Diamondback Ideal Nymph Rod Review
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- Опубліковано 4 чер 2023
- Continuing out series of reviewing our favorite rod makers on the market right now, we look at all the models in the Diamondback Ideal Nymph lineup. This lineup represents possibly the best performance-for-money value available right now, so come along as we discuss the pros and cons of each weight and length available.
Get these rods or anything else you need for your fly tying and fishing adventures at tacticalflyfisher.com - Спорт
The 10’10 2 is really nice here in NZ as a comp rod. Soft enough for small fish but no problem for the really big ones. I fished it in Spain at the worlds last year with single 2.3mm nymphs on 8X with no issue (0.09mm) but I did find it bottomed out below that and I broke off to much. I’ve also fished massive jig streamers on it with multiple tungsten beads so it’s pretty versatile. It’s definitely more of a 3wt but a very enjoyable and versatile rod to fish especially with 3mm and up.
Best review on a rod I’ve seen !! Very honest and technical!!
I have 4 of them love the 1 wt it’s a blast to fish with. I have a custom 10’ 2 wt with a carbon grip and that is a lot of fun to fish with. I don’t get to fish the longer ones too often as I don’t get on big water a lot. Thanks for the detailed review really enjoyed it.
I've bought a few rods from TFF, but I'll just talk about the apples to apples comparison - the T&T Contact II 10' 2 wt, and the Diamondback Ideal 10' 2 wt. I use the T&T, I got the Diamondback for my son. At first he didn't like the rod because he was used to his Cortland Mk II, 10.5' 3 wt, and the casting and feel are pretty different. After he got used to it, he loves it and doesn't really love going back, even when he wants the extra length and/or backbone. He feels like the Diamondback allows him to do more technique-wise.
I've used the Diamondback a little, but not enough to give a valid comparison, so I didn't notice a lot of difference in the short time I tried it. The Diamondback is a tad lighter than the T&T, probably not enough for that to be a factor in picking one over the other. I left a review for the T&T that said basically "it's hard to imagine a better Euro nymphing rod for me". Given the cost of the Diamondback and the fact that I couldn't tell much difference, it's obviously a great value and probably the rod I'd buy brand new today if I were starting over.
If you want to do dry/dropper, a quality 10' 2 wt is going to be better than a 10 1/2' 3 wt, whichever brand you go with.
Agree that the 10' 1wt and 2wt models have a little bit of that magic in them. The 1wt has especially been a joy to fish with.
Glad you've enjoyed them.
I love mine. 10/10 #2. Great for all nymphing methods, throws Fly line quite nicely as well. I really like this rod for upstream nymph methods a lot.
Thanks, I was thinking about the 10’ 3w. After seeing you I’m looking at the 10’ 2w.
Really helpful video! I’ve got a 10’ 3 weight Echo Shadow II (which I like) but want some extra reach for certain rivers. 10’10 2 weight from this series sounds like a good contender. Thanks for all the great content.
The 10102 would be a good upgrade from your Shadow II for sure.
Greetings from Europe and thank you for the rod review. I think your reviews are extremely useful and a very good addition to the Truite & Cie reviews who most often do not review the entire line-up of a rod series. I think your on par with Paul Duncan from Telluride Anglers (which is the biggest compliment I can give).
Diamondback has an interesting online sales concept, they ship directly to Europe.
Great honest review!
Thanks for the thorough review. Info on place of manufacture would also be helpful, especially in comparison with the T&Ts.
I forgot to include that in the video. The Diamondbacks are made in China while the T and T's are made in Massachusetts.
Thanks for the review.
Thanks for watching
Review the Hardy ultralite LL!!! Would love to hear how it stacks up with the Diamondback Ideal Nymph and T&T Contact II!
I love my DB 1wt but my go to rod is my T&T Contact II 2wt...I think the T&T Contact II 2wt is still the best Euro rod made.......but we are comparing a $525 rod to an $895 rod....dollar for dollar I think the DB is the most fun you can have with a euro rod.... great honest review. I bet you sell a bunch of them.....Joe Goodspeed has the midas touch;)
I bought both the 10’10” 2 weights and 4 weights from you. I love both so much and really want to try a 10’ 2 weight after watching this.
