5WT 9' - Matte

Just got into fly fishing and was looking for some versatility in rods that meet the needs of Northern New Mexico rivers. Discovered Moonshine Rods which are not offered locally. Bought my first on amazon. Thought the craftsmanship and feel were first class so bought two more.These are great rods and very affordable. Have found that you can drop a lot of cash just getting this sport. These guys seem to know their business and want to promote the sport. All three of my rods are beautiful and I appreciate the extra tip. No one else does that and if there is a piece of a rod that will fail, it’s the tip.This is a well thought out business. As I have bought all 3 rods thru Amazon I’m disappointed that I missed out on the canteen. But, what the heck. With the money I’ve saved on rods, I can buy the canteen and have dollars left over for nymphs!

I found Moonshine Rods while researching for blanks to build a flyrod to replace one that got donated to the fish gods. I spent 3 days researching Moonshine after finding them here on Amazon. I've enjoyed fast action flyrods for years, but as I get older I find I like a little slower, less demanding action. The Drifter seemed like "the one" to me. I ordered a 9' 5weight. 2 days later, I was opening a box to reveal something I didnt expect. A VERY NICE looking rod appeared as the packaging went away. Initially, you are attracted to the burl wood insert on the reel seat, then the cork handle, and then your eyes start wandering over the guides thread windings. Beautifully executed, no gaps, no lumps and well done top coat finish.After receiving my new reel and line, I strung up this gem and headed to the yard to see how this baby casts. Few false casts to feel out the action and let her rip. That's when I noticed something you don't see even on high dollar factory rods unless its a custom build on a mass produced blank. Most rods don't have enough line guides. This causes the line to sag between the guides, slowing down line speed and making casting long distance difficult. This rod has more line guides than most 9' rods, and if you load the action up statically, you'll find the line follows the blank perfectly! The Drifter casts effortlessly for me to 50-60 feet. and further with a bit more effort.Well done Moonshine Rod Co, for actually building a flyrod correctly!!!The extra tip section is a nice bonus as well.I'm looking forward to actually fishing this rod. At 200 bucks, I wouldnt call this a "budget" rod, but I would call it a very high value/per dollar spent rod. You can spend more, you could spend less, but this rod hits right in the feels for the best bang/$$ IMO.BTW, customer service is unbelievable. I emailed a question at 6:30 PM mountain time, I got a response and hour later. How many business answer emails after hours? These folks are awesome

First off, I don't leave reviews almost ever, so that should tell you something right off the bat.I started my fly fishing journey about a year ago with the KastKing Emergence combo. It's a ~$130ish rod 'n reel set up that gets you in the water as quick as possible. For someone who had never fly fished before, it was a fantastic combo to get you going. As I started to fly fish more often (around 3-4 times a week) I decided it may be time to invest a bit more into my hobby.I did my research, watched my YouTubes, and found my way to this guy here. One of my gripes with the Emergence was that I felt as though I couldn't ever cast out as far as I needed to. I'm primarily a stillwater fisher; you won't catch me on streams and such often (no trout where I live). I decided to stick with a 5wt, but went up to a 10 foot rod.My first cast with this rod took about a fourth of the amount of false casting I normally would've done to get the amount of line out that I needed. After two days, I've already landed a personal best largemouth. This thing is the truth! If my old rod was a rifle, this thing is a howitzer. It's unbelievable how far I can cast out with this rod.Pros:- Beautiful rod, very classy- Well constructed, appears durable (time will tell)- Medium action, allows for more tactile feel while in the water and also more bend in the rod for longer casting.- Effortless casting. A beginner was able to operate this rod like a seasoned pro within 15 minutes.- Comes with extra tip section.Cons:- No guide dots on the sections. This is a minor gripe and can be DIY remedied if you wish.- The cork feels wonderful, but I noticed very small pieces of it flaking off once my hand got a little wet. I'm unsure if it'll last through the rigors of kayaking, but again, time will tell.

Will be buying a 2nd rod in the near future for my brother. I am extremely impressed with the quality and attention to detail, don't waste your time or money on anything else Sage is way over priced. Love my new rod and look forward to slaying many fish in the future.

This is my 4th Moonshine rod, and I can’t imagine fishing with anything else. These rods are an incredible value. They have excellent components, and rival much more expensive rods without giving up a thing.

Ive used this rod ( 5wt,10’ ) for about 6 months now. Everything from streamer fishing to indicators on high alpine lakes and even high sticking for steelhead….it is an absolute beast. I’ve found where it really shines is roll casting a nice shooting head for shore lake fishing. If you are looking for an all around versatile and well built rod, 5wt 10’ drifter is the stick for you.Oh and if you haven’t heard the moonshine warranty and quality assurance team are some of the best in the biz.

I’ve been fly fishing for a long time and have dozens of rods made by various companies. Moonshine Rod Co is, by far, the most balanced and has the best action of any that I own. I’ve purchased 6 rods from Moonshine Rod Co and definitely recommend them to anyone that is looking for top notch gear.

What a nice rod!! I am relatively new to fly fishing and after buying few rods I decided to buy Moonshine's. Beautiful rod, from tip top to bottom. I have the 7' 6'' 3-wt and it casts fantastic with a relatively cheap line and reel.I am extremely happy with the product.