Hardy Swift Mk II Double-Handed Fly Rod
The Swift
Double-Hander is probably the lightest rod of its type on the market
today. Andy Murray, who has been intimately involved in its development,
tells a great tale.
“A serious
salmon angler picked up a Swift prototype fifteen-footer and fished with
it for a fair while. He waded back ashore impressed.”
“Extraordinary
power,” he said. “I never believed I could cast a line like that or even
mend it so smoothly on a thirteen-footer.”
“I told him
the rod he’d been using came in at fifteen-feet. He didn’t believe me. I
had to take the rod down and measure the sections in front of his very
eyes before the truth dawned. And this was a man who had fished
double-handed with every rod on the market for more than fourteen
years.”
“The rod might
be light but it’s got other qualities that are instantly recognizable.
It’s one of the easiest rods to cast ever made, because it dampens
quickly and offers both flex and rigidity. I love its smooth action and
the way it gets you out of trouble again and again, but I’ve also come
to respect its sheer toughness. It was recently subjected to a ghillies’
competition out in Ireland and they were all mightily impressed.”
“We’ve aimed
for great versatility in this new range. All the rods perform perfectly
with all modern-day Spey casting techniques. They are tuned to work in
perfect harmony with Hardy Mach II lines, or short Scandinavian
'shooting heads'.” |
