Long term test - Hardy Swift Mk II 13' 8#

I thought it might be an idea to share my thought on some of the tackle I have been using over the years, I, like most of us, am susceptible to the effective marketing of the major tackle companies. Happily, I have not made any particularly bad purchases as of yet.

My 13' Hardy Swift Mk II has seen more abuse than any of my fly rods and has served me very well!

Hardy describe this rod as:

"Many experts rate this the best double-hander on the market. It's unsurpassed for casting, but is a very forgiving, easy to use fishing rod. The action is powerful but smooth - a great Spey caster and a magnificent big fish rod. Very durable, versatile and ideal for harsh conditions and biting winds. The rod is built on a fast-taper mandrel to produce a quick action, with high modulus carbon making the rod stiffer, lighter and with superb dampening qualities"

I have used this rod for about 5 years now and have fished with it all over the UK from numerous Scottish and welsh rivers as well as back at home in the South West. Its a lovely rod, well finished and very light. I particularly like the profile of the handle as its very slim and feels rather delicate. As hardy say, its a great big fish rod. I have landed a fresh 41" springer with this rod and I was very surprised how much power this rod has in reserve. I fish this rod with a Hardy Angel Mk II reel and a Rio Multi tip line which balances the rod perfectly.

The action is smooth and progressive and when my casting is actually going well it shoots line very well and performs all casts nicely including the various 'snap' casts.

This rod is perfect for dealing with Salmon and Sea Trout of any size and is perfect for the Frome and other small to medium rivers that I fish. Thankfully Ive not had any warranty claims on this rod as yet but i have had a couple of disasters with my spinning rod which Hardy ave sent out replacement sections by return post - they do charge about £40 -50 for a replacement section but I guess I can live with that!

I would recommend this rod to anyone who likes a progressive action rod, I guess if you prefer a very fast rod for shooting heads and Scandi / Skagit styles then this is not the rod for you.

I find it a real pleasure to use and casts effortlessly all day long, I cant see any need to replace this rod in the near future (my wife definitely doesn't) and given that you can pick them up second hand for about £200 i think they will continue to be a popular rod for some time to come!