Introduction: We were both surprised and delighted to see Diamondback Rod Company in attendance at this year's IFTD show. After seeing and hearing about the company on a fairly consistent basis years ago, they since vanished from our radar. But now, things have changed. After being part of Cortland they are back on their own and had a strong lineup of both fly and conventional rods racked up at the booth—including one fly rod series that really caught the eyes of many people!

Meeker: Do any fly anglers out there remember the old Diamondglass rods? A favorite of many fly anglers, those old rods are long gone but with the return of Diamondback comes the introduction of new fiberglass rods called the Meeker series. Made out of a strong E-glass blank, these rods feel soft in-hand but with a nice crispness uncommon in most glass rods. These rods sport a gloss black finish with red wraps/trim and are outfitted with Hialoy stripping guides, chrome snakes, diamond-shaped alignment marks, aluminum reel seats w/ wood inserts, and premium cork grips. Expect to see models ranging from a 6-foot 6-inch 2-weight up to an 8-foot 4-weight. Pricing should be about $295 and that includes a fiberglass tube and bag.

Flex: Rods in this series utilize a medium-fast action for all-around versatility. Flex blanks boast Diamondback's Diverse Modulus Design (DMD) which in a nutshell blends different carbon fiber prepregs to refine the blank's stiffness, speed, and strength. Blanks are finished in a titanium color and are adorned with alignment marks, Hialoy stripping guides, thin-wire stainless snakes, and custom diamond-cut reel seats. Arriving in eleven sizes from a 7-foot 3-weight to a 9-foot 10-weight, these four-piece rods will run about $275–$295 and include a bag and cordura-covered tube.

Clout: What's the first thing you notice about this rod? Dumb question, right? Featuring a very unique grip style similar to nothing we've seen before, the cork “Link Grip” is actually quite form-fitting and comfortable to hold. Diamondback touts this grip by saying it increases sensitivity, reduces fatigue, and increases that “connected” feeling we mention occassionally here on TackleTour.

Clout rods are all four-piece and come finished in a ruby red coloration. Some of the other notables include DMD and Core Reinforcement Construction (CRC), ferrule alignment marks, titanium stripping guides with nanolight inserts, thin-diameter snakes, diamond-cut reel seats, and premium cork grips. Medium-fast and fast models will be available spanning from an 8-foot 4-weight to a 9-foot 6-weight. Expect a price of $425 which includes a bag and cordura-covered tube.

Focus Casting and Spinning: This lineup of casting and spinning rods is constructed using DMD along with 30–40 ton graphite and comes equipped with Fuji reel seats and Fuji K-framed guides with Alconite inserts. Casting models range from 6 1/2 feet to 7 1/2 feet, while spinning rods are 6 to 7 1/2 feet in length. Expect a price range of $189 to $209.

Conclusion:  We are excited to see Diamondback return in such a big way, and we hope to see much more of them in the future. We also hope to try out some of their offerings—especially those sweet-feeling Meeker glass rods! The wait for these rods shouldn't take too long, as everything will be released this fall. As of this writing their site (www.diamondbackfishingrods.com) is still under construction, but you can keep up-to-date with them via their social media pages.