RENEGADE FLY ROD & REEL REVIEW
- Tim Homa
- a few seconds ago
- 4 min read
PHOTOS // RYAN MCARTHUR & TIM HOMA
I'm a creature of habit. It’s hard for me to step outside of the box with new gear. Anchored in my abilities to adapt, I often take the “good enough” approach. Part of it could be stinginess, but it's mainly about not wanting to fork out extra cash only to deal with the disappointment if the product breaks or doesn’t amplify my performance.
So when I considered the Renegade Black Series 8 WT rod and White Series 7/8 reel, a setup that sits above my typical comfort zone, I was cautiously optimistic.
THE FLY ROD: BUILT FOR THE MID-ATLANTIC
When it comes to fly fishing, I’d consider myself pretty pedestrian. I fly fish to mix things up or when there are opportunities to sight cast on grass flats or in our clear winter water. That being said, when I reach for the fly rod, I want a rod that performs from the first cast, which is exactly what The Black Series 8 WT does.
The Black Series 8 WT is built for the Mid-Atlantic. It's a lightweight, fast-action rod designed for throwing flies into the wind all day long, which, with the amount of wind we’ve been having, is a huge advantage. Their website claims it is built for throwing heavier flies, which it does, but you can still throw smaller flies effectively. I’ve thrown everything from large clousers for speckled trout, poppers for bass, gurglers for hungry redfish, and small shrimp patterns for skeptical reds. At 9 feet long, it handles all of it from cast one without any adjustment period.
Dumbfounded by the ease of use and how competent of a caster the rod made me, I reached out to Renegade to learn more about what I was experiencing.
What makes this rod different is the engineering behind it. Renegade uses a high-modulus carbon with a fast recovery rate, which means the blank stabilizes quickly after loading. In practical terms, this translates your casting input into efficiency with significantly less effort. You're not muscling casts; the rod is doing the work. The progressive power curve is tuned to load deeper into the blank when you need it, but recovers fast up top. It's a fast-action rod built with a forgiving mid-section, which means it doesn't punish imperfect technique the way some stiff rods do.
The balanced build is immediately noticeable. Even though it's an 8 WT, the swing weight feels lighter in hand and stays on plane through the stroke. This matters when you're making repetitive casts or working against the wind: consistency and distance come easier, and you don't tire until later, after post-session beers.
The stainless steel guides with ceramic inserts are built for saltwater durability, and the cork handle is properly shaped for extended sessions without hand fatigue. The reel seat locks down with authority, no play, no movement, just solid connection.
In a less nuanced fashion, this rod made it easier for me to fish. The first time I used the rod, I hadn’t picked up a fly rod in a few months, so I was expecting my usual warm-up period to get my cast dialed in. That didn’t happen. My first cast flew with ease, and I spent a morning picking away at schoolie-sized striped bass. On the drive home, I couldn’t stop thinking about how easy it was to cast, and I was planning other trips where I could bring the rod along. It made me want to fly fish more.
THE FLY REEL: FULLY SEALED AND 100% RELIABLE
The White Series 7/8 is a fully CNC-machined reel made from 6061-T6 aircraft-grade aluminum bar stock, the same material they use to build serious equipment. The super large arbor design isn't just about looks; the machined cuts are designed to shed water quickly, which matters when you’re mainly fishing out of a kayak or wading like I am, where your reel comes in contact with water frequently.
This is a 100% sealed, 3ATM waterproof drag rated to handle underwater pressure. The multi-disc system combines Teflon-cork discs for smooth, consistent drag with carbon discs for additional stopping power when fish make hard runs. I’ve dunked this reel trying to land fish while wading and made bad bets against the wind, soaking the reel with every paddle on my kayak. The drag remains smooth and consistent.
The large arbor design means faster line retrieval when fish run towards you and less line memory that causes tangles between casts.
Engineered with purpose, the White Series reel is an excellent complement to the Black Series 8WT rod.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Black Series 8 WT and White Series 7/8 reel helped me step out of the stingy box I call home. This combination handles the versatility that Mid-Atlantic fishing demands. In a year when the wind seemed to blow every day, I was happy to have a setup that made fishing enjoyable rather than adding to my frustrations.
From speckled trout on grass flats to skinny water redfish, roaming schoolie stripers, and pond largemouth bass, the Black Series 8 WT and White Series 7/8 reel perform across all of it with an ease that makes you better on the water.
Maybe I’m finally understanding that it makes sense to work smarter, not harder.
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