Broke the first time out they replaced it and that rod broke just after the third cast . I had the 5 weight rod but I don't think it matters. The rod is going to break because it is cheaply made I Wouldn't trust the reviews you read of people with great success.

I love backpacking and fly fishing. In the past, I had taken my 4 piece rod but was tired of looking like the "Green Army Man Radio Guy", with the tube poking up like the antenna. So I searched and came across this 7 piece unit that seemed to fit the bill. I wanted a good rod, light weight and small pack size. I just received the 9 foot 5 weight rod and took it into the back yard for some casting. The quality is good and the rod was firm with a good feel and cast very well. The cost was reasonable at $80.00 and the rod's quality and action is similar to much more expensive rigs- and I could not find anything else that compared in terms of size and weight. Case, rod and bag weigh in at 15.1 ounces, rod and bag alone at 4.3 ounces and the rod only at 3.0 ounces. Overall the length of the pieces are about 15.5 inches long and the case is about about 18.5. Compact enough to fit into the pack or side pouch with out sticking out. Can't wait to try it out- will revise this review if needed.

After breaking my $200 Orvis rod for the second time, I decided to order one of these for $79 rather than pay the $70 "handling fee" for the Orvis lifetime warranty service. That way I'd have a rod in two days rather than wait months for Orvis to return my rod.Now, is this rod every bit as good as the Orvis? Well, maybe not *quite*, but it's pretty darn close. When you have a lot of line out on the water the Orvis rod does an amazing job of picking it up for the next cast. But this one is no slouch, and most of the time there's not much to choose between the two. I have no problem making accurate casts with the Maxcatch Traveler, and it makes nice tight loops for cutting through headwinds.So I'd say if you're rich, by all means splurge on a more expensive rod, but for most people this will do the job very well, and with the money you save you can buy a decent set of waders, or a spare spool with a sinking line for when the fish are down deep.Now initially I was a little more lukewarm about this rod; I found that roll casts were a bit of a chore. Then I noticed they'd sent me a #8 instead of a #5. Switching to a heavier line immediately solved most of the issues I had with it. I suppose I should have sent it back, but after using it I decided #8 was better for me. #5 is usually the beginner recommendation for an all-around *trout* rod, but native trout are ancient history in my area; mostly I go after bass.The difference between trout and bass is that trout are picky eaters and bass are greedy. Bass will take any trout fly if they're in the mood, but if you want to improve your odds of catching a good sized bass your best bet is a large fly, and for that you need heavier line. Now fly fishing instructors can cast these with a #5, but ordinary mortals will find a #8 rod much easier to manage. I'd rather cast a lightweight dry fly with a #8 rod than try to cast a heavy streamer on a #5 rod. Of course at these prices, the best choice is to have one of each size.Now a word about service. I did break a section of my Sensing Traveler... this is a normal occurrence with any high modulus rod that combines ultra light weight with power. I've had some absolutely bulletproof rods, but they're much heavier than this and after a long day of fishing you've had a real workout. A rod like this you can cast all day, but eventually you'll have a mishap and break a section. Now given the low price of this rod, you could simply buy another one; but over time this negates the price advantage.It took me a couple of weeks to get a hold of Maxcatch, but once I did they sent me a *free* replacement section promptly. Now I don't really expect free section replacements for life, not at this price, so I have to give them props there. But being without a rod is the whole thing I was trying to avoid in the first place. I'd much rather be able to *buy* replacement sections and have them shipped promptly than to get a free section shipped but not have a rod for a month. So I'll deduct one star from what would have been a five star rating. If they start selling sections separately I'll up it to five stars.

I will bump this to a five after I use it this weekend if it performs as it did while testing. I purchased this rod to use on a hike in fly fishing trip. I have used it only three times in the yard practice casting. NO FISH CAUGHT YET to test the rod with a fish on.The rod feels great with a light to medium action,and seems to be of very good quality especially for the price. I have a much more expensive G-Loomis that I would rather not break while packing in, however this rod seems to have a similar action at 1/3 the price. I weighed the rod and case in at 14.8 ounces so at under a pound it will be a nice pole to hike in. I am not a pro caster by any stretch, but this rod seems to make the cast smooth and my distance and accuracy is good with it.EDIT:Ok…I feel like I can give a good review after owning this for about 7 months. I have used this rod 4 times now, and 3 of them were backpack in trips.The rod performs very well and even though it is a 7 section rod, it maintains its action. It seemed to cast fine into moderate wind and although it was OK in hard wind I would have preferred my 4 section Loomis. OR, it could be my less than stellar casting technique.The packable size is fantastic and could even fit inside most packs even though I attach to the loops outside my pack. This last trip was a great trip into the Rio Grande just below Taos. The hike was great, and the rod worked flawlessly and landed several great trout.The price is right, and the performance is good. The customer service is excellent. I would recommend this product to anyone who wants a reasonable priced, backpacking Fly rod. Since purchasing this rod I purchased two more smaller 2/3 weight 3 and 4 piece rods from Maxcatch® and they work equally as well. These lighter and shorter rods do not pack as small as the 7 piece 5wt, but for backcountry streams and smaller rivers they are fantastic options.I had one minor issue with a rod but it was quickly resolved by Maxcatch® when emailed via Amazon. They have very good customer service. They are a Chinese based company so if that bothers you take a look at where most rods are made. These are NOT $200-$300 rods but they perform well. Looking at this as nothing but a backpacking or traveler rod I like it a lot.

I was looking for a small travel rod to stow away on a trip. Decided I wouldn't fish on that trip, but ordered this out of curiosity anyway. It's surprisingly nice for the money. Nothing remarkable, but the sections fit together well. Although the reel seat and guides are a little on the cheap side, they're not noticeably that bad. I have only lawn cast it so far, but it feels pretty good with a WF-5-F line. Action is relatively fast, and the rod is pretty lightweight. Of course the best thing about it is the size. In the tube, it's 19 inches long total, so it will fit inside a carry on bag or backpack rather than strapped on the outside. Compare that to a typical 4 piece travel rod that is 29 inches in the tube. Can't give it a 5 at his point, but I can't wait to fish it. Would I rather have a Sage? Sure, but they don't make a seven piece, and I paid about 10% of what they would charge.update 1-14-18 - finally got a chance to get this on the water and I was pleasantly surprised. Very lightweight. Moderately fast. This is a very sweet casting rod, fairly well appointed for the price.