Rod Review: Marryat Tactical Pro
Are you on the fence? You don’t need to be.
Our expert Allan Liddle has shared with us his thoughts on the Marryat Tactical Pro.
Based in Moray in Scotland’s North East, Allan has specialises with the wild trout from the rivers and burns, lochs and lochans throughout Mainland Scotland and the Isles.
A strong passion for fishing simple dries he feels there’s nothing better than to see the fish take off the top, but isn’t slow to fish a range of different styles when mood or conditions dictate. Although trout is his first love Allan occasionally chases the Salmon, Grayling stocked fish and even dabbles in salt water when the chance arises.
Allan has also represented Scotland at international level, is a GAIA qualified trout instructor and a has been a regular contributor to Fly Fishing and Fly Tying Magazine for almost twenty years.
Since getting my hands on this rod I’ve been itching for the chance to get out and give it a throw, but before I could family holidays and the trials of the day job got in the way meaning I had to wait almost four weeks before I could finally give this rod a cast in anger.
The wait beforehand meant I had a chance to look at the finish and make of the rod in the comfort of my wee tying den and it was immediately struck by the quality and detail, not too much to make the appearance overly fussy, not too little to leave the rod looking ‘bland.’ Finished in a matt black (apart from the black gloss name tag) with brushed gun metal / silver fittings, line up marking dots to help align the rod when setting up the rod certainly looks the part, made complete with a quality half wells cork handle. The other immediately striking feature is the down locking reel seat designed to help keep all the weight behind the wrist and aid the overall balance.
Our pro – Allan Liddle
So far so good just to get out and try it now and when the time came it certainly didn’t disappoint.
With an action certainly towards the mid to tip end the rod was certainly responsive making hooking easy even if I was a tad rusty. And as the day progressed I ran the rod through a range of casts and fishing styles; short work was ok, roll casts sharp, throwing at distance, easy and effortless and with enough ‘backbone’ even the most lively of fish were quickly subdued enough for a safe and swift return.
All in all a very nice bit of kit and an enjoyable rod to use, if there was anything to criticise it was the mere minor adjustment required for me to get used to the down locking reel fitting when tackling up and down, in a fishing sense I could see the advantage although a bit more fishing required before I could truly say if I felt a definite advantage or not on this type of rod, on a nymphing rod however……….
So pass marks all round, all that I need now is for the weather to settle before I can head out and give it another ‘field test.’
We are confident that anyone who uses the Marryat Tactical Pro rod will be of the same opinion as Allan, why not give it a try? We offer free delivery on orders over £10 and a money back no quibble guarantee.
Marryat Tactical PRO Rod
Marryat Tactical Pro rod has been developed to take advantage of the latest in material know-how, new components, and current fishing styles to deliver what fishermen really want.
"a couple of years ago when I first got to try a regular client’s Marryat Tactical Pro 9’6” 3/4wt. Quite simply, the best all-round rod I have ever used. Superb with a fly line or french leader. I should have bought one at the time, but didn’t because I was tied in with a sponsorship deal with another manufacturer. Times do change though, and as I thought about once more becoming an independent, free to choose what tackle I need, irrespective of brand, my thoughts immediately turned to Marryat.
These rods aren’t produced to hit marketing targets. They’re not designed by salesmen. They are developed by some of the best fishermen in the world to meet specific needs, and they are thoroughly tested for months or years before being released on sale." - Pete Buckey
Here are some of the most important points that make the difference:
Blank: These rods carry two line-weights for a reason. The lighter line can be cast with accuracy, precision and finesse while the heavier line can be cast using the butt section reserves to achieve greater distance.
Rings: Fuji SIC butt ring, followed by REC Recoil TM rings titanium/nickel to save weight and minimize "hard points" on the blank.
Reel seat: Screw-down style seat on longer rods – to improve balance at the wrist so minimizing fatigue). Made of 5040 anodized aluminum. The spacer has been laser engraved with a trout.
Handles: As always AAA cork grip.
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