River Test reel field test
Stockbridge on the River Test
Stockbridge on the River Test produces glassy rises at first light and the angler needs a quiet, balanced outfit to stalk brown trout (Salmo trutta) in shallow chalk runs.
The Orvis Battenkill II 4/5, Sage TROUT 4/5 full‑cage and Redington Classic Trout 4/5 were paired to 9' 4–5 wt reflexive blanks (Hardy Marquis, Simms Avalon, Scott G‑Series) and 9' DT4 or DT5 PVC‑core leaders of about 40–50 g mass for these tests.
Drag, backing and balance
Drag feel matters on the Test. The Orvis Battenkill II delivers a stacked‑disc feel, smooth at roughly 80–120 g and with minimal start‑up inertia—excellent for tail‑end surges from 2–4 lb trout. The Sage TROUT runs quieter with an efficient disc drag around 60–100 g and a large‑arbor spool that peels line fast. The Redington Classic Trout gives a looser cork/stacked feel in the 50–90 g window, fine for calm back‑eddies but less forgiving on a hard bolter.
Backing capacity and silhouette affect stealth: the Battenkill swallows more backing with a low‑glare face, Sage fits short‑to‑medium backing on its large arbor, Redington offers moderate capacity and a slim profile for light leaders. Match tippet to leader butt and use a nail knot or small coated loop to keep the hookup lean. Sight‑fishing technique calls for long, low casts, soft flick sets and a surgeon's knot for tippet joins when changing flies.
At dawn, with a 9' DT4 and a quiet reel, the rod tip holds the drift while the reel waits—until a brown trout boils and the spool sings down the glassy Test.