I’ll be straight with you. When I first heard about the Echo Traverse kit, I was sceptical. Another imported rod being marketed to UK anglers who fish our typically tight, overgrown rivers? I’ve been burned before by outfits designed for wide open American streams that are about as useful as a chocolate teapot when you’re battling brambles on the upper Dove.
Gear Used in This Article
But after spending the better part of three months testing this setup on everything from small Yorkshire becks to wider Welsh rivers, I’ve come round to it. Not completely mind you, because there are some quirks worth knowing about, but enough that I’d recommend it to mates who are looking to get started or upgrade from a truly budget setup.
The Traverse comes as a four piece 9 foot rod in various line weights, though the 5 weight is what most UK river anglers will want. It arrives with a basic reel that’s actually better than you’d expect at this price point, plus a weight forward floating line and a handful of flies that you’ll probably never use but it’s nice they’re included. The whole package sits somewhere around the £150 mark depending on where you shop, which puts it firmly in that awkward middle ground between proper budget gear and what I’d call intermediate kit.
First thing I noticed when I put it together was the cork handle. It’s perfectly adequate but you can tell where they’ve saved money. There are a few gaps and the quality isn’t as consistent as you’d find on something like an Orvis Clearwater, but it’s comfortable enough and hasn’t given me any issues. The reel seat is standard uplocking aluminium and does the job without complaint.
The rod itself has a medium action that leans slightly towards the faster side. This surprised me initially because Echo bills it as suitable for beginners, and generally you want something a bit more forgiving when you’re learning. That said, once I’d adjusted my casting stroke, I found it actually helped me tighten up my technique. It won’t forgive horrible casting faults like a proper slow action rod would, but it also won’t let you develop bad habits.
Where this rod really shines is in wind. I spent a particularly grim afternoon on the Usk when the wind was doing that horrible swirling thing that British rivers do so well, and the Traverse punched through it better than rods I’ve used that cost twice as much. The slightly stiffer action really helps here, and I was able to get decent presentation even when conditions were frankly horrible.
Accuracy at short to medium distances is good. Most of my fishing happens between fifteen and thirty feet, which is standard for our overgrown rivers, and the Traverse handles this range beautifully. I can drop a size 16 Adams into a teacup sized pocket behind a rock without too much drama. Where it gets less impressive is when you’re trying to reach out beyond forty feet. It just doesn’t have the backbone in the upper sections to really load up for distance work.
The reel that comes with the kit is a large arbor design that looks cheaper than it performs. The drag is a simple click and pawl system, which is absolutely fine for trout. I’ve had brownies up to about three pounds on it and never felt like the drag was going to let me down. It’s not going to win any beauty contests, but it winds smoothly and hasn’t developed any wobble or noise after three months of use.
The fly line included is where my main criticism lies. It’s functional, and when you’re starting out you won’t know any better, but after a few sessions I swapped it out for something better. The coating doesn’t seem as slick as premium lines and I found myself having to clean it more often to maintain decent shooting ability. If you’re buying this kit and have a bit of budget left over, upgrading the line would be my first priority. Something like https://amzn.to/3J6nFyq would transform the whole setup.
I’ve used this rod for dry fly fishing, nymphing, and even swung some wet flies on the Wharfe, and it’s handled everything reasonably well. It’s not exceptional at any one technique, but that versatility is actually an asset when you’re building experience and working out what kind of fishing you enjoy most. The tip is sensitive enough to detect takes when nymphing, though you’ll want to stay focused because it’s not quite as telegraphic as a softer rod.
Durability seems solid so far. I’ve whacked it against trees more times than I care to admit, and apart from a few cosmetic marks on the blank, everything is holding up fine. The guides are standard snake guides, nothing fancy, but they’re well secured and I haven’t noticed any loosening. The hook keeper is positioned sensibly, which sounds like a small thing but you’d be amazed how many rods get this wrong.
Who should buy this kit? If you’re moving up from a true beginner setup or you’re coming into fly fishing with some general angling experience, the Traverse makes sense. It’s also a decent choice as a spare rod or something to leave in the car for spontaneous sessions. What I wouldn’t recommend is buying this as your very first fly fishing experience unless you’re committed to putting in practice time on your casting. The action demands a bit more precision than some other starter rods.
For UK conditions specifically, I’d say this rod is better suited to our more open rivers and reservoirs than tight, tree-lined streams. If you’re planning to fish somewhere like the Test where you’ve got decent backcasting room, brilliant. If your local water is a narrow beck surrounded by alders and hawthorn, you might find yourself wishing for something shorter and more forgiving.
Related Reading:
The best practical tip I can give you about using the Traverse is to shorten up your casting stroke compared to what you might use with a slower rod. It loads best with a crisp, compact stroke that stops high. Try keeping your casting arc between about ten and twelve o’clock rather than going back to one o’clock, and you’ll find the rod delivers much tighter loops and better accuracy. This becomes especially important when you’re fishing our typical British conditions where wind and tight spaces are constant challenges.
