MidCurrent Tested and Trusted: Redington Chromer Spey Rods
Image by Kubie Brown
When you start Spey casting for steelhead, finding a rod can be overwhelming. The market is flooded with hundreds of options featuring different lengths, qualities, and features. Spey rods are marketed to make it seem that without a precisely sized rod for your specific river, line type, and casting style, your chances of catching an already elusive steelhead would plummet.
Shortly after I got into Spey fishing, I resigned myself to buying 6 or 8 rods to cover all the different sized rivers, flies, and fish I would be pursuing. I planned on spending more money on Spey rods than Elon Musk spends on social media companies he doesn’t like. However, after picking up a Redington Chromer Spey Rod and fishing with it in various locations, I realized I might need only one rod after all.
Powerfully Sensitive
The first thing I noticed when casting the Chromer was its power. While chasing winter steelhead in a wide, deep river, I was casting heavy sink-tips and large weighted intruders that I normally struggled with. The Chromer’s stout backbone and fast action allowed me to fire a line across the river with ease. The rod loaded effortlessly, even with my amateurish casting, and the power generated from a simple double Spey cast was truly amazing.
The Chromer’s sensitivity also stood out. When chasing winter steelies in cold water, strikes often come as gentle tugs that you might miss or dismiss with other Spey rods. With the Chromer, I could detect even the softest takes and distinguish between a gentle grab and my fly bumping a rock. The flexibility of such a powerful rod made it well balanced and gave it a dexterity that most Spey rods lack. I could make tight-looped casts between overhanging tree branches, allowing me to fish all those tricky, out-of-the-way pockets I might have skipped with another rod.
The Spice of Life
While the Chromer is a versatile tool, and you might need only one, finding the right model for your angling style is important. The rod comes in various sizes and weights for various Spey casting situation. All weights can handle being over-or under-loaded with ease. So as long as you understand what you’re trying to achieve, you can find a Chromer to fit your needs.
The 11’6″ switch rods come in weights from 6 to 8, perfect for small to medium rivers holding various sizes of steelhead. The 6-weight versions excel with light scandi lines and classic hair wing patterns but can easily handle a light Skagit line and mid-range sink tip in deeper waters. For an all-rounder, I’d recommend the 7-weight, as it offers more options for both fly and leader styles and provides extra backbone for fighting scrappy fish in heavy current, especially if you hook into something massive.
The 12’6″ Spey versions also come in 6 to 8-weight models and are complete workhorses. They’re perfect for any big river, deep water, heavy fly, and sink tip steelhead adventure. While the 7-weight is fantastic, the 8-weight might be the better choice for an all-around large river winter steelhead rod. It has that extra “oomph” to cover any big water and big fish situation while maintaining the same flexibility and sensitivity as a lighter rod.
The Right Rod at The Right Price
The best thing about Chromer Spey rods is their affordability. While many high-end rods approach $1,000, the Chromer retails around $400. Though Redington has discontinued the Chromer, you can still find them in many fly shops and online retailers. Alternatively, you can purchase the new Redington Claymore Rod, which experts say is essentially an updated Chromer with minor aesthetic changes, sharing the same build, essence, and price point. Either way, once you get your hands on a Redington Chromer (or a Claymore), it will be the only rod you need for the job.
