Eagle Claw Sweetheart Fly Rod Review

This review is for the new 7' five weight Eagle Claw Sweetheart and not the old vintage model.  I found about this rod the moment they became available - sometime 2015 or '16.  And seeing as how I own a bunch of rods, it sat in the corner.  This rod has a fast and light feel to it.  A soft tip compared with the lower 2/3rds.  I know folks who are casting between 5 and 7 WF or DT lines - I am casting a WF 6 wgt line.

This rod is probably not meant to be more than a small stream or creek rod.  I wouldn't suggest casting nymphs  for small trout (but there are folk who do just that) but I think it's meant to be more of a rod for casting #6 or #8 streamers at the least for bass and panfish.  It is a fun rod whether you are catching small fish or decently sized fish.  I never landed anything over 12" with the Sweetheart.

A totally different rod than the Eagle Claw Featherlight.  Decades ago, the Sweetheart was a point of pride for Eagle Claw.  There is definitely more quality to the build than the Featherlight and more aesthetically pleasing.  Definitely a "blue collar" rod but it puts the fly where you want it.  This rod basically falls into Eagle Claw's fairly new Crafted Glass rods BUT you cannot find this rod anymore . . . you'll have to do some digging around or keep an eye out on ebay.  This rod was for sale only at Cabela's for just a short while - maybe months or maybe a year.

I have only used the Sweetheart twice.  Both times with weighted or articulated flies.  No issues but you can feel the rod recover fairly quickly as the fish fight.  I don't know how to describe it but when I was playing a fish in the riffles and it was my largest Smallie - which was not brought to hand - it was as if you could feel the rod trying to recover without actually having to pull back or play the fish as much as you would other rods - I can't put it into certain technical words but it did feel pretty sweet - a big difference from that full flex Featherlight I landed a nice 14' Smallie on.  It's as if there is a sweet spot or point of reflex in the rod but that's my opinion.  One of the few rods I had to spend much
 time with transitioning from using a lot of other rods.

Wading for Smallmouth Bass last Fall

I'm still catching up on my outings from last year.  I probably won't make a post for each outing but ya never know.  I can't remember them all - not too many but I did a lot of scouting which prompted me to buy stripping guards for this year.  I'm used to fishing familiar spots and a lot of skinny water where I'm drifting a lot.

I do remember this outing.  I didn't have to wade far at all and it was just the second time for me to take out the Fenwick FF786.  It's a 7'8" six weight fiberglass fly rod.  It does seem more of a 5 weight but it's got some back bone.  I wouldn't say it has a deep flex but it'll handle weighted flies and good fighting Smallies in a swift current.  A very comfortable and smooth casting rod.  Fits me well.  I did some casts on the lawn and the first time I hit the creek, it fit me so well.  One of the few new rods I had to think about or struggle with when first taking it out on the water.

A couple of pics from first outing with the Fenwick FF786.

I hit my initial spot for Smallmouth Bass on this creek - one of which I had fished a lot up stream of the lot but never below.  Lot of shade up stream and many nooks and crannies and cover or vegetation for fish to hide or hang out.  But it would seem that some other folks always headed that way.  I never saw anyone go downstream.  And that's where I spent a good portion of my trips out for Smallies last year.

I went on a week day and yet, some folks decided to come in for a wading and bathing session just behind and of to the left.  And one of them came closer to me and only about 10 yards away while the other threw rocks across to the other side.  They may have been trying to chase me off.  And it worked because the Smallies took off downstream.  I headed that way too.

About 20 yards downstream from the bathers, I found a fallen tree near the bank.  I would cast about 10 feet up stream from the roots into the shallow riffles and drift the fly under the roots into faster water and then along the tree to the branches where the water became really shallow again.  Initially, I caught a few Smallies in the riffles just in front of the roots and then just under them.  I began using my Shucker pattern.  After a bit, the action stopped for a long while.  I switched to a chartreuse Panfish Charley and action picked up again.  A few strikes and a few small bass.  I then began mending my line up stream as the fly passed under the roots as to keep the fly there longer and let it go deeper.  Then I finally had a good strike.  I landed the beauty and took a few photos.

 I looked at the time on my Fitbit.  It had been 3 hours since I waded down to the fallen tree.  The bathers were long gone and it was time to head back home.  My calves had tightened up and my back felt as if it wouldn't ever straighten up again.

Evazote Hopper (foam hopper) Fly Tying Instructions

This is about as easy as it comes when tying up a foam bug/hopper.  Like most guys who fly fish for warm water fish, top water is probably the most fun.  Generally, I use foam hoppers or Boogle Bugs.  I even purchased some from breambugs.com.  You want to use a sharp hook with a nice gap for Smallies.


Materials

River Road Creations - Chernobyl Cutter
Evazote
cement
rubber legs
Gamakatsu B10S Stinger #6

You can change up hook sizes or cutter sizes.  I'm fairly knew at making instructional videos but this one should simplify things.  *Make a slit in the bottom to place over shank.

Dodging floaters.

