DEMYSTIFLY

When I first met the team at 3-TAND a couple IFTDs ago, I saw why their products have been so well-received. They offer nicely-appointed, attractive reels that carry realistic price tags all while promising strong performance. As anglers know, great looks don't always mean great performance, so I wanted to get a 3-TAND reel to find out for myself. A great match for small rods, it's time to see what their little TF-40 is made of! Designed for 3–5 weight lines, the reel is cons

This past spring, I was fortunate to receive two demo rods from the crew at Douglas Outdoors: a 5-weight DXF and a 7-weight from their new flagship SKY series. Spanning two years in development, Douglas' own rod designer Fred Contaoi took input from industry pros along with his own expertise and crafted this series from the ground up. SKY fly rods are not just another "premium" offering—a word that can often be loosely thrown around. This series utilizes the proprietary X-Mat