Redington Trace Fly Rod Review

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The Trace is a new rod from Redington designed with trout fishing in mind. The Bainbridge Island, Washington, based manufacturer recognizes not everyone needs a 900 dollar rod to have a fun day on the water. The Classic Trout has been one of our favorite no-frills, inexpensive rods for years, and if Redington can build on the Classic Trout's performance, they will have a surefire winner on their hands. Read on to see if the Trace accomplishes this goal.

Outfit

Redington Trace 9' 5wt Fly Rod

Scientific Anglers Amplitude MPX Fly Line

Fit & Finish

In the past, Redington has released rods that pushed the boundary regarding design. This hasn't always gone over well. We are happy to report the Trace is a normal-looking fly rod. The Half-Wells grip features average cork that will feel a little thick to most anglers, and the reel seat is pretty standard. The blank does have a nice mahogany finish to it, which gives the rod a more traditional look. Nobody on the river is going to mistake the Trace for a premium Sage. However, following the Classic Trout's footsteps, instead of the Vapen or Hydrogen, is not a bad thing either.

A couple of details stand out up the blank. Redington went with single-foot snake guides here - a first for them on this kind of rod. They shave a little weight and may sharpen accuracy, but they're a touch fiddlier to thread when you rig up. The cork, on the other hand, is a bit lackluster for a $300 rod, and the thicker half-wells grip is better suited to larger hands than small ones.

Weight

The Trace weighs in at a light 2.86 ounces. However, its swing weight of 64.8 gm2 is slightly on the heavier side compared to other 5wts on the market. At the Trace's price point, this seems about right.

Distance

The Trace is not a long-distance machine, but it surprised us. The softer action folds if you push it hard, yet there's genuine reserve power down in the butt section. Oddly, it actually turned over better at 60 feet than at 30 or 45 - slow your stroke, lean on that lower section, and you can reach out there when you have to. Treat it as a Hail Mary, though, not an all-day distance tool.

Accuracy

• 30-feet: The Trace's accuracy in-close varies significantly based on the size and weight of the fly used. If you plan on fishing smaller dry flies, the Trace will get the job done.
• 45-feet: At middle-distances, the story is pretty much the same. You will not want to overpower the rod with an aggressive casting stroke, an over-weighted line, and heavy flies. With a slower cast and a small dry fly, you should not have much trouble hitting your desired target.
• 60-feet: The Trace is not a long-distance sniper rifle. With the right line pairing, it may be possible to get some added performance.

The bigger story is fly turnover. We started with a Rio Gold Elite and it struggled to turn over even a hopper, so realistically this rod won't throw much beyond a size 12 traditional dry fly. Finding a line it truly loves is tricky - keep your flies small and judge the rod on presentation, not power.

Flex & Feel

Redington touts the Trace as a medium-fast action rod. However, we found the rod to be on the softer side. This is not a bad thing if you plan on using it for fishing dry flies. The moderate action helps with feel and feedback at closer distances. The softer tip means you can forget casting a conehead streamer or bulky nymph rig. The wind is not the Trace's friend, either. Honestly, calling it medium-fast is generous - it's really a medium action, if that. And while the spec sheet shows a light 64.8 gm² swing weight, the balance point sits high up the blank, so in hand it fishes a bit heavier than that number suggests.

Warranty

Lifetime

Conclusion

At the 300 dollar price-point, there are not many dry fly-specific rods on the market. However, this places the Trace in a pretty niche category. At this price point (or less), there are other better-rounded rods for the price-conscious or beginner angler to choose from - see our roundup of the best budget fly rods. On the plus side, Redington has succeeded in producing a very capable presentation rod that the dry fly-centered angler on a budget will enjoy using.

Watch Our Review

Pros

• A nice option for the budget-conscious, dry fly angler
• Solid feel and feedback at shorter distances

Cons

• Limited to smaller dry flies (size 12 and under)
• Hard to find a fly line that turns over well
• Lackluster cork for the price

Changelog

• 5/29/26: Formatting cleanup and expanded with detailed casting/line-pairing notes from our on-the-water testing.