Vision is a Finnish brand specialized in fly fishing which offers a very complete range of products dedicated to river, sea or lake techniques. It is now present in more than thirty countries and continues to innovate: it has begun to design somes materials adapted to the modern approaches of nymphing, especially in contact with Finnish and Spanish competitors, including the world champion in title David Garcia Ferreras who will present us in exclusivity the different references reviewed in our columns. Let's start with the Nymphmaniac 10 '#3 :
Static test :
This rod has a raw, unvarnished blank. The reel seat mixes black anodized aluminum and cork insert. Keys of green, signatures of the Nymphmaniac series, singularize the product, especially at the level of inscriptions on the first piece and wraps of the joints. On the cigar cork handle, a green thin ring marks the first 7.9" from the butt and graduation goes on from 3.9" to 3.9" with green wraps up to 19.7". This model has a relatively large number of rings according to its size (13 guides with olive wraps), the penultimate of which is snake guide, so as to limit the tangle of leader around the tip when euro-nymphing (with a long tippet leader).
Measurements :
The Common Cents System protocol was used to characterize the action, the power and the frequency of this rod :
Regarding the power, 25 cents were required to load the rod over a third of its total length, which gives after conversion an ERN of 2.67 and a #2 line power, less than expected. With an AA of 71°, the action is fast (AA> 66°). The frequency at 76 is high for a 10' (correlate with the fast action) and it shows great dry flyfishing capacities (with a #2 line for example). The balance is very good (BTW 8.4oz) considering the length and the power of this reference. The first guide is located at a distance of 21.2" from the handle, so it requires to add a removable guide to euronymph effectively.
Vision Nymphmaniac 10' #3
The opinion of David Garcia Ferreras, 2018 World Fly Fishing Champion :
"The Nymphmaniac 10 '#3 is a versatile rod that can be used in all circumstances. Perfect for nymphing, it is also an ideal reference when you want to take only one rod to alternate flyfishing techniques : it is also perfect for dry flyfishing or dropper fishing in small to medium sized rivers. It is a very light rod whose conicity and fineness differentiate it from other models on the market. The graduations start at the end of the butt and are placed every 3.9", up to 19.7", which is very useful for making leaders or measuring fish. In hand, it has a soft action, especially in its upper half, which makes it possible to cast very small nymphs at a good distance and to offer a good behavior with small to medium sized fish. It is a very versatile rod, less specific than its sisters Nymphmaniac 9'6 # 3 (more typical dry fly fishing) and Nymphmaniac 11 '# 3 (more specific to euronymphing)."
The opinion of the editor :
Just for once, the power announced by the manufacturer is over-estimated: this a real 10' #2 rod, which dedicates it to light techniques. It will be pleasent for nymphing and dropper fishing (it will cast effectively tungsten beads of diameters less than or equal to 2.8mm). Its fast action (AA of 71°) makes it possible to preserve a certain versatility and does not confine it to nymph fishing. With a frequency of 76cpm, it has an excellent reactivity, especially with a #2 line. This rod is close to the Echo Shadow II 10' #2 regarding of action, power and reactivity. However, it has a much better fishing comfort (BTW at 8.39oz for this Nymphmaniac). Note that the relatively thin diameter (22mm) of the handle will not be suitable for all kinds of hands and must be taken into account when making your decision! Like all Vision rods, it has a 5 years first-buyer warranty. With a relatively low price of 345 euros, this rod has a very good price / quality ratio.
