Echo Glass Fly Rod Review

This is a very brief report on the Echo Glass fly rod I have been fishing for the last several months.  In short, I REALLY enjoy the rod.  This is not a long range casting rod like my 9 foot, E3, four-weight rod.  That is my cannon.  This Glass is a five-weight rod and at seven feet 10 inches, it reminds me of the rods I fished as a high school kid.

I think I have already mentioned that the Echo Glass rod makes little fish seem large.  It really does.  I have caught trout in the 8 to 18 inch range on this rod and find that it is very fun to fish.  My son Jackson fished the rod too, and he is a very inexperienced caster who managed to get the fly our far enough to catch fish.  I found the AIRFLO Elite line in a WF5 to be an excellent  match, but managed to cast reasonably well with an Elete WF4 and an Exceed WF4.  I spends much time fishing 7-10 wt fly rods with whatever lines I may happen to have handy that I have become a little too casual about properly matching lines to lighter rods.  With the Glass series, I think it is important to pay attention.  The 5 wt AIRFLO Elite line was superb, as was a 5 wt RIO Gold line.  I think that the actions of the Glass rods, much like the actions of light Cane rods, is such that a proper line match becomes far more important than with the high modulus fast action graphite rods I have fished so much over recent decades.

Main point with the Glass, was to slow down my casting stroke, and make sure the line was behind me before making the forward cast.  The rod’s softness is so different from the speeds generated by high modulus modern graphite that it is important to remember that the Glass will be moving the line slower too.  So if everything slows down – all will be well.

Here are a few additional thoughts on the Glass.  Would this be my first choice for a lake rod or an estuary rod for that matter?  Not really.  This rod will get the job done, but its casting range is better tuned to close range and precision – there are times fishing a lake or large river when one would want to make very long distance casts.  Although I made the Glass work on longer casts, it is not an ideal tool for these scenarios.

For small streams, though, the Glass would be wonderful.  Short distance , accurate presentations to trout of all sizes are the perfect home for the Echo Glass.  And under the right conditions, big rivers like the Deschutes would also be a great place to fish this Glass fly rod.  I remember tactical situations where big Deschutes trout would lay under a bush slurping stoneflies dropping onto the water.  This limber, pleasing-to-cast fly rod would be a great choice for fishing up-close and personal to big trout and having a great time fighting the fish.  Same goes on locales like the Upper Williamson River or the Malheur River or the Upper McKenzie and the Metolius around Camp Sherman  too.

Fishing from a drift boat, casting dry flies or soft hackles, at close to moderate range, the Glass would be a very nice alternative to the high tech high speed marvels we have become accustomed to fishing.

Jay Nicholas – July 2014

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8 Responses to Echo Glass Fly Rod Review

  1. Mrmachinist says:

    I started out with glass rods back in the good ol’ days and have to agree that glass is less forgiving regarding line weight and type, as well as casting technique. But they can turn a small creek cutthroat into an epic battle worthy of a Hemingway novel,….LOL.

  2. Mark says:

    I built a seven and a half #4 Echo. Love it for the Crooked. I’m no casting god but can cover most of that river, and it drops a small dry like a charm.
    Have not tried on big rivers. The upper Mac is probably perfect.

  3. charlie says:

    Great review!! I agree on the little fish feeling huge!! Super fun rods. I can understand the love some people have for glass. We recently went out and tried tge new Echo glass SPEY rods. Check it out!!

    http://www.snohoflyfishing.com/echo-glass-review/

  4. Egidio "Edge" CS says:

    Hey! This review is very clear and helpful, covering core aspects of my decision, thank you! I am 42yo brazilian who flyfishes for peacock basses and eventually, trouts. I am looking for a new #4 fly rod to fly fish for 2.5 lbs avg pb.

  5. Al Revzin says:

    An interesting review. One note, though; After 70+ years of fly flinging, I have found, both in the “good old days” and now, that glass rods seem to cast better when underlined by one or two line weights. Some timing adjustments do need to be made, especially on some of the very old “soggy” rods, but the lighter lines do, for me, go farther & faster.

  6. Oregon Fly Fishing Blog says:

    Yes, I agree, especially with most modern fly lines being designed for fast action graphite rods. SA fly lines are not always overly weighted, so a true line match up with freshwater Scientific Anglers lines might be appropriate especially in the more traditional trout series of lines. JN

  7. Wally Cranor says:

    read you review and posts on the echo small water rod and got one for my wife, the 7’10” 5wt. the slower action has improved her casting and small fish do feel bigger. This has been a very wet year for the Sierra’s and we have literally fished from one end of the Sierra’s to the other, looking for dry fly flows in creeks and small rivers. the rod arrived a month ago and she loves it. BUT, the reel seat is a weak one. after only 3 or 4 days of fishing the bottom cork ring and reel seat came loose. we noticed it at the truck before heading out, so duct tape temporarily fixed the problem. but what if we had hiked in a couple of hours to fish and then found the problem? yeah, warranty will cover the rod, but do I trust the fix? wondering if anyone else has suffered this problem………….wally

  8. Oregon Fly Fishing Blog says:

    I suggest that you call Rajeff at 866 347 4359. Tell them your problem and ask what the cost would be to fix the problem. They may need to replace the butt section or may be able to use some other remedy. They are great people and I do not know the solution or the fee. I am confident that Rajeff will stand behind their problem though — Best Regards JN

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