If you’re anything like me, some of your fly fishing gear permanently lives in your car, ready to go when the water calls. This isn’t necessarily convenient—breaking down and storing rods is time-consuming and frankly annoying when you’re trying to fish fast. And, sure, you could buy a rod vault or roof rig—if you’re willing to shell out a cool $500-$1,000. So, when I had the opportunity to test REYR Gear’s telescoping fly rod that promises fishing anywhere “in 30 seconds”, per the website, I was intrigued.
REYR’s First Cast Travel Rod can stay rigged and ready, minus the tangles and tubes. Its minimalist setup is designed to collapse in on itself, extending with an in-rod line that fishes straight out of the case—perfect for folks, like me, who like to leave a rod at the ready, or travelers who want a small, portable option that won’t weigh them down.
As someone who’s constantly testing budget-friendly gear, I wanted to see how REYR’s two main travel rods stack up in real life: the First Cast Light Travel Fly Rod (4 wt / 7 ft), a telescoping ultralight for small water, and the BCR Travel Fly Rod Combo Kit (7 wt / 9 ft), a six-piece streamer stick with a bit more backbone. Find my full reviews below.
Testing the REYR First Cast Light Travel Fly Rod – 4 wt. / 7 ft.
Reyr
First Cast Light Travel Fly Rod
First impressions
My telescoping fly rod arrived in a slender neoprene sleeve that looked like nothing like any fly rod I’ve ever fished with before. I wasn’t sure what to expect—part of me figured it might feel like fishing with an antenna. Turns out, it is soft, but not as noodly as I expected.
At its full length, it reminded me a lot of a Tenkara setup, only with a reel. As mentioned, the line actually runs internally through the middle of the rod, so when you pull off line, it flows straight through the rod tip and onto the reel—you don’t actually strip back any line with your non-casting hand. When you’re done fishing, you reel up the slack (with the leader exposed) and collapse it in on itself. The leader can be wrapped around two keeps for line organization before being stuffed back into its case.
Extending it is downright fun and feels like a lightsaber. Once I gave it a few false casts in the yard, I was pleasantly surprised. It felt legitimate. Sure, it’s spindlier than traditional rods, but it didn’t feel like a cheap gimmick.
After fishing with the rod for more than a month and hooking into some teeny tiny fish with it in New Jersey, here are my thoughts:
What I love
Packability
The REYR First Cast is a true travel rod—compact, lightweight, and built to go wherever you do. When collapsed, it’s small enough to stash in a backpack, dry bag, or the corner of your car, meaning there’s really no excuse not to bring it along. A week after I got it, I actually packed it with me on a quick trip to Montana Fly Fishing Lodge to float the Stillwater.
Normally, when I fly with rods, I either have to sacrifice my normal personal item in exchange for a travel rod case or pack along extra-long rod tubes that annoyingly stick out of my backpack and get in the way of everything. In its sleeve, my REYR rod packed neatly on the side of my small, 12-inch backpack, taking up virtually no space. I honestly forgot it was even in my bag until I unpacked at the lodge.
Its packability is outstanding. Whether you’re sneaking in a few casts during a hike, bikepacking to a new stream, or hopping on a flight, it’s a no-fuss piece of gear you won’t mind toting along.
Stealthy presentation
The REYR First Cast is made for small streams and creeks, where precision and subtlety matter most. As a 4-weight, 7-foot rod, it’s crafted for smooth, sneaky presentations in tight quarters—perfect for those hard-to-get-to pockets of water tucked under overhanging brush or winding through dense woods. Its shorter length makes it easy to maneuver without snagging branches, while the built-in line system lets you get your fly on the water quietly and efficiently.
It might not be as precise casting at a distance since it’s shorter, but for tiny creeks and wooded streams, it does a great job. And although I think it’s best for dry flies or soft hackles, I did try it out with a tiny Mayer’s Mini Leech on it and caught a small bass, which was an absolute blast getting in on such a soft rod.
Ease of use
As someone who started fly fishing later in life, I can attest that getting into this sport is intimidating. The gear alone comes with a steep learning curve, so having a rod that doesn’t require a Masterclass in fly fishing and lets you cast straight out of the case feels genuinely refreshing.
