I build a 7'9" Pac Bay Tradition 3 weight fly rod for my son for a graduation present from middle school and for having maintained a 4.0 GPA all through middle school. I used Amtak holographic spinning guides on it as well as a marbled cigar grip and equipped with a Rio Pocketwater line. We went fishing yesterday on the Stillwater River here in Montana. He had a very slow day nymphing while I was having a great day. Then the fish started rising to the Pale Morning Duns. We went back to the car, got our 3 weights and I gave him a PMD cripple. I was waiting for a fish to rise while he was just fishing the water. On his third cast he hooked about a 13" rainbow. Not long after releasing that one he hooked another about 12". I was fishing about 30 yards away with the same fly pattern, only casting to rising fish and never even got a rise. He reports that he loves the rod and that the grip is quite comfortable, even when standing in the sun on a pretty warm day. I have to report that this rod, mine is the same, is equally capable of laying out far too much line to control as it is putting out 15' casts. I'm sure the Rio line has something to do with that.