Sonik sk3 9' 6? #6/7 Fly Rod

I have the Sonik 4 (4 pieces) in the same line weight and can confirm what Adrian says. They are truly superb rods and very forgiving on light tippets. I can put out all of a Michael Evans Arrowhead 6/7 with this rod with only 2 false casts. I would certainly not call it an "entry level" rod as I know a few top fly fishers who have started to use them claiming they are better than a few American rods, the names of which I will not mention here.

Having tested one myself, at current prices they are a top rod. At normal prices, they are a good rod.

I wonder if these rods will take over now Greys are no longer making the Greyflex. The Greyflex was well liked by instructors.

The Greyflex rod has been discontinued and replaced by the X-Flite rod. I had a look at one at the BFFI and thought it was nice. Priced somewhere between ?150 and ?200 depending on what length//weight you go for. Best bit is, they are now 4 piece rods instead of the previous 3 piece M2 one's.

For some years now I have thought the price of certain American and a few British fly rods to be utterly extortionate. Perhaps the price of say £70 for a 3 piece and £105 for a 4 piece reflects what a quality rod should really cost.

Certainly I cannot equate a cost of over £600 compared with £105 for what looks very similar. OK the USA rod "S", may have the edge in terms of the blank, but certainly not in terms of the fittings, finish, and cork handle which from a Sonik perspective is better.

Also look at it this way. Fly rods are the most basic in terms of labour required for assembly; long "match" rods needing the most. Yet fly rods RRPs are consistantly listed at muchhigher levels. Maybe fly fishers are prepared to pay more for their tackle than coarse fishers?Or nearer the truth - expect to pay more!

How long does a fly rod last compaired to a match rod? Fly rods do get some stick.

I'm thinking more of the labour required to build a match rod, which is considerably more than the average fly rod. I am looking right now at my 17 foot MAP Ultra II Float Rod which has 19 - yes that's right - 19 single leg fuji SiC guides on it! This rod cost me £125 some 3 years ago. My USA "S" rod has1 hayfork ring and 10 snakes as well as 1 ceramic buttguide. The cork handle is only 10 inches long. OK the corks are "flor" grade which are expensive compared with the grade of corks that go on coarse rods.

I have had fly rods as long as 25 years in my life and all I had to do to them was rewhip a new set of guides on them when they grooved.