Even seasoned anglers can appreciate the simplicity of having a rod that’s already rigged and ready to go. Just pop it out, pull some line through, and presto—you’re fishing. Packing up is even easier. As someone who hates breaking down rods and often drives around with them stretched diagonally across her Forester, collapsing this telescoping rod down and throwing it on my passenger seat is a dream.
What I don’t love
Line crimps
After a few times fishing with this rod, I noticed a strange section of crimped line on the “head” of my fly line, ostensibly from being reeled back inside the rod. It’s weird, though, because it’s just one, 3-foot section of line of the head—the rest of the line is fine, and there’s enough straight line before it that it doesn’t completely botch presentation. I’ve tried stretching it out, but the crimps persist.
Is it the worst thing in the world? No. But it’s not the greatest, either—mending it over longer drifts can be annoying. And since the rod uses a proprietary Rio line, I don’t know that it wouldn’t happen again with a replacement.
Power
As much as I love how easy and compact this setup is, it’s definitely not built for distance or muscle. At 7-feet and 4-weight, the REYR First Cast shines on small, quiet water—push it beyond that, and its limits start to show. It doesn’t have the backbone to punch into the wind or launch heavy rigs across a wide river.
That’s not necessarily a flaw; it’s just not what this rod is meant for. Still, if you’re used to longer rods with more power and reach, you’ll notice the trade-off when you try to cover bigger water or throw bulkier flies.
Testing the REYR BCR Travel Fly Rod Combo Kit – 7 wt. / 9 ft.
Reyr
BCR Travel Fly Rod Combo Kit
First impressions
I was super stoked to get my hands on this rod because I love throwing streamers. I got the combo kit, which comes with the rod and a pre-spooled reel ready to fish ($299 compared to the rod-only price of $229), and I was honestly impressed by how streamlined the setup is. The aluminum reel feels surprisingly capable for something in this price range—it’s not fancy, but it gets the job done, and then some.
What I Love
Packability
The BCR Travel Fly Rod breaks down into six pieces, making it another excellent rod for travel or tossing in the car without taking up half the backseat. It packs neatly into its included rod tube, which feels durable and compact enough to bring anywhere. I do wish the rod tube had space for the attached reel, but alas, I understand this would dig into the portability of it, and the neoprene reel case it comes with is convenient enough.
Action
Compared to REYR’s collapsible First Cast rod, the BCR has noticeably more power and backbone. Granted, it is a 7 wt; my telescoping rod is a 4 wt, so I’m technically comparing apples to oranges. That said, throwing larger streamers—even weighted ones—was genuinely fun; the rod still has that buttery smooth feel that makes lighter work like tossing dries just as enjoyable. It’s listed as medium-fast action, but I’d call it a solid medium: responsive without being stiff, and soft without being sluggish. It made catching small bass and tiny sunfish an absolute blast, with plenty of bend and in-hand feel.
Price and convenience
I’m a firm believer that you shouldn’t have to drain your savings to get on the water, especially for freshwater fishing, where gear doesn’t take nearly the beating that saltwater setups do. For the price, the BCR Travel Fly Rod Combo Kit is a fantastic value for any angler. It’s smooth, packable, and versatile without feeling cheap. And unlike REYR’s First Cast, it doesn’t rely on any proprietary line system, which makes swapping or upgrading lines easy.
What I don’t love
Reel seat
My biggest gripe is that the reel seat got stuck a day in. The second time I fished it, the reel seat would absolutely not budge down the threaded collar—kind of crucial to go fishing! After five minutes of fighting with it, I finally got it to turn with a pair of pliers and eventually secured the reel in place. A bit disappointing for my second time fishing it, and something to keep in mind, given it is a budget rod.
Final thoughts
Both REYR rods punch above their weight for being budget-friendly travel rods. They’re minimalist, smartly designed, and genuinely fun to fish—especially if you value mobility over muscle. Neither will replace your go-to setup, but they’ll absolutely earn a spot in your quiver for spontaneous trips, backcountry missions, or cross-country flights when you need to pack light.
Check out the Pescador El Rey six piece. I was awed with it’s action and my guide was as well.