RIO Technical Euro Nymph with T & T 10'9" 2 Weight Contact II Rod // Product Reviews

I recently picked up the new T & T Contact II 10'9" 2 Weight rod. I have been primarily using the 10' 2 Weight and the 10'9" 3 weight but couldn't resist having a longer version of my 2 weight. I have about 10 outings on this rod and it's my favorite long rod for typical euro nymph style flies.

The Problem With a "mono rig" for Most Anglers

A "mono rig" is essentially 20' + of mono line that provides great feel and sensitivity to the presentation. It can be added to any fly line which is pretty handy, plus its cheap. By getting the weight completely out of the equation, it becomes a more surgical too.  The problem is that anglers hate knots moving through the guides of their rod. The next problem is that handling mono line in your stripping hands is a royal PIA. This new line from RIO solves that problem. The RIO Technical Euro Nymph Line isn't new as of this review, it's been out for a while but I haven't really needed a new line, so I've just been grinding away with my SA Competition Series Nymph Line. It's a great line and my personal recommendation for a traditional Euro Nymph Line. It's light, stiff, thin, and is a good choice.  I run this line with a leader that is no more than 2' longer than my rod length. This keeps the tip of the fly line outside the rod tip and prevents the Albright Knot connection from binding up in the eyelets. The downside is that it's not as touchy as mono.

The RIO Technical Mono Euro Nymph Line is a mono core with a vinyl coating  throughout the entire line except the final 14' which seamlessly yields to an integrated leader. In the video you can see exactly how I set this up.

The orange portion you can see is the 14' integrated leader. It's a butt section ready for you to add sighter material and your leader.

Summary of the RIO Mono Technical Euro Nymph Line

Parts and Tackle Required to Copy my Leader Build:

• 1X RIO Two Tone Sighter Material
• 3X RIO Two Tone Sighter Material
• RIO Small 2mm Tippet Rings
• 4.5X SA Absolute Fluorocarbon Tippet Material
• Point Drake Nymph (heavy anchor fly)
• Roza's Mouse Jig

T & T Contact II 10'9" 2 Weight Rod Review

This has been our best selling Euro Rod here at Red's. It's light, crisp, reliable, and has an uncompromising finish. It's a true "craft" rod built in Massachusetts by total pro craftsmen. There are many reviews on the Contact II, but this 10'9" 2 Weight is a new member to the family.

10'9" 2 Weight Contact II

You can see the video of course, there isn't a whole lot of fish catching action but I do share a few of these same sentiments. 

• Light and crisp. Really feels weightless in hand, good for sensitivity and an all day fishing endeavor
• Gorgeous craftsmanship. By nature of appearance you'll treat this rod like the specialized tool that it is.
• Smart guide placement.
• Fighting butt - PLUS.  
• The tip provides extremely fine sensitivity for feeling the bottom, soft strikes, and protects fine tippet on snappy hook sets.
• Not a good stick for streamers and larger stonefly nymphs. Big flies are stubborn and need a bit more "tip" to move them along the bottom.
• The reach of 10'9" is great for big water, but lacks a bit of the fishiness of the 10' 2 weight.  

A Few Pics of the Rod

Even from the fancy tube, sock, and so on - the T and T rods are premium from top to bottom.