The renowned Epic 686, often imitated, never beaten.

The ultimate 6wt fiberglass fly rod.
The Epic 686 has gained cult status over the past few years and we've seen many imitators try to replicate the magic of this fly rod. There is only one - and this is it!

Regarded by industry pro's and glass aficionados world wide as the best glass 6wt made, the Epic 686 presents beautifully but packs plenty of attitude. Perfect for tossing big flies, swinging streamers and light saltwater work.
Our Epic™ 686 is crafted from 8 micron FastGlass II. A unidirectional S-2 Glass, this material is stiffer and stronger than e-glass or standard s-glass. The 686 is as strong as an ox, super smooth and extremely versatile.

Got questions? - Drop us a line, we'd love to hear from you.

Recommended line weight: AFTMA #6
Length: 8'6"
Pieces: 4
Total length: 2,580mm
ERN: (Unwrapped): 6.4
ELN: 6
Optimal Grain Window: 140 - 175 Grains
Effective Line Range: AFTMA 5 / 6 / 7
Action: Progressive / Mid Flex / Medium Fast
Taper: Fast
AA: (Action Angle): 68° (Fast)
Blank Weight: 63g

The Pro's Say

"I really believe the EPIC 686 is by far the most popular GLASS streamer rod on the market. More often than not, I get requests for the 686 and most of the time in Salsa. Carl has created a wonderful, and powerful taper and folks love them!"

- Shane Gray Graywolf Rods.

"I will only touch on this for a second because everyone keeps hearing how phenomenal the 686 is. This is a phenomenal blank. The beauty is in the fact that the rod can lay out ten feet of line with the delicacy of a full flex cane, but when called upon fire 95' of line into a stiff breeze. It does all of this with a great deal of feel and composure that most rods will never achieve. It is quite possibly one of the best 6wts on the mark glass, graph, or grass."
- Zeb Tonkavich Snowman Custom Rod Works

"the Epic 686 is (f#$%'ing) magic in my hands. This fly rod is responsive, quick to load, and a powerhouse that lays out very long accurate casts with relative ease."
- Cameron Mortenson The Fiberglass Manifesto

FastGlass II™
All Epic "Glass" rods are produced from industry leading 8 micron Unidirectional S-2 Glass. This next generation fiber is specifically engineered for fly rod production and features 8 micron fibers developed and produced in the USA. These fibres are almost half the diameter of other unidirectional materials, resulting in tighter, more precise and stronger fly rods.

SnakeBelly™
SnakeBelly™ delivers the toughest exterior finish possible. After production, blanks are first painted and then clear coated. This two step process produces blanks that are incredibly scratch resistant and durable.

SureFit Ferule™
Break a tip? we've got you covered This ferule system is so precise that breakages can be addressed by simply sending out the replacement part. Gone are the days of having to return a broken section.

Handcrafted one at a time - especially for you
Choose the options you'd like on your Epic fly rod and we'll build it for you with tender loving care right here in our Wanaka Studio. Each Studio built fly rod is handcrafted specifically for you from start to finish and each is identified by a unique laser engraved winding check registered against your name in our owners database.

Make it personal
Add your name name or inscription and we'll hand paint it on your fly rod.

Workmanship
The level or craftsmanship on each Epic fly rod is unrivalled. You will not see a better built fly rod anywhere, better components, better workmanship, better attention to detail.

Built Epic Tough
Epic glass rods are incredibly tough. Our S2 FastGlass II has a far higher strength-to-weight ratio than Carbon fibre (graphite) rods. Epic FastGlass rods can endure more acute and severe bends than the equivalent Carbon fibre or even regular S2 glass, tip sections are stronger and far less susceptible to breakages due to high-sticking and problematic rod angles when pulling against load.

Delivered direct to your door
Once ordered it usually takes around two weeks to build your new fly rod, then we deliver priority tracked and insured courier direct to you door. We'll email you with tracking info as your rod leaves our studio workshop.

Got questions? - Drop us a line, we'd love to hear from you.