So, I just got back from ICAST this evening, after spending the morning fly fishing on the Gulf (1st fish on a fly rod, a nice Yellow Jack!).
Some initial thoughts....
The new Zillions are sweet. Really sweet. Lighter than expected, and palm incredibly. Smooth, but still feel like they are built like a tank.
I like the Tatula HDs also, but they don't compare to the Zillion. If I would have picked up the Tatula HD first, my feeling might have been different, but I was let down.
The 13 KP reel is light and tiny. Really light. I'm not sure I could get good use out of the reel, other than REALLY light finesse. Really light. Really tiny.
MinnKota's new trolling motor, Ultegra?, is sweet. Love the auto deploy/stow and trim features.
The new St Croix rod feels clunky to me. The split grip is OK, but the butt of the rod feels really, really thick in my hands.
The most head-turning reel I handled was the Lews Team Lite. Great feel, and 5.7 ozs (on the placard). Really smooth feel, and I was really, really surprised.
