ECHO intros new 'BOOST' fly rod series

ECHO's newest rod series offers ultra-fast action at an ultra-affordable price
Echo BOOST Fly Rod
The ECHO BOOST saltwater series.

Last week, ECHO more formally announced a rod series it initially revealed almost a year ago, its new BOOST series. The BOOST is a mid-low price range rod that can easily be described as ultra-fast, which ECHO owner and rod designer Tim Rajeff says he crafted for anglers with more compact casting strokes that are looking to deliver longer casts with higher line speeds and tighter loops.

We got our hands on a few rods from the BOOST series at IFTD in Orlando last July. They're fast. Very fast. And while ECHO won't go out of its way to say it, these are specialty rods, not daily drivers. That's not a slight, because there is certainly no one rod that can do it all, and the BOOST is designed for specific tasks which more "all-around" rods won't handle well.

According to ECHO, the BOOST freshwater series was born on the banks of Patagonia's Rio Limay. The Limay is a big, sprawling river where tossing long lengths of straight lead core in front of running line in order to swing streamers to big trout holding some 25-30 feet below is the order of the day. Try doing that with your dry fly rod.

Rio Limay Brown Trout
What lurks below on the Rio Limay (photo: Chad Shmukler).

Similarly, the ECHO BOOST saltwater series is designed for saltwater fisheries that require anglers to quickly make accurate long presentations with few to no false casts. In these high-pressure environments, an ultra-fast rod like the BOOST can be an asset to an angler that doesn't have time to false cast several times to load enough line for a long cast.

Yet, specialty rods and the idea of purchasing just the right tool for a job can be an unaffordable luxury for many anglers. But at $229, ECHO's BOOST series may sit in a sweet spot where anglers that want to pick up an 8 weight for infrequent trips to chase bonefish or a stout 7 weight to sling can more comfortably justify doing so.

Echo BOOST Fly Rod
The freshwater variant of the ECHO BOOST.

The BOOST is a handsome charcoal black rod with black wraps that features a matte finish like many of ECHO's other rod series, focusing on stealth rather than flare. The freshwater series even features rarely seen black guides. The BOOST freshwater and saltwater series spans weights from 2 to 12.

For more information, visit echoflyfishing.com and check out the video below where Tim talks a bit more about the BOOST saltwater series.

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