Having received the HANAK 4in1 and a JMC Elite 11’ 6” rod from Pavel at Fly Fishing Point, I was itching to get out at the first opportunity and give them a flexing. That opportunity came yesterday whilst out on the river with Warren, nymphing for some Test grayling.
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HANAK 4 in 1 Fly Rod
9’ to 10’ 6” conversion #3 weight (4 to 6 pieces)
9 foot #3 option: 1 + 2 + 3 + 4
9 foot 6” #3 option: 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 6
10 foot #3 option: 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5
10 foot 6” option: 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6
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The Blank has a lovely smoothed natural matt finish, 2 stripping guides (1 of which is on the extension) single leg eyes and black whipping coated in a high gloss varnish.
Grip – Reversed half wells with good quality cork
Reel Seat – Gunmetal finish with carbon insert
Innovations – Butt extender, balance weights, stopper & rod extensions
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Rod Balance using a relatively standard large arbour reel on the shortest 9’ and longest 10’ 6” options as examples of adjustments that can be made to balance the outfit.
(pic below) 9ft option: + stopper + 2 balance weights
(pic below) 9ft option: + stopper only 
(pic below) 10ft 6” option: + stopper only
(pic below) 10ft 6” option: + stopper + 2 balance weights
(pic below) 10ft 6” option: + butt extender + 2 balance weights
My personal preference was to use the rod without the butt extender.
As an option you could use it for control & comfort whilst maintaining a high hold nymphing position. 
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The rod in use
Having put together all of the options and made numerous casts & presentations as a prelim, what’s noticeable is the soft & sensitive tip action, within all of the options this action felt the same, only the rod length would change – ‘I liked that’.
Matched with a RIO Light Trout DT#3, such an action making short to medium range casts were a delight, the tip was quick to recover and casts felt precise. Although I fished initially with 6X tippet, I’d have gone down to 7 or 8X should the conditions have dictated with a great deal of confidence that smashed takes could be avoided.
So to the fishing… nymphing was the preferred method early on so it was to the 10’ 6” option I went. With short line nymphing using a variety of micro & larger weighted nymphs I decided to up-line the rod to a RIO Light Trout DT #4. Delivering no more than perhaps a rods length of line it handled with consummate ease and with no discernable change in the performance of the rod.
The tip was flexing with ease and the slightest of taps on completing the forward stroke saw the cast straighten out towards its intended target. All be it we were chasing the ladies, this trout in the short video below put some much needed flex into the rod so as to get a handle on its feel and playing capabilities… sadly the end wasn’t quite what I had in mind…
further investigation in this same pool with a few more searching casts started to find a few of our favoured ladies…
Having reaped reward using the 10’ 6” it was time to change tact and go short. Now to the 9’ option lined with the aforementioned DT#3 and set up with a duo of a Klinkhammer & size 18 Red Neck PTN.
Warren my intermittent camera man had gone fishing downstream so the short video below will have to suffice as to it’s presentation and handling capabilities… ‘just lovely’
I spent the whole morning with this rod and thoroughly enjoyed it’s use (the afternoon was spent with JMC Elite, a review for another time), although I fished with only 2 of the rods options, the shortest and the longest so to speak, I was personally taken more with the 10’ 6” option for both nymphing and general casting dry/wet fly, this is for no other reason than I just like the longer rods, as if you didn’t know that already.
‘Although the location didn’t warrant French mono style nymphing, I can assure you it’ll be receiving that treatment some time real soon…’
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Thoughts, pro’s & con’s
- Firstly to aesthetics – Now I’m probably being really picky here but why go to the trouble of maintaining a matt blank finish with a mindset to reducing potential rod flash and then coat the whipping with a high gloss finish?
- The advantage of the 6” extension is that you can lengthen the rod without tackling down, with the 12” extension you need to tackle down due to the stripping guide.
- For the 10’ 6” option, the order in which you apply the extension is key, put the rod together from the tip in this order = 4,3,2,6,5,1 
Below the order is 4,3,2,5,6,1 (Notice the increase in line sag)
- For those who choose not to use long rods for nymphing due to the sometimes uncomfortable nature of the reaching technique and suspension of the arm, a rod of this type can be ideal in providing you with a reasonable reach but without discomfort as demonstrated below
HANEK 4 in 1 Fly Rod… more details