During some off time at the International Sportsmen's Expo, I decided to take the TFO Axiom Series 9 weight out on the casting pond to see what all the hype was about. For me to sell the items in the shop, I have to try them out. Rough job, eh.
The rod doesn't look like the run-of-the-mill TFO. Upon first inspection, the first thing that grabbed my attention was the grip. It looked like custom rod builder, Gary Anderson, put it together. There are burl inlays between the main cork body and the darker ends. The aluminum reel seat looks like a high quality Struebel. If it is a knock off, it's a darn good one. The blank is glossy instead of matte finished.
I was surprised on the Axiom's casting quality. It is a fast action rod that is meant to throw out big flies on heavy lines. I had a 330 grain head. The rod felt damp. There was no tip flutter. The Axiom was buttery smooth. I was able to throw the whole line.
Here in Northern California, I can highly recommend Axiom 9 weight as a Delta Striped Bass rod. It has plenty of power to throw large Clouser/Deceiver flies into a roaring headwind. And from doing a wiggle test, I'm sure that the Axiom has the backbone to drag some large fish in.
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Denny - Doin' it real since 1969. dennis@flyfishingspecialties.com
