Moonshine Rod Co. Fly Fishing Rod with Carrying Case and Extra Rod Tip Section, Slow-Medium-Fast Action

Love the rod, good flex, extra tip is a great bonus

Another magnificent rod from Moonshine. This is the third rod I have bought from this small batch fly rod producer from the USA. Personally I think you are getting a rod every bit as good and in my opinion better than Orvis at a very reasonable price.I first discovered Moonshine fly rods on a fishing trip to Iceland in 2022 and vowed on my return to the UK that I should buy a Vesper 9' #6 as soon as I could as I had got on so well with it. No retail outlet in the UK, so I bought directly from their website and had the rods shipped to the UK with the additional costs involved, but still a bargain in my opinion.Now if you live outside the USA you can only buy their products through Amazon.com, no problem except you cannot buy their 'Swag' items which is a bit of a disappointment. So come on Moonshine, get all you products on Amazon and I shall be ordering again soon!

When Moonshine was reducing inventory on the original Drifter, I was able to pick one up at substantial savings. I got the 10’ 5wt to use on lakes especially out of a float tube. The medium action of the original Drifter was fine but swing weight on the 10’ rod was a little high for my wrist and balance a little awkward. When I got the chance to pick up the Drifter 2 on Amazon Prime day at 40% off, I went for it and got another 10’ 5wt. The Drifter 2 has a lot less swing weight and a much faster action. I like its feel and action much more. It has single foot guides (which I like but they could be larger) a different, lighter reel seat, alignment dots, and a small cork butte on the reel seat (smaller than a fighting butte). I believe I will use this rod a lot more than I was using the original Drifter. For me and with this rod I think the balance and action of the Drifter 2 is much nicer. Of course, like all the Moonshine rods it has two tips and good warranty. Yes it is made in China but that is no problem for me. I have a lot of rods and some of my favorites are Chinese. As I understand, the Drifter 2 uses higher modulus carbon fiber allowing for more power with lighter weight which is an advantage for distance, wind and streamers. Hope this assessment was useful. After fishing the rod I am changing my rating from 5 to 4 stars. It really bothers me the guides are so small. Makes it difficult to use and land fish with long leaders. The small guides are a pain.

Got a smoking deal on the 10’ 5wt. so decided to try it. I’m used to using a 9’ 6” Sage 5wt. I like a longer rod since I spey fish, too. The Moonshine Drifter II is definitely a fast action rod. The swing weight isn’t bad. No issues there. Started out throwing a 5 wt line and didn’t get the distance I wanted, so I lined up to a 6 wt line. This added about 8-10 more feet. It’s pretty accurate from 30-45 feet and I can easily get 50-55 feet of distance without straining. The craftsmanship is decent for the price. People have complained about not having snake guides, but that’s not a deal breaker for me. They work fine. The reel seat holds the reel adequately as well. This rod will handle a double nymph set up with a strike indicator no problem. It will also throw dries. As far as durability, time will tell. It’s definitely a pretty rod, but I care more about functionality.

WOW 😲 what a great price Amazon does it again way cheaper than moonshine will buy again

Good value for the money especially with the second tip included. Works well with a 5wt or a 6wt line. Now my go to lake rod.

It’s perfect for the river I fish. The rod is well made and a good price.