If you love to fish for trout, it’s always exciting to hear that a big name like Redington is bringing out a new rod specially designed for trout anglers. That’s why we couldn’t wait to get our hands on the affordably priced Hydrogen to see how it performs.
This low-cost rod has been hyped up as one of the lightest rods in its class, with superior accuracy and smooth casting. If that hasn’t piqued your interest, I don’t know what will! So let’s find out if the Redington Hydrogen lives up to its reputation!
Redington Hydrogen Fly Rod
Redington Hydrogen Specs:
| Line Weight: 2 – 4 | Length: 7 – 10ft |
| Action: Medium-Fast | Handle: Premium Cork handle |
| Rod Weight: – | Rod Tube: – |
| Color: Black | Sections: 4 |
| Warranty: Lifetime Warranty | Country Of Manufacture: USA |
Overall Score
Key Features
- Lightweight Stripping Guides
- Super-Tuned, Moderate-Fast Action Design
- Cordura Rod Tube
- Skeletonized Anodized Aluminum Reel Seat
- The Redington Lifetime Warranty
Description
Trout anglers, listen up. This fly rod is perfect for chasing those wily trout. It’s lightweight with a versatile medium-fast action. You’ll love casting this Redington fly rod – the Hydrogen feels light in hand and is super smooth. Landing a convincing, natural presentation will come easy with this rod. The Hydrogen is best suited to small water – little trout streams and creeks.
A Quick Overview
The Redington Hydrogen is a trout rod, through and through. It’s super lightweight, with a medium-fast action that has been honed specifically to meet the needs of enthusiastic anglers who live for the trout season.
Redington has broken from the norm by using a skeletonized reel seat and single-foot guides, to reduce the weight further. The result is a feather-light rod that feels almost like an extension of your arm – it moves in an intuitive way that you hardly have to think about. You’ll have a lot of fun fly fishing with the Hydrogen! But at the same time, it can handle large fish.
Features and Benefits
Let’s take a closer look at the Hydrogen fly rod, so you can decide if it’s the right rod for you!
Weight
The Hydrogen fly rod is about as light as they come! The 9 foot 5 weight model comes in at just 2.5 ounces, an incredibly light weight. If you love an ultralight rod that you can fish all day with ease, then the Hydrogen fits the bill!
Build Quality
The Hydrogen is a quality rod with a neat, matte finish. It’s kitted out with a CNC machined skeletonized reel seat, single-foot guides. It comes in a Cordura rod tube for secure storage and travel. While the hardware may look pared back, there’s nothing bare-bones about this rod. The components all function well, and the rod performs on the water. It might take a little while to get the hang of, but it’s worth your time!
The cork handle is on the small side, but it has an ergonomic half wells design, and the cork is of premium quality. It works well for a trout rod, though it wouldn’t be my first choice for a saltwater fishing rod!
Action
The action of the Hydrogen is medium-fast, which makes it ideally suited to fly fishing. It’s not too stiff and allows a deeper bend in your rod. But it’s also powerful enough to cast longer distances on the water and haul in lunker fish.
Versatility
The Hydrogen range includes weights from 2 – 6 and lengths that vary from 7’6 to 9′. This wide variety allows you to pick out the rod that best suits your needs, according to where you like to fish best and your preferred techniques.
You can use all sorts of flies with the Hydrogen fly rod. It can handle lighter weight dry flies and drop them neatly on the surface, or you can chuck out heavy weighted flies with ease. Tight line nymphing is even possible due to the heightened sensitivity and accuracy of this rod.
Warranty
As with all other Redington rods, the Hydrogen is covered by a generous lifetime warranty [1]. Just make sure that you buy from an authorized retailer and note that damage from neglect or misuse isn’t covered. The warranty only covers the original buyer, but it provides great peace of mind. Accidents can happen, and it’s good to know that Redington will replace or repair your rod if it breaks.
FAQ
Are Redington fly rods any good?
Redington fly rods are some of the best rods out there for fly anglers! The company is well-known for producing high-quality, specialized goods that always perform. Some of the most popular Redington rods include the Vice, the Redington Crux, and the Classic Trout.
Where are Redington fly rods made?
Redington rods are designed in the US but manufactured overseas. Don’t let that put you off – all Redington rods are constructed and finished to the highest standards!
Can you Euro nymph with a 9 foot rod?
Yes, you can Euro nymph [2] with your 9-foot rod! It’s entirely possible and you can have a lot of success this way, but it’s not the easiest or best euro nymphing rod. Generally, the longer the rod, the better suited it is to nymphing. But if you’re looking to try out Euro nymphing, it’s a fantastic way to get started and see if you like it!
How do you balance a fly reel on a fly rod?
You need to balance your fly reel to your fly rod for the best fishing set up. Otherwise, the rod will feel heavy in hand and could cause arm fatigue. That means you’ll need to select a reel that matches your rod in weight. If you have an ultralight rod, you’ll need a reel that is low in weight, too. And a heavier weight rod calls for a heavier weight reel. You should also factor in the weight of your fly line if you want to balance your rod out nicely.
The Wrap Up
The Redington Hydrogen is the perfect rod for trout fishing! It doesn’t matter whether you’re a complete beginner or an experienced angler – you’ll love getting out on the water with this rod. You can have a lot of fun playing the fish, but it also has the backbone to haul them in. Casting is smooth and precise, and there’s no risk of arm fatigue with this feather weight rod.
The team Redington has put a lot of thought into designing the fly rod for trout at a reasonable price. In our opinion, they’ve excelled themselves with the Redington Hydrogen. This fly rod is bound to introduce even more people into the joy of fly fishing! From the single foot guides to the skeletonized reel seat, every detail has been thought through – and it works. Snap up this bargain fly rod – you won’t regret it!
If you’re not sure that the Hydrogen is the right fly rod for you, don’t worry. We’ve reviewed rods from all the top brands – check them out at Fly Fisher Pro! And if you have any questions about this review, drop them below and I’ll get back to you ASAP.
