Matrix (Green) 9' 8wt 4 Piece

A buddy of mine from work asked me to build a rod so that he can chase tailing redfish. If you have never done this, you are missing out!!! After going back and forth on the blank, guides and colors....here is what we came up with:

Blank: American Tackle Matrix (Green) 9' 8wt 4 Piece
Guides: Fuji Stainless Steel w/ Ceramic Inserts
Reel Seat: Batson A8L2
Grip: combination of regular, rubberize and copano cork w/ blank accents
Thread: Garnet w/ no CP and silver accents

The garnet with the green blank really looks good and the silver gives it a nice pop. I think this blank is one of the best in its price range. It is on the faster side and has good power. I think you could easily over line this blank with a 9wt line. I am a fan of ceramic guides for this size rod. The line really shoots through these guides. Overall, I think this rod is a great way to get into saltwater fly fishing.