The ButterStick

I recently had My hands on the new Redington butterstick rod. It is a fiberglass, so don’t expect it to be the super fast crisp action that some of us have come to love and enjoy. However it seems to have more beef than most glass rods. Chucking out those dry flies will feel like an absolute dream, while casting a tight loop should not be an issue. Hauling in over sized trout shouldn’t be too much of a chore either.

Redington, until now stayed out of the fiberglass rod business and concentrated more on high end graphite . The butter stick being the forerunner for this little test by redington has a decent shot at becoming a hit. It is offered in 6 sizes starting at a 6′ 2″ 2 weight, up to a 8′ 5 weight model. So this rod certainly is aimed at the particular smaller stream demographic. You wont find the hardcore heavy streamer casters charging through the fly shop to slap their money down to own it. It’s entry into the fly fishing world was hardly similar to the play station 4 video game system due out later this month. However that was not likely the goal for the redington company. It is certainly a niche rod that a smaller percentage of fly fisherman would show any interest in. It’s not likely you will find too many younger anglers looking to buy a rod with a fiberglass slower style action. It seems most younger anglers who didn’t start fly fishing until after the graphite composite revolution in the 80’s and early 90’s, would not know what to do with a slow action fiberglass/bamboo.

My First Thoughts:

The aptly named butter stick (as in soft as butter) is a pretty catchy name. As for the color of this rod, it reminds me of the old graphite composite eagle claw rods that retail for around $19.99. It is not nearly a brightly colored though and the 2 rods don’t feel even close to the same. This rod would be perfect for fishing small streams and creeks. The softer presentations and the shorter, lighter rods available in this series make it perfectly suitable for small rivers off the beaten path.

Slower Action = Slowing Down Those Casts:

Maybe that’s what we all need to do. Slow down and enjoy life a little more. Perhaps that was Redington’s statement with this rod. It is clearly geared towards the small stream angler and short caster. Those are the kind of places where you will rarely encounter other fisherman, so there’s no need to rush anything. Just sit back on the edge of the river and take it all in.

What Rod Sizes Are Available?

Check out the Redington Butter Stick at Amazon!

Redington offers 6 sizes all geared towards the small stream trout angler. You won’t find too many rods this size on big western rivers, and when you do you are likely to see an older gentleman without a care in the world. Retired and nothing better to do than fight trout all day. Here is the lineup:

6′ 2″ 2 weight

Rod Length 6′ 2″
Weight 1.9 oz (53.8641 g.)
Sliding Reel Seat Rings

6′ 3 weight

6′ Length
2 oz (g. 56.699)
Sliding reel Seat Rings

7′ 3 Weight

7′ Length
2.1 oz (g. 59.534)
Sliding reel Seat Rings

6′ 6″ 4 Weight

Length 6′ 6″
2.3 oz (g. 65.2039)
Sliding Reel Seat Rings

7′ 6″ 4 Weight

Length 7′ 6″
2.9 oz (82.2136 g.)
Standard screwing style reel seat

8′ 5 Weight

8′ Length
3.1 oz (87.8835 g.)
Screwing style reel seat

Summary:

As you can see there are two different styles of reel seats available. I have always been fond of the sliding ring style reel seats. They are only available on smaller rods and just have a nice look and feel. They tend to be much more lightweight than the standard wooden reel seats, and really lock the reel in tighter than you might guess.

All of these rods retail for the price of $249.99 so they are pretty reasonably priced (just like all Redington products are). Another thing you might notice is the light weight of these glass rods. They are slightly lighter than most you will find on the market. This is due to the high quality glass that Redington has used.

Although these rods are not for everyone, you might be interested in taking a look at them if you want some retro fliberglass fishing. My guess is they won’ t be huge sellers, but the people who buy them will enjoy the feel of a superlight fiberglass with all the benefits of Redingtons lifetime rod warranty.