I got a chance to fish the Redington Butter Stick fiberglass fly rod this past week on our family trip to Idaho. I had the 7’6″ 4wt 3 piece model with me and figured it would be perfect for the Big Wood River, Big Lost River and others in the area. Due to the Beaver Creek fire, fishing around Ketchum itself was a bit challenging this past week with smoke and ash in the air. We headed to Redfish Lake and the Salmon River for a float and fish. The Salmon out of Stanley is all new to me and I am not sure mid-August and low river conditions are the best for fishing but we had a good time nonetheless.
The Redington Butter Stick is a joy to cast and is surprisingly progressive in it’s action. Fiberglass is very slow compared to graphite of course, but the Butter Stick is not so sloppy that tailing loops occur every time you lose you casting stroke a bit. You can press on the rod in the wind and it will turn over a 9 foot leader with a size #12 bushy dry with ease. I did not fish the rod with a nymph or hopper dropper set up but plan to this week on the McKenzie. The rods soft tip and moderate “glass action” is going to be perfect for swinging wets on the lower McKenzie and elsewhere.
We didn’t catch any big fish on our trip but the small rainbows and cuttbows we did catch put a fantastic bend in the rod. One of the best attributes of the rod is definitely it’s “fish fighting flex”. I can’t wait to hook a 17 inch fish with the Butter Stick!
I was somewhat concerned about the length of the rod I used. At only 7’6″ I figured it’s mending and roll casting might be hampered a bit. While fishing a single dry I really didn’t notice the length of the rod being a problem at all. I had the Rio Perception line on it which has a head of about 35 feet on it and it cast very nicely, even at distances over 40ft. If you are looking for another light rod with character and added enjoyment of mega flex with a fish on, give the Redington Butter Stick a look.
Love that rod!