Impressions: When I first saw the TD Cielo rods at ICAST 2005 I was caught off guard completely. Daiwa has always been known for innovation, and their reels and rods cater to the angler looking for something exclusive from their fishing tackle. With that said, the Cielo is quite unlike any rod I have ever fished before. There have been many inventive graphite based rods, and even some titanium blank based rods, but the Cielo makes use of both materials within a single rod.

Daiwa engineers wanted to create a rod just for anglers that were looking for more out of their drop shot sticks. More sensitivity, quality presentation, and better ergonomics. When they finally scribbled out their ideas the Cielo emerged. A rod with the attributes they were seeking would have to be sensitive yet powerful, and present lures realistically with just the slightest movement of the wrist. They concluded that this simply was not achievable with just one traditional blank material alone.

The main Cielo blank makes use of SVF (Super High Volume fiber) graphite for light weight and sensitivity. The tip is dubbed STT (Super Titanium Tip) and is only available on the two drop shot models in the Cielo series. The only real difference between the two models is 7 inches in length. The actions, ratings, and materials are all the same. My first impressions of this rod was one of awe. The finishing on the rod is downright "ito-ish" with a combination of colors all intermixed into the blank and reel seat. The colors vary from a deep purple to a dark green, and photographs really don't do it justice. Under different lighting the rod shows off its unique character. Daiwa has fondly named this the "flip-flop" paint finish. The main graphite blank above the lower section is gloss coated for durability, and does not share this same finish. Instead anglers can set eyes on the dense graphite weave beneath the clear coat. It soon became obvious to me that this was no normal drop shot rod... and it even showed signs of being a possible enthusiast offering.

Real World Test: Drop shotting has proven to be a very effective technique, one that takes minutes to understand and seasons to master. It seems like no matter how well the technique works on one particular day you have to fine tune your rig each and every time. The clearer the water, the more challenging. One thing is for certain, and that is a proper action can mean the difference between a crowded livewell or simply a tired wrist and no fish to show for.

Testing this rod turned out to be quite unlike many of the recent rods we have reviewed. After a few attempts we decided not to test the rod on our RoD "WRACK" simply because the results were so skewed by the distinctive titanium tip. It became obvious that there were no rods in our lab to benchmark the TD Cielo side by side with. So with rod in hand I proceeded to the field test portion of our assessment and spent the next three months drop shotting with this multi-colored rod targeting largemouth bass.