Mystic has a fly rod for just about everything and the Reaper X and Tremor models can tackle a wide range of saltwater and freshwater fishing situations. I traveled from Montana to Patagonia in a camper van, fishing both rods in a dozen different countries. A full year after that trip and they remain my go-to rods for fishing in the western US.

I have the Reaper X in a 9-foot, 6-weight model and it serves as my all around trout rod. I’ll break out a 3-weight for small streams but the 6-weight is versatile and I fish it exclusively most days. I also have the Reaper X in a 7-weight and it serves as a great streamer rod. The rod has a nice medium-fast action and an easy load point. It’s very forgiving and I can really feel it load and flex, making it easy to find a smooth, casting rhythm.

The overall build and construction is rock solid. I tend to favor high performance, durable rods at a mid level price point. I look for the workhorse build concepts that will last and handle abuse while performing well. The Reaper X is holding up beyond my expectations for any rod. The 6-weight has several hundred days of hard use. It’s been hit by bead heads, dropped on rocky river banks and over-flexed on fish and snags. This 6-weight still performs like new. 

I use the 6-weight with a normal weight forward floating line and occasionally with a slow sinking line for lake fishing. I use the 7-weight with a heavier sink tip and really go hard on streamers with this one. It handles the same weight as an 8-weight without being too much rod for the average trout. The 7-weight was excellent for dredging lakes in Patagonia and also for fishing migratory brown trout in Chile. I landed a handful of hot fish measuring over 24-inches on this rod and it’s my favorite tool for aggressive streamer fishing.

The Tremor is labeled as a saltwater rod but I use it as a crossover for freshwater as well. I have this rod in an 8-weight and fished it along the Pacific Coast and Sea of Cortez, largely casting into the surf. I also used it for snook in estuaries and it was a killer stick for general saltwater utility.

Many heavy-duty rods are a chore to cast, but this one has a fast action in the mid-tip and loads super smooth. I find myself using less energy while still being able cast the same distances. I use a floating line with a very aggressive weight-forward taper on most days, but the transition to any variety of sink tips is seamless.

The crossover abilities have made this a great pike rod in Montana. I had a hard time leaving it in the case, waiting for the next saltwater trip. It loads up huge pike flies and sends them flying with less effort than my other 8-weight rods. I’m planning on using the Tremor as a streamer rod at Pyramid Lake in Nevada as well. The saltwater components are perfect for the corrosive alkaline waters and an 8-weight with a floating or sinking line is the standard for targeting cutthroats that can top 20-pounds. 

Overall, the Tremor is a shoulder saving 8-weight that hits a sweet spot in my arsenal of fly rods. It has a great action, casts great and is super durable and ready to hit everything from the salt flats to pike sloughs.

Zach Lazzari is a fly fishing guide and an outdoor writer based in Montana. Zach has fished and guided in Alaska, Colorado and Patagonia. Zach is also the blogger behind The Busted Oarlock.