Fenwick HMG Travel Rod

I have had this rod for a couple of months and have used it on a 5 day trip on the Buffalo River AR and a 2 week trip to the BWCA MN.After the trip to AR, I bought a second one. I have several HMG rods and this one is typical Fenwick quality. The case is a great option and my Diawa BG 1500's fit perfectly in the case and I believe you could easily get a 2500 and possibly, a 3000 series real in the case as well.As far as fishability, the rod was plenty sensitive for decting pickups of both Spotted and Smallmouth bass on our canoe trips. I caught close to 60 spotted bass in AR and the two rods, caught close to 130 smallmouth in MN.The fact it comes with a second tip is great. The M/L is probably closer to a M/ML and the Mediuim tip is a little heavier than a M/M, but that is subjective on my part.I contacted Fenwick, to see if I could purchase the tips seperately(spares) but alas, they dont offer spare tips and that would be the only negative I can find and it is not rod related, but supply chain.

I wanted an american designed rod so I could compare it with the rods we use in New Zealand. I compare the Fenwick HMG Medium Light/Medium 7' spin rod to my Shimano Energy Concept 4-8kg 7' spin rod as it's my go to rod for softbaiting saltwater species and they have very similar characteristics. There are a few differences I notice with the design of these rods which can be seen across the board (not just these rods) which I find interesting.The grip assemblyAs you can see from the photos there is a big difference in the way the grips are configured. With the Shimano Energy you get a far more lengthy grip assembly, keeping in mind both rods are exactly the same length, which means you get a slightly lower pivot point on the HMG than the Energy for making your casts. It also means the distance between your left and right hand are slightly closer together on the HMG grip when making the cast, for me it's left hand on the butt and right hand up by the reel seat as I'm right handed. I am aware that the HMG has a full grip assembly whereas the Energy has a split grip, however I don't think that matters. I also notice the grip above the reel is a lot shorter on the HMG so you have less room to place your hand for leverage when fighting a fish.The reel seatThe reel seat is uplocking on the HMG whereas it's downlocking on the Energy. I prefer the downlocking reel seat as the transition between reel and rod grip is more seamless, particularly if you think about where you grip the rod, the uplocking mechanism tends to be right where you grip the rod which means you're holding the fastening screws in your hand instead of holding the rod grip.The rod blankThe rod blank on the HMG is very thick on the lower end and it has a very fast taper up towards the tip, whereas the Energy is thinner lower down and has a gradual taper up towards the tip. The Energy is a slightly more powerful rod rated in the Medium/Medium Heavy range so would expect it to be thicker than the HMG but that is not the case. I prefer the streamline blank of the Energy and feel it is more efficient in terms of use of material. I don't think the HMG needs to be so thick and can only put this down a weaker blank requiring more material for strength. The HMG and Energy both have a carbon blank.Although I didn't compare the guides or hook keeper on the rods I have to say that based on what I've observed the Energy is a better rod overall and has design features that I prefer as an angler so I wouldn't recommend purchasing the HMG.

Bought a pair of the HMG Casting Rods for my trip to Playa Del Carmen, and couldn't be any happier with the way they performed. The medium tip took the fast shock of a 30" Bone and handled it beautifully. Not once did I find myself thinking about it being a "travel rod" when I was using it. The feel is identical to a 1pc and I was very skeptical that it would be.One more point. The guides are amazing. I was using 30lb Sufix "coastal camo" braid, and a 7'+ long 30lb fluoro leader, which requires casting the knot (Albright) through the guides. ZERO issues doing this and had no hangups or other problems. As an additional bonus they are also silent, even with the braid. Well worth it and will likely buy a spinning rod for my next trip.

The rod appears to be good quality but I found the guides on the rod are small, especially the first one. Seems like there is a ton of friction preventing a long cast since the line has to pass through so many small guides. I never get wind knots but with this rod it occurred several times during my test casts. I have never experienced this before. The rod tube has a crazy protrusion to hold a reel but I would never leave a reel on while using the tube in an overhead bin on an airplane or anywhere really. That feature just seems gimicky and in the way. Ended up returning for something else.

The Fenwick HMG 70ML/M-FS-3, Spinning rod. Fist off I like the look of this rod. It is however a little stiffer in the (ML) configuration than my other 2-piece Fenwick HMG (ML) spinning rod. I suppose that is because it is a 3-piece rod and has less flex. The deal breaker for me was last week fishing for trout in a high country lake in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The temps were in the high 20s and had a slight breeze. Compared to all of my other rods in the same size and class the eyes on this rod are so small they would freeze SOLID on every retrieve. It was so time consuming and frustrating to to keep them clear that I put it away and used another rod all day. Every one was getting iced up, but not (Frozen Solid) every time. I just do not understand why Fenwick chose such small eyes for this rod. Very frustrated and disappointed with this rod right now. However I will keep it and use it in warmer weather and see how it casts then. UPDATE 7/1/19 This rod sucks! The concept is great, the actual rod eyes make this impractical.

The weight and feel of this rod is excellent for a 3 piece travel rod. It’s light, has nice action with each of the 2 tips. My only issue is with the size of the rod guides. The one closest to the reel is usually much larger than the other guides; this one is not. The rod will not cast far due to the friction from the line and first rod guide. If the size was an inch wider, it would be like every other spinning rod made, and cast significantly farther.

Nice case and high quality finished rod.Not typical Fenwick finese feel. This HMG travel rod feels stiff and awkward for Medium or Medium Heavy.It is more like M is MH and MH is H. The rod blank is also thicker in diameter and so it is heavier, so doesn’t have the typical Fenwick rod balance and HMG feel.I returned this rod and replaced it with a Fenwick Methods (M/MH) travel set (very nice). I am going to try and locate another Methods set, as they appear to be discontinued.I primarily catch bass, and use Shimano Curado reels, and Crucial, Elite Tech Bass, HMG rods.

The rod itself is great I really enjoy a 2 for one casting rod with both Medium and Medium/Heavy choices. I didn’t font the ring diameter to be much of a problem personally. My only dislike is the case provided. Upon arrival on my first trip with the rod it was broken and cracked. The PVC piping is very weak and flimsy, and where they actually placed the cuts on the tube generally degraded the overall strength. If your traveling for a lengthy amount of time best invest in a better case.

Amazing rod, super lite, so comfortable, great sensitivity, and it being a three piece makes it super portable for the back woods hikes to your secret spots. The extra tips is a God send, basically you're getting two rods in one.

Buena caña de viaje, es muy robusta pero por lo mismo mas pesada que otras, prácticamente 2 oz mas pesada que su competidora la Ardito travel de Daiwa en 7’ MH. Por ese motivo la devolví. Esta muy bonita en estética pero para todo un día de pesca se vuelve tediosa

Did a lot of research to find a decent travel baitcasting setup that was medium to medium heavy. Took this out caught a beautiful 25 lb Spring Salmon and it was a great fight and the rod held up perfectly.Recommend 100%

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Needed a rod that could fit in my suitcase and this one was perfect.

I got it thank you very much

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