The Echo2 Saltwater series of fly rods were designed by Tim Rajeff to do what every chaser of big fish needs most in a fly rod; cast large flies, give the wind something to howl at, survive the rigors of serious fishing, and have the backbone to play tug-o-war with Moby Dick.
No one wants to stick it to Dick with an ugly fly rod, so Tim paid special attention to the components and made the Echo2 rods a beautiful thing to look at as well. The Echo2 Saltwater rods feature top of the line components; high grade cork handles, extra hard stripper guides with illusion plasma coating system in titanium coated frames, hard chrome snake guides, and a deep blue gloss finish.
To further put the competition on the defensive, every Echo2 rod comes with two tips; one tip marked "A" for accuracy, and another marked "D" for distance. Each tip has a distinct action to help you further achieve your casting
Echo 2 Saltwater
Rod Length
Both rods are 9'- 0" , 4 psc.
Line Rating
The 9 wt is rated for 9 wt lines and sink tip lines from 300 -400 grain; the 10 wt is rated for 10 wt lines and sink tip lines from 400 -500 grain.
Rod Action(s)
Each rod comes with two tips ; the "A" tip is designed as a fast- to fast+ action for accuracy and "D" that delivers a med- fast action for distance casting. The 9 wt has power rating of 9.3 and is designed to throw medium to very large flies. The 10 wt has rating of 10.4 and is designed to throw large to crazy large flies.
Weight
4.8 oz (9 wt) and 5.25 oz (10 wt)
Material
Advanced graphite materials
MSRP
$279.95 for either
First Impressions:
The rod is finished with an attractive dark blue surface, anodized black aluminum reel seat with double up-locking rings, three large and extra hard stripper guides in titanium coated frames, large hard chrome snake guides and an excellent quality full wells cork grip on both (and a fighting butt handle on the 10 wt). I found the rods to balance well with the my large arbor reels.
On the Water:
Before going out on the field test, I evaluated the tip flex differences of both the A and D tips for both rods. The measured difference was subtle, the A tip flexed more by about 5% for each rod.
(For this testing, I used fly lines manufactured by AirFlo)
I designed my field test of the Echo 2 Rods to determine the casting performance over a range of line weights, line type, fly size and casting stroke with both the A and D tips. The lines included; sink tip lines of 300,400,500 grain, WF-10F, and a WF-9 Intermediate. I set up the casting evaluation on a grassy marsh point of land that allowed a varied perspective to wind direction and wind velocity, typical of any outing an angler is likely to encounter. I believe a quality fly rod should be capable of performing over a range of conditions with respect to an anglers ability level.
I began my evaluation of the 10 wt D tip with the 400 grain line and a medium sized fly casting cross-wise with the wind opposite to my casting side. The wind velocity was 10-15 mph. I had laid out about 80+ of line on the grass at my feet and I easily was able to cast all of it. I was immediately surprised how effortlessly the rod loaded and how well the line shot out with just two strokes. I spooled out an additional 15 and repeated the casting. No problem shooting the additional fly line out. I changed my casting orientation to head-on to the wind. Again no issue, a small drop in distance as expected. Changing to a larger fly made a small difference in the overall casting distance, but line control remained satisfactory.
Keeping all the same I changed the tip to the A section and repeated exactly the above scenario. The A tip required a minor change in casting stroke timing and power effort but very similar performance was achieved. Since I was not casting at a specific target, the actual accuracy benefit was not obvious, but what I did note was improved line control.
Next I loaded up the 500 grain line and repeated the very same testing scenario as described above. All in all, I felt the 500 grain line was a bit heavy but with alterations in my casting stroke I was able to achieve very good distance with both tips and again noticed more control with the A tip.
Next up was the WF-10 F line. The 10 wt floating line handled particularly well with the A tip, achieving excellent distances of 65 with surprisingly quiet line lay down. Changing over to the D tip made little difference (other than slight changes in casting stroke), the line cast and handled equally well. Regardless of the tip choice, changing to a larger fly made more of a difference in the overall casting distance due to an increase in air resistance, but well within what would be expected with a WF-F line. Overall I was impressed and pleased with the performance of the Echo 2 10 wt.
Next I set up to cast the Echo 2 9 wt D tip with a 300 grain sink tip line and the medium sized fly.
Starting cross-wise to the wind, I laid out 90+ feet of line at my feet and began casting. It took me several casts to get used to the change from the 10 wt; timing and power stroke. I had no difficulty casting the 300 grain line clear through to the backing on the reel. This was accomplished with just two false casts to fully load the rod. Casting into the wind reduced my distance by about 15 at worst. As expected changing over to the larger fly had more of an effect on distance with the 9 wt (300 grain line) than with the 10 wt (400 grain line).
Next I changed over to the A tip and repeated the scenario. As was the case with the 10 wt, minor alterations in casting stroke were required, but the A tip on the 9 wt produced a similar performance to the D tip. However, I again noted an improved line control with the A tip.
Next I loaded up the 400 grain line and repeated my testing scenario with both tips and fly sizes. All in all, I felt the 400 grain line was a bit heavy but with alterations in my casting stroke I was able to achieve very good distance with both tips and again noticed more control with the A tip.
Next up was the WF-9 intermediate line with the A tip. I laid out 70+ feet of line at my feet and after a few warm up casts with the new line, I started casting cross-wise to the wind. I was quickly impressed at how well the A tip handled the line. Very good distances were achieved as well as excellent line control with just two or three false casts. Changing my orientation to head-on to the wind or changing to the larger fly mattered little, a small decrease in distance as expected.
Lastly I changed over to the D tip and repeated the above scenario. By this time I knew what to expect from the change. The D tip provided an increase in overall distance by 10 or so, regardless of wind orientation or fly size.
In summary, the Echo 2 (A and D tip systems) will provide some fly anglers with a noticeable casting option not found with other rod producers. All in all, the Echo 2 approach is sure to provide the angler with one fly rod to match up with different casting needs.
Echo 2 Saltwater Series
Construction-Quality
Advanced graphite fiber material with an attractive blue finish. Excellent set of rod guides and components made for the demands of saltwater fishing.
4.6
Performance
A multi - tip rod with both a fast action and med-fast action tip taper that provides the fly angler a very good casting range with a variety of fly lines and fly sizes.
4.7
Functional Design
Premium quality cork handle with up-locking reel seat, and three oversized stripping guides and section alignment dots.
4.7
Price
A mid-price range ($279.95 at retail for all in the series) fly rod with better than average workmanship. Warranty; Rajeff Sports warrants every ECHO rod for the lifetime of the original owner. To make a warranty claim, return your rod with $30.00 for shipping and handling.
4.6
Application
The Echo 2 Saltwater series fly rods offer a unique dimension of fly casting with the introduction of the two tip system.
4.7
Score:1-5(5=highest)
Total Score
4.66
Plus
Minus
Performance
Quality
Application
Price point
Conclusion:
The Echo 2 (2 tip system) Saltwater series of rods may set a new standard for other rod manufacturers to consider. The overall quality, performance and price make this series worth considering.
