Lamson produces a great all-around quality rod and a concept that was invented by them in 1997. In this article I will explain the particulars about this rod and why I enjoy fishing them so much.
Length: 9’0”
Weight: 6
Pieces: 4
Action: Fast
Use: Indicator Nymphing/Streamer
Retail: $750 (Rod & Reel)
The first thing that intrigued me with this setup was the way the rod was setup appearing to go through the reel. This made it impossible to resist when Lamson was sending them to guides in the industry for a special price.
I wanted a rod that was fast and had good backbone to turn over my heavy, tungsten nymphing rigs.
The way they have balanced the rod and reel is a work of beauty. Holding it in your hands you can balance the rod perfectly exactly where you hold it with one finger. In talking to the local rep I found out these rods are made in the same factory where they make Loop and other high quality rod blanks.
I went with a 6 weight with this rod because I knew I was only going to be throwing weighted flies with it. I have paired it with the Scientific Anglers Anadro line which is overweighted 1.5-line weights and is the best indicator line on the market in my opinion.
This rod paired with the line stack mends and mends with ease. I can mend my line much earlier then with other setups which, in turn, creates a much cleaner drift.
The rod being perfectly balanced creates a lot less fatigue for the angler which allows you to fish longer and more effectively. It also doubles as a great streamer rod for these same reasons.
Lamson CA comes in weights 4,5,6 for freshwater fishing and weights 6,7,8 for saltwater.
I would say the only drawback to the center axis is that you can NOT replace it with a conventional fly reel if something goes wrong with the reel. The rod comes with a Litespeed reel though, so problems are far and few between, this is Lamsons’ higher end reels retailing at $450.
Lamson has also has the rod with standard reel seats for sale if you are not interested in the Center Axis, although I highly recommend trying it out. With the right line this rod would also make a great dry fly line in a 4-5 weight or a bonefish rod in line weights 7-8.
Overall, I would recommend this rod to anybody in the market for a new rod. It seems like it is more expensive than it really is, you must remember you are getting a high-quality rod AND reel for this price.