Hardy Ultralight Rod - A Quick Review

We have recently added the Hardy Ultralight Rod to our lineup here at Big Y Fly Co. This high-end rod performs as well as it looks, and ...

We have recently added the Hardy Ultralight Rod to our lineup here at Big Y Fly Co. This high-end rod performs as well as it looks, and it looks nicer than it costs.

We picked up the 8' 3wt, the 8'6" 4wt and the 9' 5wt to add to our freshwater trout rods, but have expanded that selection since then. This rod has quickly become a shop favorite. The 8'6" 4wt in particular is one of the nicest 4wt rods that I have put my hands on. It has a really powerful bottom end that allows the angler to push a 4wt into distances that would make other 4wt rods tremble, but has a nice, soft tip that will drop the smallest of dry flies in front of spooky trout without any worry.

Uri is doing the hard work here showing the flex of the 5wt

The 9' 5wt is also a butt-kicking rod that takes what the 4wt can do, but adds to it in all the ways that count. 5wt rods are hard to judge, because they are expected to do everything. Some anglers want a soft, presentation-friendly taper that throws dry flies, but is weak at streamers or big nymphs. Others want just the opposite, a rod that will throw indicators and streamers. Still, a third group of anglers expects their 5wt to do all of that and more. This 5wt is as close to that third option as we think a 5wt can get. I would have no problem taking it to throw dry flies on a spooky desert spring creek one day, and then to the Deschutes to nymph a stonefly through a boulder garden the next. It has a great combination of that stiff bottom end for distance and turnover, and a soft tip for good dry fly presentations.

The 3wt is the ultimate small creek/dry fly rod. It is built to throw dry flies with ease, and can push some distance that most 3wt rods would not be able to touch. We didn't spend a whole lot of time with the 3wt, but there will be a day soon when we get to put some miles on one.

The aesthetics are very nice on this rod. The dark green, sparkly finish is nice and subtle, while the flaky sparkles built in add some depth to the look, while making it better able to hide scratches and scuffs that inevitably happen more easily. The cork has a nice, mama bear feel to it. It is comfortable, and the up-locking, double rings matched with a wood seat make it one of the nicest on the market. The whole reel seat looks very clean and crisp.

Uri had a hard time putting the rod down. He said it was probably the nicest 5wt rod he had ever cast. It is very light in-hand, and takes almost no effort to get the line where it needs to go. He really liked the Scientific Anglers' Mastery Trout line that we cast on it. Although it is a fast rod, it still has a lot of delicacy, especially when matched with that Mastery Trout line.

Overall, the Hardy Ultralight is a very nice rod. The $795 price tag puts it near the top end of fly rods, but it certainly casts like some of the $1000+ rods on the market. I would 100% keep this rod on the radar for my next fly rod purchase.