Hardy Demon Switch 10’6”

Demon Smuggler is a 6-piece fly rod. This means the rod tube is incredibly small and packable, perfect for backpacking trips or carry-on luggage. The rod also sports an aluminum double uplocking reel seat that is highly functional, lightweight, but not quite as pretty as the reel seats on the Zephrus, Wraith, and other high-end rods. The reel seat blends nicely into a reversed half wells cork grip. The Demon Smuggler is well-constructed, has alignment dots, and is finished with nice componentry. The rod is missing Hardy’s titanium guides that are present on most of the higher-end rods. The single foot guides on the Demon Smuggler are practical, however, and contribute to the rod’s lightweight makeup.

Weight

The entire Demon Smuggler rod weighs 3.4 ounces. That’s insanely light for a 6-piece fly rod with two extra joints. The lightweight construction of this rod is a true technological achievement for Hardy. This achievement is part of the reason the Demon Smuggler is an industry-leader in 6-piece fly rod performance.

Distance

The Demon Smuggler performs well at distance. Energy and power transfer down the blank at distances beyond 60 feet to provide good casting accuracy. While the accuracy of the Demon Smuggler at long distance isn’t quite as good as other high-priced 4-piece fly rods, for a 6-piece fly rod that fits in your suitcase, the Demon Smuggler has mind-blowing accuracy in this 60-foot range.

Accuracy

Sort of surprisingly, the Demon Smuggler has superior accuracy at 30 feet. This rod may be the best 5wt we’ve cast at this distance, regardless of make. That’s saying something. Accuracy at 45 feet, however, is a slightly different story; the medium-fast action of the rod requires a slow casting stroke at middle trout distances. After making an adjustment, however, and slowing down our casting tempo, we found that the rod maintains its accuracy