TEMPLE FORK FINESSE
Peter Watson down-sizes with a new 2-weight 'twig' for the rivers.

After many years as a dedicated ‘lake man’, the call of some small streams had become too strong to ignore any longer; it was time for a new rod. Catalogues were perused, FlyLife forum consulted, and a short list cast at several venues to make a decision. Ultimately the field was narrowed to one, the Temple Fork Outfitters Finesse series. I settled on the 2-weight and overlined it with a 3-weight line.

The rod is wonderful to cast. Having a slightly slower action it suits my casting style, and lends itself well to short-range fishing. With the 3-weight line the rod really shines in the 10 to 20-foot range, yet is still capable of pushing out 30–40 feet. Any more and it was becoming a little under gunned with the 3-weight line. A minor point, and not what I set the rod up for.

At 7' 3" and 4-piece, the rod packs away to only 23 inches, comes with a sectioned cloth bag and hard triangular cordura covered tube for protection—great for slipping into the backpack for an extended trip. The emerald green of the blank is matched nicely with dark green bindings, combined with a half wells grip and uplocking rosewood reel seat. The overall appearance is of a very high standard equal to anything on the market. I couldn’t be happier with the rod.

Working my way up the river covering likely looking areas was certainly a change from chasing smelters up and down a lake edge. The little Finesse is a joy to fish with, handles the dreaded downstream breeze without a problem and never missed a beat when I lucked out with an above average rainbow, landing the fish quickly and in excellent condition for release.

If you’re in the hunt for a mid-priced ‘twig’, the TFO Finesse is a definite must try. In my opinion the equal to many higher priced rods, and sure to become a favourite in any fly fisher’s armoury.