Dear Jerry Siem,

I know you’re a very busy guy, and a very competent one too, which won’t help me get you to see my point. Anyway, I have to do something, in the name of our Mouching readers, who deserve better. In a nutshell: you came up with a magnificent blank, and it’s almost a surprise one can still notice that after such a bad treatment during the build. I give you a little list, it’s just depressing:

a. Obviously, no one took care to spine the blank. So the guides are 45° left of the blank’s natural curve.
b. The paint. Weights a ton. Serves no technical purpose other than screwing your designer job.
c. Snake guides. A noble herency from tougher times… double wrap, double weight, zero advantage, except for Bob, the steelheader cousin, who’s getting freezing guides.
d. Two insert strippers. That’s one too many. And Fuji LNAG, really? Even I usually do better on my proletarian rods.
e. Even the reel seat is a cheapo for a rod this high in price. That’s where we expect a class act, and what do we get? Some passable aluminium crap. Meh.
F. Don’t get me started on that winding check

Jerry, old sport, there’s nothing really serious about all this, and your marketing buddies, who really know their trade, have all the reasons behind such poor choices. I just resent a little that we all have to put up with that thing they do to get to your work. The rod’s not mine, and at that price tag I wouldn’t want to cause massive brain damage, but here’s what I’d do if I ever were to win your rod at a bingo game: I would first get rid of those guides, then of the paint. It’s not difficult to do. Then I’d build it back on the spine, with single foot guides and short wraps. I’m sure the result would surprise many people, but certainly not you, because you’re Jerry Siem and your blank is seriously good.

With my best regards,

Laurent du Mouching.

PS. Not everything is a disaster either. The guides are aligned, the finish is neat, and I like that EVA on the fighting butt, a part of the rods always lying around in the wrong places. The cork is so-so, but these are hard times to find decent cork anywhere.

Next time we start to fly a line.