What the Finesse No Trigger? Evergreen's Stingray 66

Total Score: 7.92 - ULTIMATE ENTHUSIAST AWARD!

Introduction: As activities of our finesse themed season wound down last year, we got wind of an intriguing product from Evergreen International, but I've had so much fun using it since its arrival, it's taken this long to get around to writing it up. In truth, none of our themed years are ever finished which is why you're seeing all the overlap of past year's themes into Creature Fever. That aside, what really intrigued us about this new product, a fishing rod, from Evergreen was its reel seat. Presenting our look at the intriguing Kaleido Stingray TKDC-66MLBF-Pro.

Impressions: Reel seats are a very personal subject to many a tackle enthusiast. It is here where we connect with our rod and reel, so the subject of comfort is tantamount. Despite its obvious importance this area where we connect to our fishing rods is often taken for granted by the casual angler. The subject is especially important on a casting rod.

Fuji's ECS reel seat has been the defacto standard for years.

How many of you remember the former Weibe reel seat on the original G.Loomis casting rods? It is a reel seat still coveted by the great majority of G.Loomis faithful because of how comfortable it was to fish. Anglers who've used the seat and remember it are reminded of how the position of the reel, as it sat in this seat just felt lower so less strain was put on your wrist to hold the rod upright. The secret of course, was in the offset design.

The original G.Loomis rods featured the Weibe reel seat built with an offset handle for a lower handle to reel profile.

Looking at a Weibe seat straight on, you'll see the back part of the handle is actually higher than the front. This effectively "lowers" the position of the fishing reel in relation to where your hand is giving you the illusion that the reel is seated lower therefore affording you a more comfortable position from where to hold the rod. No doubt the cost to manufacture rods with this handle and bore out handle material off center is what led to this concept's demise.

Anglers either love or hate the Fuji ACS reel seat.

Fuji has dominated the market in fishing rod components and rightfully so. Their product is well thought out, built cleanly, and with quality materials. Their reel seats have become the component of choice not because of their comfort but because of their consistent performance securing the reel on your rod. There is no more unsettling a feeling than to have your reel wobbling around as you battle a fish and it happens quite often in non-Fuji reel seats.

Fuji's KSK reel seat leverages a design custom rod builders have been providing for years - a split reel seat.

Fuji's most popular reel seat for bass rods? They manufacture several different styles but the most popular to date has been their ECS. This is the relatively simple, straight sided reel seat with an exposed blank design and standard hood. Several years ago, Fuji introduced the more aggressively styled ACS reel seat with built in contours for your fingers, but somehow the trigger on this seat had a different placement than that of the ECS and many anglers avoid this seat because of that. Turns out it's not comfortable to fish. More on this in a bit.

Daiwa is one of the few rod manufacturers to custom design and build their own seats. The reel seats featured on their Zillion rods are extremely comfortable to fish.

Just last year, Fuji introduced the KSK trigger seat making life a little bit easier for our custom rod builders who have been cutting and shaving the ECS reel seats in half for years in an effort to deliver the popular split real seat to anglers wanting the ultimate in light weight and blank contact design.

Over in Japan, Shimano offers some very aggressively styled reel seats.

Pac Bay is another manufacturer with similar designs to those of Fuji then there are the big boys like Daiwa and Shimano who fashion their own reel seats with different features like positive click hoods, wings on the side of the reel seat to welcome your grip, air beam designs (Daiwa Steez), and more.

Of course, Daiwa's Steez rods feature their unique, airbeam design.