Glad you love both those rods. And yes, if you've got smaller water around that you like to fish, the 10' 2 or 1 weight would be a great choice.
Can’t wait for mine! Thanks
You betcha. Enjoy the new rod!
I have the 10'10" 3wt purchased from TFF. The repair program is to notch dealt personally with Joe Goodspeed directly. I love this rod for euro. I fish it with a mono rig. Jig streamers, and euro. I also toss on a spare spool with floating line and indi with no problem. This rod is very versatile. I've been extremely happy with it, especially at the price point. And in the 3wt, it definitely fights larger fish as if it were a 5wt but with better tippet protection.
Glad you've enjoyed the rod Chase!
I love chasing steelhead w the 6wt 10’10” Ideal Nymph rod. For fish in the 7-10 lb range, this rod really is perfect
Yep. It's nice to have a purpose built rod for that situation.
Love my 10’ 1wt. I use it primarily on spring creeks that average less than 25’ wide. I’m usually using single fly 2.0-3.3mm tungsten beads, while navigating cress and elodea beds, works great!. Very accurate rod. Caught my personal best small fish with this rod a 6” stream born Brownie, and on the same day landed a 19” rainbow that the rod handled with no issue, keeping the fish out of the cress beds. After fishing this rod on several outings it fits this type of fishing and the size of water and beads perfectly. Probably have now caught well over 100 fish with this rod, between 6” and 19”, most being in the 14-16” range. This rod has been absolutely a joy to use and handles the fish with no problems. I don’t believe I’ve lost a hooked fish on 6X or 7X tippets, despite needing to muscle the fish to keep them out of the cress or elodea in the spring creeks.
It's definitely a great stick for those types of situations.
Excellent, honest, and helpful review.
I have been fishing the Diamonback 4wt 10'10" for great lake and FL tributaries for steelhead and browns since the fall. I hooked and landed some bruiser browns in heavy water, but feel like the 6wt 10'10" would have given me more authority over the bigger fish. (I have been following Joe Goodspeed closely since his Cortland days. Adopted and evolved many of his tributary contact tactics with great success over the last 7 years.)
Last week, I started experiment using the Diamondback 4 wt 10'10" on smallmouth. I upsized the Joe's Mini Craw to size 4 and have been able to get down deep in faster water - where smallies have been hanging post spawn. Landed a decent number of smallmouth upto 3.75 lbs with it, so far, but still have a lot to learn - and adapting the hookset to the smallmouth vice grip has been a challenge. (Only see occasional references to Euro for smallmouth, so guess we are all learning.)
I have had the Diamondback 1 wt out just a few times. Seems pretty sweet and more powerful than I guessed.
Thanks again for the helpful review
Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for watching.
Hi Kirk - I watched your TTFR presentation in April - it was interesting and well done...nice work. Have you learned anything new (regarding hook set, barbed hooks, etc) about the Diamondback 4wt using Joe's mini craw fly for smallmouth? It sounded like you were hooking more smallies but landing only 1 of 4 which seems tough to figure. Also when you say "you wish you had the 10"10" 6wt for GL and FL Steelhead and Browns"...what tippet are you using most often for that style of fishing? I ask bc often the Erie steelhead require 4X 6lb Fluoro to bite at all under low/clear conditions - so having a heavier more powerful rod like the 6wt doesn't seem like it would help much bc you can't use the extra rod power without breaking the tippet. Thanks!
