An email from a satisfied customer.
All Around Great Hybrid
I purchased my Wild Card earlier this year. I do most of my fishing in Michigan's UP and the Smoky Mountains. Many of the streams I fish in the smokies hold wild fish that are difficult to handle on my Beaver Meadow. However, lots of these streams are small and have lots of cover. I needed something that could handle some larger fish but still easily fish small water...........ala....the Wild Card. My first time using the Wild Card was in Michigan's UP, fishing for native brookies and wild rainbows. The rod performed great whether fishing very small streams or larger rivers. It is super easy to roll cast on smaller water, then turn around and make long overhand casts on bigger water. You can throw any type of fly with this rod. I threw small dries and streamers.
The next two times I have used the Wild Card were in the Smokies. I fished wild browns and rainbows. In August I caught hundreds of wild fish on dries with this rod all on small water....including my personal best wild Brown (15 inches)....the Wild Card handled the fish easily. In October, I spent a few days 8 miles deep on the smokies. I caught plenty of wild browns between 10-14 inches....mostly nymphing. I still cannot get over how well the rod performed....whether I was fishing the larger, main stream, or branching off into small, overgrown tributaries.
I have the Wild Card paired with. Ross Animas reel.....the balance is perfect. I have only been fly fishing for a few years.. Everyone I fish with constantly remarks about how great my casting is. It is definitely not me, it is the rod. Casting is super easy with this rod.
Overall, I would rate this product 10/10. JP produces a fantastic product that I would, and regularly do recommend. The detail of the rod is perfection. The performance is unmatched. And the customer service is world class! I currently have 4 rods from JP Ross and will be purchasing my 5th shortly.
Some pics of fish caught on the Wild Card.
Joe Marietta.