About Quarrow: Quarrow has been a major OEM player for over 15 years, and last year began producing high quality rods under its own brand name. Led by Don Beaulieu, Quarrow has experienced phenomenal growth and has grabbed the attention of tournament and weekend warrior anglers alike. Pro tournament angler, O.T. Fears helped design the new high performance "Dream Catcher" series rods that elevate Quarrow's premium performance offerings. One of the key things that Quarrow aims to do is produce innovative premium products at reasonable prices....and is able to deliver this by leveraging their OEM experience.

Impressions: When we first received the OTC665F from Quarrow it looked like a very high quality product that was designed with attention to fine details. The finish of the rod is matte blue and is clearly labeled "Designed by OT Fears." The next thing we noted was that there was a large number of guides for a 6'6" rod....10 guides! The OTC665F boasts 10 Fuji titanium guides mounted on Fuji stainless steel frames. Why so many? This rod utilizes the "New Guide Concept" from Fuji, and is the first rod we will have tested using this new system.
 

For the tests we paired the OTC665F with Daiwa's Millionaire CV-X and spooled up with Trilene big game. We began the test by doing measurements in the lab. This is one of the stiffest rods we have ever tested based on similar blank sizes. In fact comparable rods with similar specs are rated for line weight's of 8-17lb, while Quarrow can handle 8-20lb line.
 

The placement of the guides is key to the way the rod bent when we put 15lb's of pressure on the rod. It bent in a very smooth arc and the line never touched the rod blank. To explain this and the benefits we needed to understand the Fuji "New Guide Concept."

The Fuji "New Guide Concept": Designed by Fuji and implemented by Quarrow on the OTC665F, the new concept is based on two philosophies: a) Use a smaller rod tip and decrease the total weight of the guides b) Depending on the rod size optimize the correct number of guides. Using these two principles Fuji is able to achieve 7 functions that influence rod action.
 

                            1. Greater sensitivity

                            2. Greater casting distance

                            3. Greater accuracy

                            4. Greater balance

                            5. Greater hooking power

                            6. Reduction of line twist

                            7. Greater rod power

For complete details and test results of the new guide concept check out Fuji's detailed explanation.

Real World Test: We took the OTC665F out for a full day of casting tests and 2 days of fishing. Throughout all the tests I noticed how comfortable this rod was to use for extended casting. The two main reasons for this was Quarrow's choice of grade A Portuguese cork which feels soft to the touch, and also a contoured design. Many other rods utilize evenly rounded cork handles but Quarrow has shaped the handle to be very ergonomically friendly with a larger more palm fitting contour right behind the reel seat and a smaller circumference below, reducing weight.

Casting: The casting distance of the OTC665F was impressive. I have used the CV-Z on other rods in other tests before, and while it casts well, it never has cast the distance I was able to achieve when mounted on the OTC665F. The design of the OTC665F uses very strategic guide placement (number and height) that has been tested to increase casting distance, and it works! The use of high quality Fuji guides provides for a very smooth even cast. The tip of the OTC665F is stiff enough to flick 1/4oz lures with very little effort, and strong enough to toss 5/8oz lures with confidence.