…but the fall trout swing has begun. [photo: Aki Koyama]
This was my first session with the new Onyx 5wt. To be perfectly honest, terms like “high modulus” and “regressive flex” are beyond me. I’m not a rod designer–I just like to fish.
Good news: the Onyx likes to fish too.
It is as light and sensitive as the 5wt Platinum Spey but with enough guts to throw a far heavier payload. At one point, I was running 8′ of T-11 and two four-inch Grand Master Flashes, both rigged with Medium Raw Weights. The Onyx chucked them to the far bank with ease.
I did find that the Onyx wants to needs to cast itself. When the wind picked up towards the end of the day, I began over-muscling my casts (bad habit), and my loops collapsed. Once I focused on maintaining a compact stroke and allowed the rod to provide the muscle, I was back in business. This should be welcomed news for those with shoulder issues, or anyone looking to feel less wrecked at the end of the day.
And the Onyx’s feel when playing 15-20″ trout? Pretty awesome. I can’t wait to get it into some real bruisers…
Rod: Beulah Onyx 12′ 4″ 5wt
Head: 425gr Tonic Switch
Tip: 8′ of T-11
Flies: ProTubed, variable weight Grand Master Flash (black/copper, olive/copper, tan/gold)
Looks pretty cool to me.