@@jefflumley4088 Thanks for the compliments about the April 2024 smallmouth presentation for TTFR. ua-cam.com/video/vN0sA3p2jxQ/v-deo.html Spent a bunch of time preparing that. It is satisfying to hear your comments. I continue to learn using my Diamondback 4 wt 10'10" rod for smallmouth. I have been modifying Joe's Mini Craw with solid results. I don't often miss a hook set when using a vigorous downstream set. I am confident in fishing while drifting with the current in my driftboat. I have had several first time Euro nymphers be successful within a few casts. I am now feeling confident in the 4 wt 10'10" for river smallmouth, with little motivation to change. (I have also landed several 5-6lb catfish, which surprised me, but are apparently suckers for crawfish). On the tributary questions, I use the same rod for Erie and Ontario tribs. I go down to 4X - favoring the higher strength flouro tippet materials - like Rio FF+ or Cortland Ultra Premium because of their higher 8+ lb break strength. I have landed fish up to 12-15 lbs on the 4 weight and love it for it's stealth and protecting light tippets. I might use a 6 weight for those times when there are giants lurking, if I owned one. But favor the 4 weight for it's stealth. BTW: I also did a presentation for TTFR on contact methods for trib fishing - which explains innovative tactics evolved from Joe Goodspeed. Here's a link: ua-cam.com/video/ZSGX1dMTGO4/v-deo.html
Thanks for the great review! Quick question! All the trout locally to me are little stockers about 9-12”. I can’t decide between the 1wt or the 2wt 10ft rod. 90% of the time I would be fishing these smaller stockers but occasionally I would travel to some other streams where I can get into 16in + fish and 20in + fish. I would also like to put a wf line on the road to do some regular nymphing with an indicator. Would you recommend the 1wt or the 2wt 10ft rod?
The 1wt is a sweetheart, I got mine from your shop last may and I have pushed it to the limit. The best fish I landed on it was a roughly 26” , 7.5 pound brown I found while playing with dinky fish, it was sketchy but I was shocked how quickly I subdued the brute. Would I recommend targeting those fish with the 1wt not at all, but I’m glad to know the rod can quickly land a random brute in small water.
Glad you've enjoyed the rod!
Thank you for great vid. It helped alot :-) 10’ 2wt sounds like my rod 🫣
Glad it helped. I certainly enjoy the 10' 2 weight myself.
Love my 10’ 1wt just got a couple issues with the cork and the wood grain handle cracking
Talk to Joe and see what he can do for you.
Thanks for the fantastic review. It certainly helped with my rod selection. I’ve ordered myself the 10’10” 3wt in anticipation of some upcoming trips to NZ and Tasmania - I’m based in south east Australia. I normally fish with a 10’ 2wt Primal Zone running a microchip leader (0.18mm / 2.5kg pezon & michel). I was wondering what size leader you would recommend for the 10’10” 3wt Diamondback?
The leader won’t really depend on the rod. It depends mostly on the tippet size you are fishing. You probably don’t need to change much for Tasmania but for NZ I would probably fish 5x or 4x tippet depending on where you’re fishing and the size of trout you expect you’ll run into. You’ll need the visible portion of your leader to be one or two sizes larger than your tippet to avoid having your leader breaking before your tippet does.
@@tacticalflyfisher3817 Many thanks for the feedback. My 10'10" 3wt Diamondback arrived today, along with a Diamondback Ideal Nymph 3/4 reel. I've got it spooled up with a Scientific Angler Mastery Euro Tactical Nymph braided core line and will build up my leader tonight. Thanks again for the advice, I look forward to trying it out.
I own a Diamondback 10' 10" 2 weight and T and T 10' 9" 3 weight. Both are very good. However, I find myself using the Diamondback most of the time. If I hook a fish - it is caught. It just doesn't let the big fish shake off like other high end rods. I was fortunate this year to land Many a big brownie. No problem. Can't say enough good things about this rod. I'm going to get the 1 weight for a local stream with smaller trout. Customer service is outstanding. I started my fly fishing with the syndicate pro. Not nearly as good. Wish I would have known you can get the best of the best for $525.
Glad you've enjoyed the 10102.
Now I got a conundrum! Diamondback or T&T?! Coming from a 10ft 2 weight Shadow 2, I guess either would be a huge upgrade 😁
Same conundrum here, but coming from 10ft 3wt Hardy Zephrus.
Any plans on a review of/or opinions of the Hanak superb XP rods? I'd really like a Diamondback, as it is more in my budget (if you ask my wife) than more high end rod, but they are sadly not available in Europe yet.
We can’t reliably get Hanak rods here so I don’t have any plans to review them.
I’d like to c a honest review from you or one of the team guys on the hardy ultralite LL 0/2 10’8”. I fish the T & T contact 2, Sage esn, Diamond Back ideal nymph , moonshine ephany , Hardy ultralite LL and the Beulah platinum. They all have pluses and minuses. Great review, thanks!!!!
