Bass Pro Shops / White River Fly Shop HEAT Stage 1 Flyrod Review

Hello fishin friends! Today is a little different format than usual - today I'm giving you my in-depth thoughts on my latest acquisition to my rod arsenal - the Bass Pro Shops house brand - White River Fly Shop's HEAT Stage 1 fly rod.

This rod is a one-piece graphite fly rod measuring in at 7'10" and is rated for a 9 weight line. There are four rods in the HEAT line up - the original four piece rods that feature composite cork grips, both original rods are also 7'10" and are rated for 9 and 10 weight lines, and then they have the "Stage 1" versions of the HEAT rods which are one-piece rods that feature a radically different grip in material and shape.

These rods are Bass Pro / White River Fly Shop's answer to Sage's Bass / Bass II series, along with Wright & McGill's S-Curve Gen 2, the Temple Fork Outfitters (TFO) Mini-Mag, Echo's Bad Ass Glass Quickshot, or G. Loomis' Pro4X ShortSticks. From a price standpoint, the HEAT rods are "entry level" but from a performance standpoint, they're competitive with the more expensive rods.

These rods are perfect for throwing large or heavy (or large and heavy) flies, throwing into tight quarters or heavy cover and getting those fish out, and controlling them when you get them out of cover. They're also great for anglers who need a heavy fly rod and who fish from a kayak, canoe, or small boat as the shorter length makes landing fish easier.

I like this rod so much I'm planning on buying at least one or two more, and my dad purchased an identical rod/reel for learning how to fly fish for bass here in Southeast Texas!

This isn't a paid endorsement, I've received zero compensation from Bass Pro Shops or anyone else for this review. I spent my own money buying the rod, reel, and line featured in this review.

Thanks for watching!

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