Witness the 13 Fishing Envy Black - Shiny and Chrome

Introduction: The 13 fishing Envy Black is back and we were present to bear witness to the launch of these oh so "shiny and chrome" new rods. Leveraging much of what fans liked about the original series these new rods take the fun factor up to level 10 with new features and a distinct look that sets them apart from other rods on the market.

Shiny and Chrome... the newly updated 13 Fishing Envy Black Series

Oh so Shiny: I spotted the new Envy Black rods from a few booths away on the show floor. These rods make use of new Evolve chrome finished reel seats on both the spinning and casting rods that scream for attention.

The rods feature custom Evolve seats that are coated so that while they look very chrome will not get hot under direct sunlight

One of the best things about owning your own components company is you can do pretty much whatever you want, and that is what the company has done with the new aggressively styled Evolve Carbon Divide reel seats that provide generous access to the blank. The spinning rod's reel seat design in particular gives anglers extra access to the blank right on top, which was complicated to implement with all the different blank diameters that the company had to accommodate.

The spinning rod seat provided access to the blank directly in front of the seat

Once you can pull your eyes away from those oh so shiny reel seats you will find a 46 -ton Poly-Vector graphite blank that is both lighter and mores sensitive than the previous generation rods. I'm not exactly sure what the difference in weight is but the second I picked up the rods I noticed the difference.

Armed with Fuji stainless steel K guides with SIC inserts

The new rods are armed with Fuji Stainless K guides with SIC inserts and each rod was specially balanced out so that they felt lighter and more responsive.

A different type of hook hanger, the Snaggle Tooth

A further differentiator on the Envy Black casting rods is a slick new hook keeper design called the Evolve Snaggle Tooth, which is essentially an aluminum protruding notch positioned on the back of the main EVA handle on the casting rods and the end of the rear grip on spinning models. The avant-garde design is a welcome change from the traditional, and somewhat mundane, hook hangers found on just about every other rod out there. 

A look at the beautiful mix material weave on the Chat-R-Crank rod

The design looks seamless, and adds a nice visual element to the EVA grips. Using the line tension on the bait most lures, even weedless rigged plastics, can be latched onto the Snaggle Tooth. I'm interested to see how well it handles treble hooks, especially large ones found on big baits.

A look at the spinning rod handle. Notice the Snaggle Tooth in the butt section of the rear handle

In total there are twenty different new Envy Black rods being launched including a special Chat-R-Crank model that makes use of 30 Ton Japanese T-Glass and 46 Ton Toray graphite to create a unique action. All of the new Envy Black rods come with a 10 year warranty and will retail from $300 to $350 dollars depending on the model.

A look at the rod butt

The Envy Black cranking rods feature a more traditional look and feel with cork grips and no chrome

Crank it up: In addition the shiny Envy Black main series there are also four cranking specific models being introduced. These rods make use of a 30-Tom Japanese T-Glass blank and make use of Portuguese cork handles fitted with a Evolve carbon fiber handle divider.

The carbon fiber mid section of the handle is a nice touch

With a more traditional Evolve (non chrome) reel seat these cranking rods look a lot more traditional but the carbon elements give it a clean and high end look and feel all their own. These rods all feature moderate actions and will retail from $185-$205 dollars.

Thanks Ricky for showing us the path the Valhalla. Shiny and Chrome!

Do you like these new Envy Black shiny rods? The styling of the new series is definitely more polarizing than previous generation Envy rods that were predominately matte black, but 13 fishing has never been a company that plays it safe. Which is something we really like about the about the brand. Will these rods be a flash in the company's history or in the words of Mad Max's Immortan Joe "You will ride eternal. Shiny, and chrome!"