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Elkhorn ET602-3
Score 3.63
6', 3-Piece,
MSRP $169.00,
AA 66,
ERN 2.97
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Elkhorn ET602-3 (6' 3pc) |
Paul |
Jeremy |
Jim |
Joe |
Composite Score |
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| 1.) Rod Tube, Sock and Presentation |
3 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
3.75 |
| 2.) Grip and Reel Seat |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
| 3.) Hook Keeper, Label and Rod Markings |
3 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
3.5 |
| 4.) Guides, Ferrules and Tip-Top |
3 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
3.5 |
| 5.) Short Distance Casting |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
| 6.) Medium and Long Distance Casting |
3 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
3.25 |
| 7.) Roll Casting |
3 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
3.25 |
| 8.) Accuracy and Delicacy of Fly Delivery |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
| 9.) Fish Handling |
3 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
3.25 |
| 10.) Reviewer's
Prerogative |
4 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
3.75 |
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| Composite Score |
3.40 |
4.00 |
3.60 |
3.50 |
3.63 |
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Jim Stuard's Comments:
These
Elkhorn rods are beautifully finished. The clear red wraps on the charcoal
blanks makes for a handsome looking rod. The reel seat hardware on this
companies rods is generally better too. I liked every one of their grip
and reel seat combos. As the shorter rods go, so does your distance. This
one was great in close. It felt good with a fish on. I dinged it for not
having alignment dots but it’s not a deal breaker. This is a very
small-water rod and shows in it’s inability to cast farther than around
30-40 feet.
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Joe Cornwall's Comments:
In my rod notes I wrote; "This
is a scalpel. I can precisely cut the water into very fine
targets and present to them with lovely precision." In close this
rod really showed some elegance. The appearance is rich, the
appointments are quality. At 6' this fly rod borders on a utility
length, but it's still designed for intimate waters. I felt that
beyond 25 to 30-feet I was working very hard to control the cast.
The rod certainly had the horsepower, but not the length. This rod
has a tip-oriented tendency and will fit the compact casting stroke
exhibited by those who prefer a faster action in a fly rod. Balance was
good with the BP, avoid more than 3-ounces empty weight and you'll have a
fine outfit. I found roll casting to be good, but not great and
there's no surprise in that with a short fly rod. Fish feel was
superb. In all,- this could be the foundation of a very fine, and
very refined, small-water outfit.
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Jeremy Kurtz's Comments:
This is a neat little rod.
It's quick, and accurate. It casts well in close, yet you can push this
rod, and with a double haul you can get some surprising distance for a 6-foot stick. It has a bit of backbone too, so larger fish shouldn't be much
of an issue. Smaller fish still get to show off thanks to the blank's
sensitivity. The Traveler 602-3 is a three-piece, so you can throw it in
your luggage and go. The rod, just like the other Elkhorn rods, has
very good workmanship and appointments for this price range. The guides
are standard chrome snakes, and the red wraps and the wrap finish are well
done. The cork is Super grade, and the reel seat is a very classy
aluminum up-locking with a titanium finish. The seat also sports a
nice cork insert. Elkhorn continues to impress me at this price point.
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Paul Feldman's Comments:
This rod has a high quality
cork grip and beautiful reel seat with cork spacer, which is what I like
on a 2 weight. Workmanship on this rod was very nice which gave it the
look and feel of quality. This was a faster action rod than many of
the other rods I had tested and it threw a very tight loop. Close in
casting was very pleasant and accurate, and the longer-range capability
was quite good for a 6 foot rod. You could actually roll cast with this
rod.
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Manufacturer's Comments:
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