Of all the rods in the HT series, the HT4 is my favourite. This might be because it’s my primary dry fly rod of course, but also it is perhaps the most versatile. Originally it was developed for river fishing in Bosnia and Croatia. In Bosnia, the most used tippet is .10mm or 7X, fishing flies #16-20 so a light-line rod with a sensitive tip is a must. However I really wanted to keep the Hot Torpedo feel and action and the result has been surprising…
Most 4WT rods on the market have rather soft butt sections, the HT4 has a powerful flexible butt. This allows for distance casts on Stillwaters, in other words it can comfortably throw a team of buzzers 90ft across the wind. Since a 4WT flyline is 40% lighter than a 6WT line this gives us far greater sensitivity. Side by side, you might feel the pluck of a take on the 6 – and miss it – with the 4 you get to hit these delicate takes. The fish appear to mouth the fly for longer.
Even more surprising is that the HT4 is quite at home throwing medium-sized streamers. Being able to throw a streamer as well as fish small dries on delicate tippets is very handy if you don’t want to carry two rods around! It will French nymph too, but in this regards it is a compromise and another foot of length would be preferable.
So here we have a superb all-round trout and grayling rod, that gives considerable advantages over heavier lined rods. This is a really great rod for trout fishing on the flats of NZ or Tasmania, fantastic on rivers and a joy to cast. The powerful butt section allows for a strong fight too, which is particularly useful for me, because it’s also my Giant Gourami rod in Malaysia!
I fish this rod with a DT4 line. It should be exactly AFFTA conforming. Fast and furious and with finesse. If you’re a 5-weight man then try the HT4. 4 is the new 5!
It catches big fish too…
