Aurora

Aurora  |  1wt  |  8’6″

REEL Fly Fishing has a love affair with the Eastern Cape streams near Rhodes and a 1 weight has always been on our list of fly rods to develop. Earlier in 2019 we spent a great deal of time in Rhodes as well as through outside testing and feedback we came up with our version of the ultimate small stream rod. Walking the tight rivers can be difficult with any more than one rod in your hand, hence we needed a rod that can do it all. Having the ability to effectively use the Aurora 1wt for both nymph and dry fly was a key area of focus. Clear waters are beautiful to fish but can be challenging and rod flash has a big impact on spooking fish. A dusted black raw blank offers minimal rod flash and when paired with one of our Stream Supreme fly lines gives you the edge in tougher conditions.

The Blank

Creating a blank that offers a responsive yet accurate profile that lends well to both dry and wet flies was the core focus. 30T | IM8 grade carbon fiber lends itself exceptionally well to these areas by providing enough flexibility and tippet protection that a 1wt needs. The build of the blanks taper offers good mid to low end back bone that lends well to nymph styles, while the flexible tip offers delicate presentations with dry flies. The beauty of a 1 weight rod is the physical weight, at 35 grams the blank is exceptionally light weight. A smooth quick loading fast action coupled with a fair length makes the Aurora an exceptionally well gifted casting fly rod.

The Build

Matching components to a rod that has a specific use is important and is what really sets the Aurora apart from most of our other fly rods. To match the dusted black blank we chose to go with all black rod wraps to keep the colour as minimal as possible, this same minimalism can be seen on the stripping guide that is also black and silver. Selecting the right type of reel seat to paid with a 1wt’s light blank had its challenges, after a few months of decisions we settled on a lightweight yet incredibly rich wooden reel seat with crisp silver settings to offset against the overall black colour scheme of the fly rod. A single lightweight up-locking reel hoop was created to minimize weight. Snake guides offer better control of line while adding slightly more weight than single foot guides, however the extra line control they provided proved to be essential when making the final call. Each aspect of the Aurora 1wt has been thoughtfully designed and carefully tested to maximize the anglers advantage.

The Specs

Length  |   8 foot  6 inches

Weight  |  1

Action  |  Fast

Sections  |  4

Colour  |  Dusted Black

Grip  |  AAA Half Wells

Guides  |  Lightweight chrome stripping guides and snake guides

Reel Seat  |  Type II bright silver anodized aluminium with a beautiful wooden inlay

Rod Tube  |  Black Material rod tube with soft black protective rod bag