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.