The best telescoping fly rod I’ve used by far.
Customer Reviews
Overall rating: 4.3 / 5 from 22 reviews.
Unfortunately, the reel handle broke on the first use. Also, since I fish a lot with streamers, I found casting with this rod quite tiring; the line generates a lot of friction with the inside of the blank, which makes repeatedly casting very tiring and frustrating.
FIRST CAST Classic 4wt / 9ft – Travel Fly Rod
Store owner replied: Shoot, so sorry about this! Make sure to reach out to support@reyrgear.com and we’ll make sure you are taken care of with a new reel
The rod performs well. Only has a bit of line resistance from line running inside pole in casting. Otherwise I am pleased.
For what it is built for - it’s PERFECT! The portability of this rod is unmatched by any other travel rod. Is a tenkara rod more portable? Yes, but it Tenkara rods are limited to the amount of reach and overall versatility. Does it perform as well as a traditional fly rod? No, but it gets the job done! To be completely honest, the amount of friction inherent in a rod whose line is fed internally takes a while to get used to. But if you’re buying this rod, it’s to fill a transition gap between Tenkara and a full-fledged rod. Shooting line is not seamless because of this friction, causing you to require more false casts to get the line out to where you want. However, because this rod is meant to supplement your rod quiver as opposed to replacing it, if you keep in mind that you’ll be using it for casting distances between 10-25 (maybe 30) feet, it does exactly what you need it to do. I’ve mainly used mine for local warm water species, catching things from 4” bass & panfish to 21” 7.5lb carp and have been plenty happy with it, and hope you will be too!
Just made my 3rd purchase of the FIRST CAST Travel Fly Rod - 4wt - 9ft! The first was for me, the second was for my daughter, and the third was for my wife. They are perfect and plenty sturdy for travel, they fit into the mesh pocket of my daypack or backpack, and best of all, they are truly an outstanding fly rod for any type of water. This rod is one fine piece of technology! The telescoping capability allows for fast setup and repacking when on the trail or driving by water that looks too good to pass up. I highly recommend this rod, especially for anyone that is tired of having to deal with the setup and teardown of traditional rods. You know what a hassle that is! This is just from my observation when I received my wife's new rod. It was obvious to me that improvements had been made in material and the engineering of the rod and fly line since I received mine a few years ago. Reyr is not resting on their laurels. They are striving to be even better. My rod is still great and I love it. However, I tried swapping with my wife, and she would have none of it! Hers is hers and mine is mine. I do like the way mine looks experienced though and it still preforms as if it's brand new! I also want to give kudos to the folks at Ryer for their attention to customers. I had an issue with my rod where the glue on the tip eyelet had come loose. Mine is a very early issue of their rods and I have used it many, many times. They got a new eyelet and glue pack to me in UPS immediately so I would have it in time to get the tip back on before I left for a trip to RMNP. Great People, Great Product! Go for it!! Doug F.
An outstanding companion for fly fishing in the Eastern Sierra. Lightweight, compact and a terrific pole. I will be with us for many trips to come.
The line through the Rod…. Blew my mind.. I didn’t do any research on this thing. When Haven partnered with Reyr, I immediately purchased one without even looking because my haven was so incredible.. but this rod is incredible.. it’s way softer than Im used to but it casts beautifully! One of the coolest benefits of the line going through the rod is it doesn’t got stuck on every tree going down the trail!!
Love this thing so much!! I’ve been taking it on all of my hikes recently, so light weight and easy to carry!
When the rod is retracted my line is getting cut. There is an art to opening and closing the rod to make sure the line does not get cut. I have some serious cuts already in my dryline.
Ordered a new item. Got sent a used item. Wasn't complete (missing bandana wasn't a big deal but I should have recieved a new unopened product). Quality is not there for the price. This feels like chinese junk and shouldn't cost more than $35. In emails about being sent a used/opened product, the vibe was they they hoped I'd be ok with it. I am not. I am very disappointed with the product and the company at this point.
