The fact that I don't have to sacrifice any performance is even better. I can not tell you how nice it is to have a superb fly rod that fits anywhere and accompanies me wherever I go. At that point the 'Value' for these rods skyrockets. The added convenience of a 7-piece design bump the rod to 'better than average.' If you put in a (very) little bit of search effort (as I did), though, you can still find some really good discounts on these rods. The performance and quality of the rod definitely allows it to hold its own, however. That puts the rod in some pretty stiff competition. The Hidden Water comes with a lifetime no-questions-asked warranty. There appears to be no weaknesses in the construction and it feels like a rod that will last for years. After more than a season of use, the rod is holding up perfectly. To save on weight, single foot chrome guides were used. The wraps are black with attractive silver trim bands. This rod has fantastic looking, high-quality cork, a burled Madagascan hardwood reel seat, and nickel-silver hardware. March Brown has loaded this offering with the quality components that you would expect in a premium rod. Predictably, I would not expect it to cast large streamers, although it did fantastically with smaller wooly buggers and was entirely acceptable fishing clouser minnows. The rod casts nymph rigs and dry flies equally well. The butt is nice and solid, however, and provides ample fighting power to allow you to bring the bigger fish in without extending playing time. The tip is soft enough to protect light tippet. Nymphing without an indicator is a whole-new experience when you realize how many little hits you haven't even been noticing. This rod is every bit as sensitive as the 2-piece Sage XP 4 wt that I fished alongside it. I was initially worried that a 9 foot rod with 6 ferrules would be stiff and I would not be able to feel the sensitive bumps that go with nymphing. Ratings are based on a scale from 1-10 with 10 being the best, and what I perceive to be an 'average' fly rod would receive ratings of 5. I've arranged my comments into 3 sections: Performance, Components & Construction, Value, and the ever-important 'X factor' I would classify the action as fast, but it is probably a step slower compared with the current trend in new rod action. It is pure fun to cast with plenty of backbone and throws a ton of line with gorgeous, tight loops. High-end components are well matched to the good looking matte black blank. The rod is extremely light in the hand and looks great. The designers from MIT that developed this bit of technology really knew what they were doing. Further, this rod shatters any misconceptions about modern ferrules' ability to provide crisp, sensitive fishing with multiple piece rods.

This is, by far, the most convenient rod I have ever been exposed to. The case fits comfortably in my daypack or under the seat of my car. Originally purchased for a backpack trip, this rod breaks down and fits nicely into a solid cordura-covered tube about 18' long with 2 1/2' diameter. In that time it has probably seen water 15 times or so. After about 1 year of use, I think it's time to tout the performance of the 7-piece travel rod I keep in my car.

March brown hidden water