It’s not often that you get a mid-priced rod that performs as well as the Lance from Greys, and whether you’re looking for a new trout stick, something to chase Great Lakes steelhead, or even a rod for slow-river carping, the Lance can handle it all. Greys designed this series of rods to be budget-friendly without sacrificing performance, and they’ve done that exceptionally well with the Lance. This rod has a fast action that generates solid line speed with ample reserve power, but it’s a rod that also has excellent accuracy, making it perfect for those days when dropping your dry fly in a two-inch circle is necessary for success. Made in line weights 3 through 8, the Lance comes with options to handle anything from large river streamer fishing to tiny brooks with native trout.
Blank
Intermediate Modulus Graphite Blank - The Lance from Greys has a fast-action with an Intermediate Modulus Graphite Blank. This blank offers quick recovery with great accuracy and it’s durable enough to handle those tiny creeks where open space and easy trails are nowhere to be found.
The Lance sports a grey finish to its blank too, making it an excellent choice for clear weather days or for anglers who prefer a less flashy appearance. However, one design of the Lance that does have a bit of flash is the red thread wraps at the tip guide, which keeps your eyes focused when monotonously drifting nymphs over the same series of pockets in search of a hog.
Guides
Lined Stripping Guides - Lined Stripping Guides maximize your shootabilty and line speed while maintaining a lightweight feel. A great choice for this price point, you can rely on these stripping guides to handle long casts and long seasons on the water.
Single-Foot Snake Guides - Greys finishes off their Lance with snake guides that have a single-foot design. This construction further decreases the weight of your rod without sacrificing durability or that lightweight feel that we’re all looking for.
Reel Seat
Alloy Anodised Reel Seat - Made with an Anodised Alloy Reel Seat, the Lance offers durability without any additional weight. The Lance’s reel seat also has a dual uplocking design to keep your reel seated securely all day long.
Rod Tube
Greys outfits their Lance Rods with a sectioned rod tube. This tube is straight-to-the-point and it offers solid safety whether you’re traveling on a plane or driving a state over for the next hatch.
Warranty
As of October 2022, Greys offers a lifetime warranty for their Lance series. In order to be eligible for this warranty, you must register your rod within 60 days of ownership. This warranty requires a fee to process, and it will cover the repair or replacement (at Greys’ discretion) of your rod for things like damage or broken/defective sections.
Rod Action: Fast
Best for: Dry Flies, Wet Flies, and Streamers
Grip: AAA Grade Cork
Reversed Half-Wells on 3 through 6-weight models
Full Wells with Fighting Butt for 8-weight models
Ability Level: Intermediate (learn more)
The Lance is Greys’ price point model, coming in at a cool $219.99. If you are skeptical about how much performance a rod can provide at this value, remember the GR60 was priced similarly, and we were routinely blown away by its performance. To find out how the Lance stacks up against other rods in the bargain-bin category, you will want to read on.
| Length | Line Weight | Grip | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7ft 6in | 3wt | Reversed Half-Wells | $209.95 | |
| 8ft | 4wt | Reversed Half-Wells | $219.95 | |
| 8ft 6in | 5wt | Reversed Half-Wells | $239.95 | |
| 9ft | 5wt | Reversed Half-Wells | $249.95 | |
| 9ft | 6wt | Reversed Half-Wells | $259.95 | |
| 9ft | 8wt | Full Wells w/Fighting Butt | $269.95 | |
| 9ft 6in | 8wt | Full Wells w/Fighting Butt | $279.95 |
Overall rating: 4.642857 / 5 from 14 reviews.
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"Just got my hands on the 4 wt. I tried it with both the mpx as recommended but also a 3 wt sa creek trout (which is actually 120 grains) this rod loved the creek trout as essentially a shooting head in the wind on the pond I was fishing. This rod is going to be fun and versatile. My only issue was how thin the grip was. Other than that, plays up with some of my other rods that were double the price."
"I'll admit I saw the YouTube videos. It's everything that Ben said it is ."
"Sturdy, and the components break in really nicely. Managed to put 70 ft of line on the water earlier today using the 6 wt model—and I am nooooo Lefty Kreh. Highly recommend."
"This is a solid starter rod, I think I like my wife's Clearwater better but there really is not much difference between them. Nice all around and outperforms the price."
"I bought his as ungraded to the beginner fly rod I had started out with. After reading reviews about the performance I decided this was a good start without going to a 1k+ fly rod. Its maiden voyage was the Fox River in the U. P. of Michigan. I was pleasantly surprised by the castability of this rod. It loads and shoots line really well. It’s not flashy, and is a great step up for someone new to fly fishing looking for a cheaper upgrade. I caught a native Brooke on a fly I tied myself on the river Earnest Hemingway fished in his short story Big two- hearted River. A proper baptism indeed."
"I purchased the lance rod from all the reviews I have seen. I have been using it mainly for dry flies. Casts excellent. I would compare this rod to some of the top of line rods on the market. Great all around 9ft 5wr"
"Putting the fly where I want it is much more important than casting for distance. That’s what I got with the Lance! Thanks for the rod reviews and great service"
"Took a lesson today from one of our local charter guides. Even he commented favorably after trying my rod. He agreed that the line matched it well!"
"I just took out my new Gras Lance for the first time. It did a great job of allowing me to make accurate casts at a good distance. I liked the feel of the rod, and it had good sensitivity."
"I am new to fly fishing and my new rod has really helped me learn to cast"
