We’ve been supplying Douglas fly rods via our website for a few months and while I was familiar with the Douglas Upstream I was intrigued to see how it performed on the water. The Upstream has been designed as a modern alternative to glass or bamboo. Douglas describe it as an ultra-lite, moderate action, traditional light work rod for fishing in tight spaces, so no better place to test it than an overgrown southern English chalk stream.

First Impression

I set up the 8’3” 3wt variant and my initial observation was the quality, Douglas provide a hardy metal tube to protect the rod in transit and an accompanying bag, all the printing and engraving is clean and classy. The rod itself is very, very light, partly due to the composition of the blank but primarily due to the traditional cork cap ring reel seats which saves crucial grams. The handle itself is thinner than a standard rod and makes my Vosseler reel feels like it’s made of lead comparatively. I opt for a weight forward 3wt line, a ASSO 9ft tapered leader 6X attached to a tippet ring and another 2ft of ASSO Copolymer Soft 6X. This is a pretty standard dry fly setup for my faster action, longer rods I use on this river as there is often a downstream wind, but I felt I wanted to put the Upstream through it’s paces. On the end I tie a size 16 Parker’s Retirer

Take It Easy

I’m not a traditionalist, far from it, so the first few casts were interesting…..the action is very slow, below moderate I would argue, kind of like a floppy strand of spaghetti but some how it maintains control and precision. It put a big smile on my face, it was different but in a good way. After a dozen casts I worked it out, less is definitely more with the Upstream - just take it easy. It casts effortlessly and combined with the lightweight blank would be well suited to those who prefer not to break into a sweat casting. But the real surprise came roll casting, that’s where the Upstream truly excels making it absolutely perfect for tight ‘combat’ fishing situations. It allowed me to get some crucial tight casts under over hanging trees to find fish sheltering from the summer sun. It is indeed a modern equivalent to a glass or cane rod and an absolute joy.

I enjoyed a couple of hours during an evening session with the Upstream, the soft action cushioned the line and hook while playing fish and wasn’t overpowered for the Grayling and small wild Browns. On hindsight I could have dropped a tippet diameter and would be confident the rod would protect it. I felt the WF3 line was maybe too aggressive, next time I’d like to try either the Cortland Sylk or Snowbee Thistledown as I believe they could enhance the back cast and load the rod better.

So what did I think?

Benefits.

Well it’s unique, fun and incredible at close work fishing light tippets and delicate presentation. Highly recommended for those traditionalists who want the classic action without the extra weight. For fishing around snags it’s unmatched and provides value for the price – now my go to rod for small chalk streams.

Constraints.

Every positive has a negative, this rod would struggle in the wind (although I’m confident it would still roll cast pretty nicely) but to be honest so it’s a fair weather tool I would suggest. But I suppose most dry fly fishing is done in the milder months of the year. I’d recommend a lightweight reel to match the rod, it’s so light you can easily unbalance it with a larger or heavier one.

Want to learn more? Click here to veiw the Douglas Upstream product page and you can browse the full range of Douglas Fly Rods online at this link. Remember to use discount code WELCOME10 for 10% off your first order with Upavon Fly Fishing and to subscribe to our emails for more reviews, blog articles and special offers.