FIRST CAST Classic 4wt / 9ft – Travel Fly Rod
Store owner replied: Doyle, Tim here with REYR Gear. Sorry this one went sideways. I want to clear one thing up. The rod we sent you was new. What took the damage was the shipping box. The bandana goes in every kit, so it looks like it came out somewhere in transit, and I offered to get one out to you right away. That offer still stands. If you'd rather send the whole thing back for a replacement or a full refund, I'm good with that too. Just reply to our email and I'll take care of it today.
I appreciate the coupon code (Military/LE). I will return for more products soon. Thank you
Love the rod, but as I said in a previous review, it's very tip-heavy when extended. This is acreal issue for me because, after several injuries, my right wrist gets really sore when using a tip-heavy rod. I tried adding lead core to the reel to balance the rod at the front of the grip, but there isn't room on the reel for enough lead core to accomplish that. So after some experimentation I determined that a reel weighing five ounces along with the line balance the rod comfortably. For those to whom an extra two or three ounces of weight would make a difference this wouldn't be an acceptable solution, but I like the concept, construction, and compactness of the rod enough that the relatively minimal expense of an extra reel is something I'm more than willing to bear. I'm seriously considering buying a second rod when they'reback in stock.
I work for the airlines, and I now able to bring my fly rod for overnights! Fits nice and discreetly in my carry on, and hardly takes up any space! Caught my first rainbow near Sacramento on it this week!
Pros: The rod is well-made, and appears to be durable. It's amazingly compact and easy to transport, either in a pack or in my SUV. Set-up is quick and simple. I had some reservations about how far it would cast with the line running through the center, but those proved to be unfounded. I haven't had the opportunity to play a fish with it -- the drought in Colorado is playing havoc with fishing on the Front Range -- but I'm convinced the rod will do that competently. Con: Only one, but for me it's a big one. The extended rod is *very* tip heavy. My right wrist has been injured several times, and it gets painful pretty fast when casting a tip heavy rod. If a rod is balanced right at the forefinger when gripping the handle, I can fish all day with it. I'm considering replacing some of the back end of the fly line with lead core to make the reel heavier. It will depend on how much line I'll lose if I do that. If it works, I'll post an updated review.
Loving it so far. Being able to have a fly rod that I can pack inside the saddle bags on my Motorcycle is awesome!
I stated before. WE haven' had a day above freezing in 3 weeks. it is not likely I will use the rod until I get to Nova Scotia this summer where the fishing is difficult with a lot of tight spaced trees in bogs, which I why I bought your rod. very happy. I wrote you and told you about "FlyfishDelaware" he likes your rod. good marketing!! Your return policy was easy and personal. Now things flip into automated surveys which is an IMMEDIATE TURN OFF. Cant stand them. no human interaction just survey survey survey, which turns into numbers which is somehow going to help your small, but I hope profitable business.
This all in one travel fishing system is everything you need to go where ever you want when ever you want. The ease of set up and the action with perfect balance is amazing. For years we have all been waiting for a product like this, especially if you have broken you rod in travel or got the string stuck in a tree getting to your favorite fishing spots. We are very satisfied and look to forward to selling this product line. I can say out of 100 percent of the customers that saw this combo get so excited and say finally a system for all adventures. Thank you for the product and look forward to our next purchases.
This was a gift for my husband and he was very pleased with it. Actually went out to our pool to test it right away.
Cast smooth and effortless. Handled fish up to 18inch nicely.
Love it! I needed something compact and would fit snugly in my car. Sure enough this works perfectly. Stays out of the way but still has still motion when used.
This is a great rod to take hiking or backpacking, super lightweight and versatile. Also casts well like a normal rod.
This 9’, 4wt First Cast has been perfect for the tighter mountain streams here in WNC. Setup and breakdown is so quick, and while it’s tougher for me to do longer casts, the techniques that I figured out have pulled in a lot of nice trout. Now I have buddies buying them during their awesome sale. I decided to get their Tenkara rod as well, and love it. I carry both on rowdy mtb rides and hit streams where few anglers go. Pretty great.
