Sunday, August 13, 2017

Hardy Ultralight duo shines at ICAST/IFTD

Two new products from Hardy for 2018 received rave reviews at ICAST/IFTD. Their new Ultralight fly rod is made from their proprietary Sintrix 440 material. In the hand, their 4-weight was one of the lightest rods I've ever held, rivaling that of the Sage X. On the IFTD Demo Day casting pond, it made for a nice, delicate presentation up close, but surprisingly could boom out to 60 feet without much effort. Initial offerings will be in 2 to 5 weights with lengths from 8'8" to 9'9". MSRP will hover around the $700 mark. A rod that light needs a complimentary reel. The Hardy Ultralite MTX reel got my vote for Best Freshwater Reel in the New Product Showcase. It's stunning beauty aside, this reel uses a carbon fiber and machined aluminum frame to reduce weight, while maintaining a powerful carbon-fiber drag with 340-degree adjustable setting and no start-up inertia. This reel will match great with any of the new lightweight premium trout rods now taking the market. Sizes range from a 3-5 to 7-9 with MSRP from $429 to $499.