[dropcap]M[/dropcap]y clients and I have been fishing the 9′, 9 weight Spook Stalker from A. Jensen since May. It is a wonderful stick that is really tailor made for the type of fishing that I do here in the Northeast, namely fishing for striped bass in both shallow flats and deeper water where fish are holding on structure.
Flats bass taken on the Spook Stalker from A.Jensen (photo by A. Derr).
The rod itself is matte black and extremely light in the hand. The butt section is strong and stout but still maintains a relatively narrow diameter (SBD- slim blank design) for a 9 weight and it has plenty of backbone for fighting larger fish. The rod is actually stiff throughout with some nice flex in the tip allowing for finessed accurate casts. The cork full wells grip is constructed of high quality Portuguese cork and shaped exactly as I prefer. As well, the grip has darker cork accents that add a great looking aesthetic. Jensen has labeled each ferrule with the rod weight and length so you know which pieces belong to which rod. All of the wraps on this rod are perfect. If I had to compare it to another rod of fly fishing fame, the original G. Loomis GLX would come to mind first. I actually prefer the Jensen.
The design incorporates light weight (4.1 ounces), a soft tip and a powerful butt amazingly well to give this 9 weight the sensitivity of a much lighter rod and the lifting and fighting power of a heavier rod. This is a job well done across the board by the design crew at A. Jensen. With distribution of this Danish company’s products in the United States starting soon and pricing rumored to be in the $400-$450 range on the Spook Stalker, I would recommend checking out this rod as soon as the opportunity presents itself. It is an impressive achievement in fly rod design and one that will stay in my arsenal indefinitely.
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The Spook Stalker rod won the Runner up award at the “best new product competition” at the international EFTTEX show 2014.
Features:
- 45 Tons graphite
- SBD (Slim Blank Design)
- Advanced Helical Taper technology
- Top quality Portuguese cork handles
- Pacific Bay SIC Stripping guides
- Beautiful reel seat in airspace graded aluminum
- Super Hard Chrome double leg snakes and top guides in matte black
- Dots for correct and easy assembling of rod parts
- Lifetime warranty (rod registration needed)
- Supplied in Cordura rod tube
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