Pro Review | Primal Revel CS 10' #6
I was lucky enough to try out the New Primal Revel CS 10' 6wt at Millbrook Lakes where I guide, and it wasn't long before a beautiful tiger trout came to hand. I was immediately impressed with how light the Revel CS is in hand. It felt much lighter than other rods in this price bracket. Apparently that's due to the high modulus blank (55MSI), carbon scrim (instead of traditional glass scrim) and the lightweight guides they use. I'm no tech head, but to me it just feels super light! In 10 foot lengths, fly rods can often feel a bit heavy and sluggish but not this one.
Casting in a stiff breeze, I was pleasantly surprised with how powerful and responsive the rod is. The action is butter smooth and the tip recovery is fantastic. They use something called "longitudinal fibre alignment" which to the caster means that the power is transferred down the blank to the fly line and there is less side to side tip wobble. You can really feel the power and see it in its accuracy. Hats off to Rene on this awesome rod design!
Looks wise the Primal Revel CS stands out from the others in the range with its sweet new white graphics and the burled green/chocolate reel seat. The blank has a natural finish which looks great but also means nobody has been grinding away at the blank wall with a sander! Even wall thicknesses in a fly rod are crucial for performance and avoiding weak spots that could result in a busted rod! The resin finish which is often really fat on rods in this price bracket is top notch.
I love a 10 foot rod on the lakes and big rivers due to its ability to keep the line above tussocks and off the water when deep wading. On the big rivers such as the Goulburn where I guide, the extra length is great for easy mending and line control. The extra length also helps when indicator fishing on still water at distance. When you strike on a take you pick up any slack in the system, resulting in way more hook ups.
The rod is a four piece, making air travel easy and comes with a cloth rod bag and a Codura rod tube keeping everything nice and safe. If the worst happens and you break a rod, I know from past experience that repairs are really easy. Primal is based in NZ and getting a rod fixed is a breeze.
The Revel CS sits in the middle of the Primal range and I reckon in this day and age of fly rod prices it's criminal how little they charge for a rod of this quality. Get down to your local fly shop and take advantage of a real bargain!
I love this rod and I'm really looking forward to using the 7’6 #3 for summer dry fly fishing on our streams.
Written by Scott Xanthoulakis
About the author
Scott owns and operates Wilderness Fly Fishing and also guides at Australia’s best private trout fishery Millbrook Lakes.
www.wildernessflyfishing.com.au