What's your take on the Hardy 0/2? I own one and I'm curious.
@@damonm7541 it’s my everyday go to rod. It doesn’t recover as fast as some others but it’s a 0/2 wt. I don’t expect it to. I like the tippet protection the soft tip section has and I like the stiffness of the butt section. I can grab any of the rods i mentioned in my first comment but choose the Hardy LL because I enjoy fishing it the most. Key here is, I enjoy the most. I believe in fishing or using equipment that makes my day most enjoyable no matter what I hear or read online. I find the Hardy ultralite ll rods to be durable blanks compared to others I fish. I’d like to see some reviews on this 0/2 from guys like Devin. I think it would be interesting. A rod I’m really enjoying to fish is the Hardy ultralite LL 9’2” 3 wt. this rod is dream to dry fly fish. In hand, it feels like it’s lighter in ounce wt than the sage trout Ll 9’ 4 wt. it has a euro rod soft tip section and the rest of the blank is more like a medium action dry fly rod. It’s a great euro tight line rod on brook trout streams. I honestly love this model!! I hope you find my reply somewhat useful.
@@wvlongshooter3912 Thanks for the detailed reply. Not to stray too far off topic, but I'm curious to hear others' comparison of the Hardy LL 0/2, as I've fished it for two seasons as my primary long rod. I like it, and think it performs more like a 2/3, with easily as much fish turning power as my 3 weights. It's also very durable. Still, always looking to trade, so I'm interested in the Diamondback and the Contact II 1092.
@@damonm7541 I have both rods you are looking for. Both are awesome rods in my opinion. Good luck finding what you are looking for. Thanks for replying!! Good luck fishing too.
Devin......
I was looking for a purpose built big water trout rod for out west.....the brawling type rivers, Madison, Big Horn, Yellowstone etc.
Lots of water and big strong fish.
Something more for tightlining unweighted fliws with shot or mixing in an indicator in out.of reach runs.
Do you think the 10'10 4wt would be smart choice for big heavy water nymphing?
I already own the 10' 10" 6wt which is amazing for Steelhead......i could almost see it doing what I want but the 4wt is intiguing.
I use the 10' 10' 3 weight myself for the heaviest water western rivers. It's really more of a 4 weight and works well in big water for 20-25" fish in my experience.
Going with the 10' 2wt! What are you using as a set up when dry fly fishing it? I have a tilt with euro line on it for nymph fishing, I was going to carry a second reel with WF 5wt line on it should I want to switch to dry flies. TYIA!
Dan, my guess is you'd fine the WF 5 line would overload it quite a bit. I would recommend swapping that line to a 2 or 3 weight for dry flies down the road.
Devin, how would the the 10'10" 4 and 6 weights work as stillwater rods/surf rods?
They wouldn't work very well in my opinion but I haven't cast either of those models specifically with typical WF/shooting head lines. Personally I still prefer a fast action 10' 6 weight for stillwater use. I haven't done any surf fishing so I'm not sure what the specific use criteria would be there.
comparing the 10’ 2wt diamondback to the 10’ 2wt contact II, do you think it’s worth the extra money for the contact II?
They are very different rods. The Contact II is softer in the top half of the rod and is in between the DB 1 and 2 weight in terms of flex profile. The T and T is a bit lighter as well. The T and T is also US made while the Diamondbacks are made in China. Whether it is worth the extra money is a value judgement I can't make. Performance wise the 10' Diamondback rods punch above their price point though.
I fish all the tribs on the north side of lake Ontario for steelheads. At the same time I'm fishing the Grand River for some little 4-6 inch trouts. Would a 4wt 10'-10" be an ok for both? I want to try to have both but am leaning slightly more towards the steelhead. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.
That would be an awfully heavy rod for that size of trout but I suppose it could work until you can purchase a lighter rod.
@@tacticalflyfisher3817 After watching some of your videos, I now ended up with a 10-6 3wt Echo shadow X. I have landed numerous large steelheads although many were a challenge. I look forward to catching some small stuff in the spring and summer.
