The SJ 706 IM NFC rod from Rodhouse
There's probably no such thing as an all-purpose rod. With such a wide range of casting powers and distances, it's impossible to fish with 5-gram lures while using the same rod for 200-gram wrecks. Some products offer great versatility, but often at the expense of quality, notably through the use of materials such as fibre, which can result in poor resonance.
I managed to find an extremely versatile rod, which I consider top-of-the-range, as it excels in many areas. The Rodhouse SJ 706 IM measures 2.13 metres and has a recommended power range of 10 to 40 grams, making it suitable for a variety of fishing techniques,
Blank detail
The blank, the carbon rod that makes up your rod, is the heart of the product. In this case, it's a 2.13 m North Fork Composite (NFC) blank with 10/40 grams of power. Note that this power is real and validated by Rodhouse teams.
This IM carbon, for intermediate modulus, offers high resonance, lower than that of HM, but is more tolerant to bending. In other words, it's versatile.
This technical feature is well suited to scratch fishing, which requires resonance, but also to fly fishing using swimming fish and surface lures.
It is relatively tapered, which gives it a power action as well as a large reserve of power that will allow you to bridle pretty fish with authority.
How does it behave when fishing?
Its versatility is real. I use it in its power range with lures from 15 to 45 grams. On the fly, it can be used to animate Crazy Sand lures in the water. A simple flick of the wrist will cause the lure part to contract.
It's possible to go down in weight with a lure weighing around ten grams. Even if we're outside the advertised power range, it'll do the job. In such a situation, it's by reducing the diameter of the braid that I compensate for fishing in the low range.
It will lack a bit of length to be really effective when fishing with shads like the Illex Nitro Shad. On the other hand, when fished vertically, it will be very comfortable and you'll be able to load it without difficulty. It's a pleasure to use. I've loaded it with up to 120 grams of jig for wreck fishing in search of big fish. You'll be on the high limit, but still confident with this rod.
Mounting the rod
The advantage of rodbuilding is that you can assemble it as you wish.
Speaking of price, the one thing you can't beat is the price of the blank, which in this case costs 163 euros. The rest - rings, foam or cork handles and other accessories - is up to you. The bill can go through the roof or, on the contrary, remain reasonable.
For a high-quality, yet reasonable rod, combine it with a Fuji ring bar and foam or cork elements. You'll end up with a rod costing less than 400 euros.
- Length : 7' - 213 cm
- Power (g): 15 - 40 g
- Power (lb): 10 lb - 17 lb
- Action: f ast
- Weight (g) : 62 g
- Number of rooms: m onobrin
