Moonshine Rod CompanyCo. The Vesper Series Fly Fishing with Carrying Case and Extra Tip Section gray

I've been a two piece Sage guy forever. I needed a 4 piece travel rod to go back to my home state of Montana to fish. My first day with this rod was on the Yellowstone river, which is always a tall order for any 5 wt rod. Even with a breeze blowing, this rod really performed well. The weight to stiffness ratio is what impressed me most. It casted and caught cut throats like a breeze. It's next test was float tubing on a lake near the Big Horn mountains in Wyoming catching heavy aggressive rainbows. You're not going to find a better rod for the money. Very happy that I took a chance on this company.

An absolutely beautiful rod, great quality and well balanced!

This rod casts great. Love the feel in hand and when catching fish. Nice cosmetics. Highly recommend

Like a lot of fly fishing addicts I have a collection of rods to cover various types of fishing, from panfish up to salmon. My own collection runs from 3wt to 9wt but the ones I reach for most often are the 4 and 5wt rods. The 5 is particular is the most versatile, think, and I’ve fished everything from bluegills to large trout with it. The rod I’m reviewing is a 5wt 9’ rod, just a little longer than most of the 5s I own. It’s labeled as being made in Korea, a country that produces a lot of very high quality carbon fiber sporting equipment.My first impression was that this is a very light rod- surprisingly so. Rod technology has advanced a lot in the decade or so since I’ve purchased a new rod. Construction is what you’d expect in this price range, with good quality guides, seat, and grip. Unlike most synthetic rods but like most bamboo rods, the Vesper comes with two tips. This is a nice thing to have, but I think Moonshine is also indulging in a bit of marketing here, almost begging a comparison with bamboo. The blank is a high modulus carbon and the labeling on the rod describes it as having a “moderate fast” action. It’s a bit cold for fishing yet in my part of the Midwest (unless you’re ice fishing) but not too cold to do a little practice casting. I put a DT5 line on and headed out to the front lawn.The action is fast, but not whippy, as you find in many high modulus rods where all the action is in the tip. While it’s faster than my Winston, like the Winston the action is distributed down along the rod. That makes timing your cast little easier and allows for a more delicate presentation while still having enough power to drive a line into the wind. It’s not as smooth as the Winston but it’s better than my $200-ish St. Croix rods. It’s an enjoyable rod to cast. Being a four piece rod it’s more compact than my Winstons or my bamboo and should make a good travel rod.I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this as a first rod, given the kinds of accidents beginners have in learning to fly cast, but if you’ve been fishing a $50-100 import and you’re looking to move up to something capable of more delicacy and control, the Vesper is certainly a candidate worth considering. With all the sub-100 and even sub-$50 fly rods coming out of China these days a $440 rod may seem like a lot of money to the newer angler, but given the competition, it’s pretty reasonably priced.

Up to now, I have never heard of Moonshine Rod Co. I'm not an obsessive fisherman but I think I know a quality piece of gear when I see one. I have several fly rods from Sage, Loomis and Penn of different weights and price points. I have to say, this rod is right in there with the best of them. Very well made and 5 weight 9 foot, 4 piece rod I have has a really great action, especially for a 4 piece rod. I don't particularly like 3 or 4 piece rods and this is the first one I own. I plan to keep it in the truck so I'll always have a rod with me. Compact and in a nice tube. Great for those that travel with their gear. All in all, I say give it a shot. I think you will be pleased with th quality and performance.