Echo 3 6127-4 Spey Rod Review



Echo 3 6127-4 Spey

 Here’s one of those mid-level rods that offers great performance. No it is not the Sage One or the Loomis NRX, but it is not priced as proudly either.

The Echo 3 6127-4 Spey Rod is the highest quality rod that Echo makes. Over the past handful of years, Echo has grown dear to many an angler and certainly, many a spey angler. The Echo DH and the TR Spey series have both offered a great price point while fishing beautifully. For people looking for great value-priced rods, this has been a common direction that we have pointed people in and they have been really satisfied.

The Echo 3 Spey goes one step further by using higher quality graphite which has worked to boost the rod’s over-all responsiveness, reduce weight and slim down the rod’s profile. Having casted both the DH and the TR line of rods, I was excited to get out on the water with the Echo 3.

Immediately, what I noticed was the smooth nature of this rod while casting. I started out by lining this rod with a 420gr Airflo Rage Compact and a 10 foot Airflo Polyleader. The rod flexed evenly into its midsection with a moderate power stroke. And the line, well it sailed out quite effortlessly. While trying to build line-speed with a more aggressive stroke, I had to be careful not to over-power the rod and instead, build the speed progressively before punching it to a stop. Under this amount of load, the rod has an uncanny smoothness, a friendliness and yet a sharper response than I had experienced in either the DH or the TR in the past.

Wanting to lighten up, I opted for the 390 grain Airflo Rage. This was the ticket for me. I was able to take the rod to the next level – meaning increase overall line-speed and focus energy into tighter loops of line. I was very pleased with how quickly the line hit target while building a little more speed into the stroke. While not the lightest spey series on the market, at no point did it feel labor-intensive. It feels like a great summer steelhead stick to me.

In total, I’m pretty impressed with the echo 3 line as I think it sits at a nice intersection of performance and price. A few of the other features I do like are the square-shaped rod tube which keeps your rod from rolling around while transporting. And although I don’t particularly like how small dots look on fly rods, I am usually thankful they are there when putting them together.

As far as Skagit lines go, most anglers using this rod should be right at home casting a 450 grain Airflo Skagit Compact head and up to 10-12 feet of type 6 or T-11 (MOW Medium) Sink Tips - or a 480 grain for those who prefer to over-line their rods. It should also be noted that the Airflo Skagit Switch lines also perform extremely well on 12 ½ foot rods, especially for those fishing in tight quarters and who prefer a very compact casting stroke. Size your Skagit Switch line the same way you would your regular Skagit Compact line.

Have a good time,
Duffy