Press Review of a 5 weight March Brown Hidden Water rod in April 2006 by Fly Fishing & Fly Tying Magazine

The overriding selling point of this rod is convenience. This 7-piece packs down to about 17in, small enough for a back-pack or hiding in your suitcase where your non-fishing partner may not spot it.

Clearly it has many joints, each with thoughtfully painted alignment spots so its easy to assemble and keep aligned. Build quality is good - high-build varnish over neat black whipping finished with silver tipping. The handle is turned from decent cork and while there is some surface filling, it is firm and smooth and the size and shape suit me. The reel seat seems a little heavy to me thanks to the nicely figured wooden spacer, but the seat is simple and works well. However I could live without the silver tipped whippings which seem to conflict with the reduced flash idea of the matt blank.

According to the scales this is about average weight for a #5 rod. According to my head, those extra joints should make the whole deal slightly tip-heavy. The scales win. it is not tip-heavy, its nicely balanced.

The action is tippy so long loops tend to be narrow and fast, helps if you can haul and cast with a fairly precise, narrowish casting arc. Evidently March Brown opted to make this a powerful rod, the combination of action and stiffness means it suits competent casters, hauling is almost a necessity - get that going and the line flies.

The tip is sufficiently subtle for good control with a short line, and overall stiffness means very good control at long range too. If you have not guessed already I'm impressed with the performance of this rod. Deflection testing states and casting confirms that this rod can handle #6 lines easily, with the heavier line I gained a few feet but overall I'd opt for a #5 line.

March Brown have combined packability with first getting the essentials right. This feels good and casts well.