The Prime is an impressive new rod from Echo that we felt could be our best mid-priced rod, and it would have been if the performance had been better at the longer distances. If you are doing most of your fishing at shorter distances though, this is a great rod to consider. We chose the 4-piece rod for our test, but Echo also makes the Prime in a two-piece rod, also in the 8’ 10” length. The new Prime is a very light rod, with a nice soft, quick loading tip. It also proved to be extremely well dampened and very smooth to cast, right out to 60 feet.
If you want a stiffer 8-weight that handles further distance and wind better, take a look at the Orvis Recon Big Game which is in our Mid Priced Power Outfit here.
The Rush, a fantastic reel by Galvan, is also the poster child of economy. Using an extremely durable frame and the same drag that its big brother the Torque has, this reel really hits the mark.
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