Intro/Specs/Craftsmanship

Beulah (pronounced byoo-luh) fly rods have been on my radar for a long time. Based in Medford, Oregon, this company may not be as prominent as some of the biggest names in the industry, but these rods sure are gorgeous. In fact, that beauty is what first caught my eye some time ago and led me to pursue this review. Having never held a Beulah rod before, I was both curious to see the custom touches and feel the performance for myself. I recently had a chance to test the 6-weight from their Platinum Single-Hand series, so let's get into it!

Length: 9-feet 6-inches

Action: Fast

Line Weight: 6

Material: IM-8 Graphite

Pieces: 4

Rod Weight: 4-ounces

Stripping Guides: Stainless frames / SiC inserts

Guides: Chrome snake guides

Reel Seat: Aluminum

Rod Tube/Sock: Yes/Yes

Price: $425.00

If you like your tackle to stand out from the masses, this rod does a great job of helping you achieve that. This is one beautiful, classy stick that adds just the right amount of custom touches without going overboard. Starting with the most obvious, both the grip and the fighting butt make use of both standard and decorative composite-cork bits that really set off this end of the rod. The cork quality is very good and feels equally as nice to the touch.

Below the main grip, the black aluminum reel seat sports a faint amount of texture on its surface. To secure the reel there's double uplocking rings for added insurance. Typically, the reel's foot slides into a hood that's flush with the bottom of the main cork handle. This Beulah is a little different in that there's a trim ring around this part of the hood/handle—something I can't recall seeing before. Not a bad thing whatsoever; just something different!

The blank itself is a kind of glossy olive-brown color with some contrasting lighter wraps and a touch of trim at the butt and ferrules. Attached to the rod are stainless-framed SiC stripping guides and hard-chrome snake guides. The ferrules fit together snugly with no "tick" felt when shaking the rod. Overall, the craftsmanship of the rod is very pleasing with no complaints from me. The only thing I found wrong was a pretty healthy chip taken out of the first stripping guide's insert by one of the previous rod testers—ouch!

Fishing/Testing

Being boat-less for the time being (unless a friend has room on a skiff), I'm a shore-bound angler. In some of the spots I fish, a little extra length is a big help. It may not seem like an extra 6-inches added to a fly rod's length would make a noticeable difference, but it does. It allows for slightly better reach, distance, and most importantly, helps keep the back cast up a little higher when casting over brush or other obstacles.

Speaking of casting, the 9'6" Platinum 6-weight is a very capable caster. As advertised, the Beulah exhibited a true fast action. The rod didn't feel dead in close and performed solidly at typical casting ranges with a WF6F line. Far casts weren't a problem, given the extra length and good reserve power. Tight loops came easy and the blank felt ideal for casting small to medium streamers. It wasn't really a standout in any regard, but just a good all-around rod.

In-hand, the weight of the rod felt about average and it never made me feel fatigued or otherwise uncomfortable. Also in regards to comfort, I'd rate the grip above average. The size, feel, and shape is excellent. When in my hand, my thumb rests right on the decorative cork rings at the top of the grip. Their texture and slightly-rubbery feel makes the grip (and fighting butt) even more pleasing to use.

Conclusion

Beulah did a great job with this 6-weight. There's plenty of fly rods on the market that get the job done well, but the Beulah does this while also giving the customer added custom touches at a modest price tag. While my very brief testing of the Beulah on local snook and bass is probably not what most folks will be targeting with this particular rod, the line rating and added length also make it a solid pick for fish like steelhead, big-water brown trout, or carp. In addition to making casting easier for the land-based angler, a longer rod like this also benefits the float tuber or kickboater by keeping false casts higher up off the water!

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