REVIEW ON THE AIRLITE VERSA ROD

During COVID, folks rushed to buy the fast-action introductory packages en masse. Now, five years later, the progressive, moderate action design trend is a natural evolution, assuming that those who stuck around in that market have been keeping up with their game! With that charitable and risky assumption in mind, the American angler should be just about ready for a rod like the Airlite Versa 9ft. 5wt. Advertised as a medium-fast trout rod, this fresh offering from the Mayfly Group belongs to the same performance, craftsmanship, and durability categories as any of the flagship-priced sticks from the competition at about a third of the price.

Like Orvis, the Airlite series has the loud wrap next to the cork so that even anglers fifty yards upstream can see you’ve got something different, but the Versa tones it down, and the burl wood in the reel seating adds that classy trout rod accent for aesthetic balance. One of the more underrated additions was the inclusion of a triangular rod tube that won’t roll around in the back seat. Everybody needs to get on that trend!  

At 25ft. (Appalachia distance), there’s a pleasant prompt on the back when tip casting. As seen from the video, 25-40ft. is smooth and effortless. When combined with Airflo’s tactical taper, there's a feel here I'd associate with a rod at least double the price. Within a line weight or two, it has been said that good casters depend on the line to load the rod, while expert casters load the rod with their stroke. The Versa, however, strikes a happy balance that brims with personality — a difficult-to-describe X factor that the rod-raters at Yellowstone have historically attempted to quantify as "fun to fish" and "got to have" in their oft-cited ratings; this rod is definitely chocked full of those descriptions and more. 

Now to the guts: After all, what’s a review without distance casting? Sometimes, the elegant, slower actions die when pressed towards the handle, but with the extended head of the tactical taper line and the commitment to an authentically progressive rod taper, this delicate wonder performed well out to 85ft. in only 5wt. It was here that I realized that this rod deserves a higher price tag than the $349.00 Airlite is asking. Carrying line is no problem, and the line screams through the single-foot chrome guides, followed by a quick recovery. As golfers and anglers (an unfortunate crossover) often say, it's the short game that matters most, but when the fish aren’t biting, and there’s too much testosterone in the boat, pick up the Versa for some friendly hero-casting, it’ll cool the egos while the trout “reset.” 

I've only thrown the Versa in 5wt., but I'm eager to try the others in the series. For now, at the price point, I say with no doubt that, when paired with the Air Flo tactical taper, the Versa 9ft. 5wt. is the finest dry fly rod I have ever cast. It’s delicate with great reserve power, and our testing team of instructors and highly experienced anglers spent a week with it casting to picky fish on 15ft. leaders and 6.5x tippet. When we’d manage to hook up, the tip section would dance, flex, and give until the trout was safely in the net. We would bicker and argue over whose turn it was to use the Versa next, even with several other flagship rods in the boat to choose from.

However, this is not a rod for beginners. It has a big personality and is selective in the things it will do. The Versa is not a general-purpose 5wt. for streamers and indicator rigs; this is the second or third rod you purchase when you've developed your stroke and are starting to commit certain rods to certain techniques and quarry. It performs well at any distance because of its progressive taper and has tremendous reserve power for the long game. The rod is interesting, even alluring. I keep coming back to it. I keep looking forward to it on those evening dry-dropper floats on the Hiwassee and Soho in Tennessee. Admittedly, the cynic in me keeps waiting for the shoe to fall off the other foot; I keep waiting for some glass jaw to reveal itself as the BVK did over ten years ago; I keep waiting for the “catch” to come because there is no way this rod is only $349.00. So far, I’ve waited in vain, and I couldn’t be happier about it. I look forward to seeing the Versa series getting the credit it deserves in the years to come. It is a rod brimming with power, finesse, and personality and is sure to become a classic among trout anglers everywhere.