Initial impression-Echo Carbon XL 690-4 9'0'' 6wt

iveofione

Life of the Party
Forum Supporter
Now in my 72nd year of fly fishing I have become content to anchor up more, watch a bobber, the birds, wildlife or just the clouds and be grateful that I am not in a rest home watching game shows or worse yet-pushing up daisies. To this end I have modified my Predator to accept a 3rd rod after using only 2 for over 30 years. This will allow me to keep a chironomid rod rigged at all times while my sinking lines are also in play. Most of my buddies already do this and do it quite well.

In searching for another rod I came across a 6wt shootout with rods up to $1100 included and found that the modestly priced Echo Carbon had earned an Honorable Mention among all of the heavy hitters. Further research showed almost unanimous praise for this rod with the general consensus that it was the greatest sub $200 rod available. It was exactly what I was looking for in a 3rd boat rod-competent and affordable with a good warranty. My only other 6wt is a Loomis IMX that I built over 30 years ago specifically to nymph fish the Deschutes with. It has only been fished once in the past two decades so I got it out last week in anticipation of comparing it to the soon arriving Carbon. Rigging it up with one of the new(and much maligned) Okuma SLVb reels and a GPX WF 6 wt I found that it balanced perfectly, better than with a lighter reel, and felt really good in my hand. Casting it was a real surprise after all these years, it is really accurate and very powerful, I had forgotten.

Today the new Carbon arrived and loaded up with the same reel and line it too balanced perfectly. The new rod weighs in at 3.6 ounces, the old one built at the height of my rod building abilities and with premium components weighs 3.55 ounces. Pretty much a wash. Casting the rod was a pleasant surprise as it lived up to the hype casting far and accurately. Careful inspection revealed that the rod was definitely built to a price point and lacked the attention to detail that I gave the old rod 35 years ago. The cork is certainly suspect with a lot of filler and some of the guides have a bit too much epoxy on them but I don't fish with any snobs so it is unlikely that any one will care including me.

Do I think it was worth the $180 tariff? Oh, hell yes! $180 for a new fly rod is just mouse nuts nowadays and to build one that seems this good at this price point is just exceptional. I join the legions that are praising Rajeef for this rod, building a quality piece at an affordable price that has everything but bragging rights. In over 70 years of fly rodding I have caught thousands of fish in at least 100 places and not a single one of them was ever caught on bragging rights.
 

RCF

Life of the Party
Thank you for your review! By including a comparison/reference to the IMX rod really places into context what the rod is really like. And yes I am a long-time IM6/IMX fan. Used to be easy to find old Loomis rods at a reasonable price. That is why I bought them. To get a brand new 4 piece rod with a warranty for less than an old 2 piece rod makes me a very happy camper. Birthday present coming my way...
 

Eastside

Life of the Party
Forum Supporter
Nice review. I own that rod as well and agree with your assessment. I enjoy the Echo rods because as you say for the price point, they are exceptional. Getting more into lake fishing with encouragement from others on this forum, I realized it was useful to have multiple rods rigged and ready to go for a day on the water. The Carbon XL was my first purchase and I also bought an Ion XL, both in six weight. Fished both of them hard last season and loaned them out to friends that I took fly fishing for the first time without worrying about them using the rod. I also have a Shadow X for Euro nymphing and I did break the tip on that rod through operator error while on the Deschutes River. Was able to replace the tip for the same price as if I had sent it in and fished the rest of the week with the rod. I do enjoy my Meiser two-handed Spey rods and Hardy reels for chasing steelhead when it is allowed, but I can see more Echo Rods in my future.
 

Pink Nighty

Life of the Party
I've got about 5, maybe 6 years on a 950 carbon xl and I love every cast with that stick. You are correct in your inspection, as the only point of failure on the rod today is the top part of the cork is coming loose. I have fished this rod probably 250 days, and its handled more coho and big bass than is fair to expect. It's still very fishable and the problem shouldnt worsen, it's just got a little wiggle to it now. And they'd probably fix it if I asked nicely. I have never felt limited by this rod compared to any other 9ft 5wt, and I prefer it to most of them I've tried.
 

_WW_

Geriatric Skagit Swinger
Forum Supporter
I own several Echo rods and love them all. My new Chironomid rod is an Echo TR 3110 lined with a 6wt anadro.
 

Kilchis

Life of the Party
Forum Supporter
Three years ago I had no need for another rod but why let that stop me? I bought a Carbon XL 9' 4wt and was//am greatly pleased. So pleased, in fact, that I bought another unneeded XL in 6wt. I think they are an incredible bargain. They are the first rods I grab for every trip while a Loomis, Sages and others gather dust in the corner.

Last year I discovered that Echo would sell me new tip sections for $20, which I thought was a killer deal. I bought a new tip for each just as trip insurance. This, of course, means that if I ever do break either rod it will be the butt section.
 

ABITNF

Steelhead
New tip on many of the Sage rods are now $195. In some cases this is more than the rods original price. For the price, Echo rods are one of the best values on the market.
 
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