The FedEx driver just left and he sure made my day. The Abu Garcia Real Finesse and Daiwa Presso LT1000-SP showed up at the same time. Wow is an understatement when describing both items. I was/am extremely happy with the Finetail SUL, but the Abu Garcia appears to be a bit more refined and is a real eye catcher. The workmanship is impeccable. The guides are extremely small. I’m wondering how well a PE line to leader knot will pass through them. Both rods are made in China, with the script on the Abu almost illegible, it’s tiny! Interesting that the Abu feels lighter in the hand (198grams) but weighs a few (4) grams more than the Finetail. It’s cold, windy, and rainy here today, so hopefully I’ll be able to get out tomorrow and compare them side by side.
As for the reel, I couldn’t decide if I should get a new reel to go with the rod, so I decided to flip a coin. It took 3 tosses, but the decision to order it was deemed so by the fishing Gods. Once again, the quality is superb and it appears to be extremely well made. The orange accents are a nice touch. Out of the box, I find it to be a bit smoother than the Abu Garcia Revo MGX. The weight on my scale came in at 147 grams, so it’s pretty darn light. Now to decide which line to spool up with.

I realize pictures are required, so here goes:
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