Today I will cover the Salty Dog 7 weight fly fishing rod made by REEL and conclude if it is the right rod for you and your needs
the Salty Dog made by REEL comes in 2 sizes a 7 weight 10 foot and a 9 weight 9 foot both in a fast action. we are testing the 7 weight 10-foot version of the rod in this review. the rod is made from 40T and 30T graphite this makes for well balanced and durable blank. It is a 4-piece set that allows for easy traveling. The rod is finished in pearl grey color which is then covered in a smooth varnish.
the first 3 stripper guides are Fuji’s alconite guides that are strong, light weight and importantly saltwater proof. The rest of the guides are stainless steel snake guides. The guides have a low-profile resin build up on all its wraps, this minimizes wight and makes it easier to cast. This makes it ideal for fishing in harsh saltwater conditions.
the rod has a handle and a fighting butt made from AAA grade cork. The reel seat is constructed from machined aluminum. It has a double lock up system to ensure that your reel stays secure, and it has a gloss black anodized finish. This finish allows it to have a great deal of saltwater protection in its construction.
| Pros | Cons | other |
| Very well constructed and thought out design | Has a limited selection of rod choices which limits its applications | |
| If extremely easy to carry in its carry tube | Well, it’s not a Sage, right? | |
| 100% salt water friendly | ||
The construction allows you enough flex to get a moderate size fly out but also having enough backbone to launch out a large fly like a heavy clouser minnow. The rod has some extra flex to it due to its extra length. While this helps with clearing the fly when you cast but it also slows down your casting action. All and all this amounts to you being abler to make long and delicate cast. The rod loads up very well although but slowly and this can take some time to get used to.
The slow action gives the rod a lot of extra bend. This bend helps give you more control when applying pressure on your fish. This is helped by its length and the fighting butt is a great help when you need to anchor the rod while fighting big fish. This flex also means that you feel every bit of action when fishing. If the fish goes for a long run the soft bend will prevent any break off that you might have. Though the soft bend is very forgiving there might be problems when trying to turn the head of large fish during a fight. So far it been a great rod for what I have been catching and I find the fight to be great as well
| Pros | Cons | other |
| Soft bend is forgiving | The soft bend might make it hard to turn the head of large fish | |
| Great control when fighting most fish | ||
I pair this rod with a REEL 7-8-9wt Origin fly reel. This combination match reach other perfectly for saltwater application and feels perfectly balanced with one another.
the rod is ideal for saltwater estuaries and for sandy flat fishing. It is ideal for handling medium to slightly larger game fish including freshwater species like Carp and Largemouth Bass. I find that it is a good all rounder and is a joy to cast on the mudflats where the longer rod cast is not obstructed by obstacles.
The rod casts heavy flies comfortably which allows me to fish deep estuaries. The rod cast light large top water flies with ease. Which allows me to get into the fish’s strike zone when sight fishing or when I need to target surface action. one of the great things about the rod is that it is small and mobile when I fit it into its caring tube. This allows me to explore areas looking for fishing spots without having the inconvenience of a large uncomfortable rod in my hands all the time.
| Application | Recommends fly selection |
| Ideal for Saltwater estuaries and flats | clousers and minnows |
| Casts well enough for you to target fish when you need to. | Small to medium Terrestrials and poppers |
| Is versatile enough that if you want you can target freshwater species | Large heavy bodied flies |
The Salty Dog costs R2000 ($142) on the REEL website. For the quality of the components used I find no better deal when it comes to fly rods on the market as of now. It comes with a Cordura traveling tube that has a quality build and will do a great job in protecting your rod. With good care and due to it saltwater resistance components the rod should last you for many many years. I highly recommend this fly-fishing rod.
| Price | Value |
| R2000 ($142) | Unbeatable quality for its price range |
| A great rod worth investing in |
The Salty dog rod is a great rod for veteran and beginner fly fishermen willing to tackle saltwater predators. It is comfortable to fish but does have a learning curve when dealing with its slow casting action. on top of this it has a wonderful aesthetic in its pearl grey finish that shimmers wonderfully in the sun. the components are top grade with very high-quality components at a difficult to compete with price. This especially true for saltwater rods as they might struggle to handle the abuse of the saltwater environment. I highly endorse this rod for those reasons and find it a valuable part of my fly-fishing arsenal.