What’s an ideal weight (oz or grams) of fishing reel can you recommend for the 10’10 6wt rod to balance it for all day fishing?
It's best to have close to 6 oz or more with that rod.
Hmmm…I guess I need one now 😊
:) Maybe you do
How well does the 10’ 2wt handle jig streamers? 3mm-4mm beads?
It wouldn't be my first pick for a heavy streamer rig but it does the job when needed. It's fine with those sizes of beads assuming you don't have double 4 mm beads and you have good casting technique.
@@tacticalflyfisher3817 thanks for the advice.
Devin,
Have you used the Moonshine Vesper 10’6” 3 weight? I would appreciate your opinion on it.
Thanks
I haven’t used the Vesper. I have tried the Epiphany and thought it was quite poor.
Great review Devin - I have the 10ft 2wt and I love it. I was interested in the 10" 10" 3wt for some bigger water/fish but I'm concerned it might be a bit much for me based on several of your comments. Assuming only 1 fly tied on as point is a size 14 blowtorch - what is the lightest size tungsten bead you would use on this rod for it to still load/cast effectively? How do you define "trophy" trout...length, weight, or both? Thank you!
I have the same questions
Jeff,
You can cast a single fly down to about 3 mm with the 10' 10" 3 weight assuming correct technique. It won't load very well below that though. I don't use the 10103 unless I expect to see fish over 20" in heavy water. If you expect smaller fish on average but still want the extra length, the 10102 is a better choice and it still lands large fish well unless you are somewhere with high velocity currents.
@@tacticalflyfisher3817 Thanks Devin,
What rod (10102 or 10103) would you choose in a situation with a big river, with mostly high velocity currents/flows, where you want to fish euro streamers w average size 8 like wooly buggers, stones, and crawfish patterns that all have 3.8MM beads or 4.6MM beads, but many of the fish are not 20+ inches? Say the average size fish in this case was more like 16 inches but there are some trophy 20+ in there - say 30% of population. My point being - can the 10102 cast and hook set well enough while using heavier rigs in either average or heavy flows (regardless of the size of fish population)?
Thank you,
Jeff
@@jefflumley4088 I would go with the 10103 personally. The hook setting power is better with this rod for the larger hook gauges of the streamers. It also slings heavier weight rigs more accurately.
euro rods and fishing just seem like regular fly fishing with way more steps. I dont catch any more fish with my euro setup than I do with with an indicator setup. In fact I catch much less because the fish are almost always unwilling to eat when they can see me. Especially int he winter. And you just can not get close enough to the fish to cast to them....also streamers on one of these rods? lol I'd pay to see someone chuck a full Cheech Leech with one of these, or a zoo cougar LOLOL
Now you got me in a pickle Devin lol. I fish mostly a cortland nymph 10’6 2 weight but was looking very hard at the diamond backs especially the 10’10 2 and or 3 weight. The biggest thing with me is I fish everything from decent size streams to large rivers in central pa. I mostly run 3mm on my rigs because it’s how I also fished even in comps but I do throw dry droppers and streamers on a micro leader setup. I also sold my h3 nymph rod so I was thinking about getting the 10’10 3 weight because I catch everything from small fish (dinks) to fish 20” and above. I also want to be able to pull double duty and use it for Lake Erie steelhead. Any thoughts Devin on which one you would recommend ?
You’re looking for a lot of different characteristics in one rod. If you’re wanting to fish for Erie steelhead with it though the 10’ 10” 3 weight is really your only option.
@@tacticalflyfisher3817 we have caught many steelhead on other brand nymph rods that were three weights. Probably the biggest thing I’m need currently is a long rod for the bigger rivers around me where I’ll catch sone fish that are over 20”. You think the 10”10 2 weight will preform for most of my needs( leaving steelhead out of it because I got a 10’6 4 weight I can use for them)
@@coreystoner4129 yes. The 10’ 10” 2 has plenty of power for larger trout in big water. It is pretty much a 3 weight with a softer tip when compared to a lot of other Euro rods.
Are these rods made in China ?
I noticed a review from trout and co. Stated they were made in Korea.
As far as I know the factory is in China.
Thank you
Hardy ultralight ll , 10’8” 3wt. Thank me later.