stan Headley searches for the elusive sea-trout of Loch Ailsh in the northwest Highlands.
Alone On The River
Cliff Hatton encounters a mighty Wye salmon.
Hop To It
Richard Donkin has a no-nonsense approach to tackle and amphibians.
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.
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.
A Strange Kind Of Magic
Charles van straubenzee introduces a salmon fly that combines the most unlikely colours and materials to deadly effect.
A Deep-Water Experiment
Stan Headley hatches a plan to catch three species of fish in one day at Loch Calder in Caithness.
Rutland's Old Warriors
James Beeson enjoys supercharged surface sport with Rutland Water’s fry-feeders.
Plucked From The Jaws
Looking for affordable back-end sport? Andrew Flitcroft recommends the challenging Chollerton beat on the North Tyne.
