Cheating We'll come clean from the outset: Velocity is the freshwater version of our Cobalt action. We did this for an obvious reason: Our high-energy saltwater rods are certifiable handguns. Point and shoot, fast and furious, lifting power and laser loops.

Big flies on open water, blowing like hell? Yep. Send one out to a seam in the middle of a wide freestone and throw in a reach? Nailed it. Lift a meaty streamer with a Belgian backcast and hit the other side of the river? Done. 10 inch brookies in a beaver pond on 6X? Uh . . . not quite. But if speed is what you need . . .Lighter hardware, forgotten fighting butts, foofy finishes for us trout guys, things like that.

End of story.