Last summer, I hit up a stream thinking that since school had just begun, that floaters would more than likely be done for the season. Boy, was I wrong. I've seen a lot of folks on this stream and although it wasn't crazy busy with just recreational floaters, there were a lot of kayak anglers too. Most fisherman bypassed the same areas and fished the same spots. Kind of interesting how almost all the anglers got out of their kayaks to wade about a 10 yard stretch of water that never yields anything - and after totally skipping about a 60 yard stretch of stream that I almost always catch smallmouth bass.

 Get it? - This was late last summer. Luckily, we received a lot of late July and early August rains that brought the Smallies out of their hiding holes. And as usual, I tied on my trusted "Shucker" streamer and caught some fish. Fortunately, it seemed that all the "party floaters" had gone back to school or college or work and I did meet quite a few kayakers. Some had their dogs and others had to be pulled off of timber at the same log jam. One guy mentioned that he had been fly fishing just as long as he'd been married - HA HA.

 Typically, I do my best to avoid floaters and for good cause - the one time I actually decided to scout some waters I'd been eyeballing for ages, it would seem that almost a whole school just kept floating by and I just could not wade fish that section of the stream - which is in fact also a party river in which you've either got to fish early or late during the summer vacation months. I did catch a few fish that day. My best fish (pictured above) was in that 60 yard stretch of stream all the anglers skipped.

As you can tell, this fly has been hit hard.  It's my "Shucker" streamer.  I use this fly more than any other pattern.  You can find tying instructions here.  http://purposehere.blogspot.com/2013/05/tying-shucker-warm-water-fly-tying.html

Tight Lines.

Echo Bad Ass Glass Review "Echo BAG"

My father and I were supposed to have a guided float an Ozark stream - one that used to have very little traffic.  With little rain over the preceding weeks, the creek had dropped too much for a guide boat and from my understanding, the smallmouth bass had recently been hit hard.  It was offered that we could go on an intensive wade for Smallies but it was going to be around 100 F and my knee and foot had issues.  That and my father is almost 70 - I didn't say anything to him but was afraid the heat and humidity would be too much for him on an all day outing.

After having conversations the night before with several local fishing guides and one being a good friend and trusted source, we decided to hit up the trout in a boat.  We had the opportunity for a guided float on the Buffalo River but that entailed waking up well before the rooster for a drive and fighting floatillas on a hot and steamy river with a lower CFS than recent spring guide trips.

(Dad enjoying the view from the front)

With my father not retiring, we haven't really spent much time on the water and wanted to maximize our opportunity for smallmouth bass.  Over the years, we fished for trout plenty of times and I wanted to show him how much I cared for and missed him living about 3 or 4 hours away.  So, I saddle up and paid for our first guide trip.  Although, he did pay for the lodge and tipped our guide.

I brought my Fenwick FF78-6 and Echo BAG 608.  I knew well beforehand that the creek might not be high enough for floating.  And that the Fenwick and Echo Bad Ass Glass would be sufficient enough for Smallies or trout.

Up late and wondering if we were going to land any fish, we met up at the shop around 7:45 and chatted it up with some guides.  My father likes to fish tailwaters and prefers being on the stream at sun up and not loading into a boat at 8:30.  I too am used to hitting the trout early on before the activity drops off before lunch time.  I'll chase Smallies all day though!

We jetted up about 200 yards from the ramp.  An eagle was watching us from the shoals!  I figured we were going to cast streamers or throw articulated flies.  NOPE.  Drifted nymphs all day.  We both had a fish on withing several casts - we had many doubles that day.  We probably caught about 13 or so at the same time.  THAT GUIDE PUT US ON THE FISH.  After 8 hours of great fishing with could cover and a few rain drops, we were tuckered out.  I broke in my Echo Bad Ass Glass properly.

Echo BAG Review

This rod is faster than the other new and vintage fiberglass rods that I do own.  To me, it feels like a 5 weight rod but will act like a 6 when need be.  It's not rigid and it will bend over like an Eagle Claw Featherlight but it's tough.  I had on a 2 or 3 pounder but played it like a smallmouth bass and didn't net it.  As I only drifted nymphs, I will do a review on casting streamers and catching some Smallies.  The recovery rate on this rod is great.  You definitely feel it load and it's tough.  That rod is spunky fighter - great recovery and sensitivity.  You don't necessarily need to slow your cast down as you do with older (and some new) glass.  If you miss a strike, you can get your line back out quicker (thus the nickname Quickshot).  The rod feels solid - unlike those 5/6 and 7/8 CGR's I landed a few Brown Trout on a few years back.  The back bone in this rod makes you feel assured you can handle to fight.

Not so good things about the ECHO BAG - Alignment dots don't line up on bottom blank.  Inside the blanks seem uneven in hue and clarity as if the blanks are dirty on the inside.  Up close, for $279 it looks like a budget rod (cheap looking rubber windcheck and I coulda done better making thread wraps on one of the guides.  Low grade cork with lots of filler.  Also, some light pitting on a thread wrap and tiny almost unnoticeable bumps in the finish on one of the blanks) BUT it feels like a million bucks.

I matched the rod to an Allen ATS and Cabela's base 6 wgt line.  I feel like better line needs to be used or perhaps a heavier line.  Maybe, 6 wgt line will be sufficient with streamers - at least for me.

Tight Lines.