One of the greatest worries international fly fishing travelers have is being separated from their luggage—and especially their rods and reels. Unfortunately most rod cases are too long for carry on when fitting into overhead aircraft racks. Too often the rods show up a few days later, or not at all. March Brown Canada has solved the problem for the Canadian Youth Fly Fishing Team with a ten foot 3 weight that fits into a luxurious leather case 19 by 2 by 5 inches. Called the Diplomat series one can feel and see the quality as soon as the eight pieces are assembled.

Did I say eight pieces? Aren’t multi- pieced rods known to be rather poor casters and bought only for ease of travel? Well, I was as ambivalent as anyone else on the matter until I put on a 4 weight line (the lightest I own) and tried it out. I have two tests, one it has to throw true and accurate for at least 60 feet. This rod does it easily from the time I uncorked my first cast. The second is that it must pass the sensitivity test. This is one with a single split shot bouncing along the rocks of the Shell River bottom. I have to feel that tick-tick-tick to know that a European dace or graying has taken the fly. Most anglers use six foot rods to guarantee that feel and consequently stand right over their fish. Our lads like to stand back a bit but they must have that same feel or they’ll never be able to set the hook in time. This rod will do it, passing every test I came up with and will prove an asset when fishing for trout in future competition years.

I would say that March Brown has found a place in the Canadian Youth team for years to come and would highly recommend the rod to anyone who travels by air, needs a quality wand  with enough backbone to handle trout to 20 inches and simply to own a piece of fly fishing equipment guaranteed to make one proud without breaking the bank.

Bob Sheedy
Coach
Fly Fishing Canada’s World Youth Team