Eagle Claw Featherlight rods have always been one of my favorite rods. They are bright yellow, fiberglass and have a ruler on the blank, but for the money they are one of my very favorite rods! Over the years, I have caught a lot of fish on both Featherlight spinning rods and fly rods and I absolutely love the light action. All rods in the Featherlight series are made of fiberglass which gives them a great feel. You can see lots of reviews on line about these rods, one of my favorites is a review on "The Fiberglass Manifesto" You can link to it here.
I am pretty sure that I would not have landed one of the biggest trout of my life if I had been using a graphite rod. The fish made some crazy runs, on a short line, that under any other circumstances, would have resulted in losing the fish. But thanks to the fiberglass construction of the Featherlight, there was enough give to keep the fish in play.
The new Eagle Claw Featherlight Kokanee Rods make a great addition to the time tested Featherlight line up. The traditional fiberglass construction makes it a perfect trolling rod for both Kokanee and Trout. There are four models available 7.6', 8’, 8.6' and 9’. All have long cork handles that fit perfectly into a rod holder and the reel seat will fit the reel of your choice. All of these rods are two piece and are available at most retailers throughout the Pacific NW for around $29.99.
On my first trip out with the Eagle Claw Kokanee rods we fished four rods, two 7.5’ rods straight behind the boat and two 8’ rods out to the side. The 7.5’ rods were on downriggers and the 8’ were flat lining. We caught fish on all four rods and they performed better than expected. When placed on a down rigger, they have a parabolic bend, and the top section gives good indication of a bite, even when the Kokanee do not get the lure off the clip. While fighting the fish, the rods are soft enough that you don’t need a snubber, but have plenty of backbone for landing bigger fish.
This past year Eagle Claw added an 8.5’ and a 9’ rod to the series. This is great because you can use the 8.5 and 9’ on the outside of your troll in order to spread your lures out away from the boat, which makes a nice presentation and helps to keep lines tangle free.
I tried out the new 9’ version last weekend, and was pleasantly surprised with how it performed. The 9’ rod is a bit heavier than the smaller rods, but it really does make a difference in your presentation. The 9’ rod has a great action and performance, just like the smaller rods.
If you are looking to outfit your entire boat, or just need an extra rod or two, give these rods a try, I’m sure you will be glad you did.