Really impressed by this rod. I have about 10 days on various types of water here in Washington including dry wading the Yakima which runs high and fast, and a number of our tributaries. Fished a 10lb mono rig primarily, but have also played around with a traditional fly line for kicks. I feel good about this rod in aggressive rainbows up to mid to high teens (in strong water), but I feel like the rod shines in smaller water (which is why I got it). The tip recovery is fantastic - I have run 3.8 bead point flies and didn't have any issues. I really purchased this as a rod for our tributaries and smaller water, and it's proven to be a total blast to fish. Also happened to grow up where it was made, so psyched to see Diamondback doing good things there.

At first It felt a little weird in the hand, no doubt a new experience. I fished the rod exclusively for several days trying different positions on the grip for casting and drifts. Started out dry fly fishing and caught a few nice trout with an exceptional feel. The rod is extremely light and well balanced with a reel on it which I expected for the original price point. I switched to a prince nymph and that's when I discovered the secret of the rod. The ability to have a finger on the blank is incredible for feeling light strikes. After a while I was relaxed and effortlessly shooting longer casts, finding the sweet spot on the link grip by holding the cork in the palm of my hand and like you would a wand. At the end of the trip, I took the reel off the Clout and put the reel back on one of my older good rods just to see the difference and the Clout was far superior in every single way especially the grip. If you are on the fence about this one and Its because of the grip like I was at first, don't hesitate because once you fish it for a few days It's hard to go back. An amazing experience when you learn not to fight the link grip from years of conventional grip use and let the link do the work for you. Fits my hand perfectly and as a matter of fact I'm already planning my next fly-fishing adventure because of my new favorite rod.

I've fished this rod maybe 7 times in the first 10 days of having it in my hands and I'm quite happy with it -- enough to order another in the lineup. Feels very light while capable and there's no significant "wobble" -- I've only fished a simple mono-rig and had no trouble with a small unweighted wet at 25'. I've mostly been fishing midsized nymphs but have had no troubles getting smaller heavy streamers to do what I ask of them -- great versatile rod.

Great rod for the money! Juvenile Tarpon will stand no chance!

Awesome stick. The 10'10" 2WT has alot more oomph than other comparable rods. I have landed trout to 22in so far without issue. Perfect for me in BC where I am limited to 1 fly rigs.

I've been a fan of Diamondback flyrods since the mid-90s but couldn't afford them back then. Glad to see the company is back. I have gravitated towards fiberglass for a number of reasons and was pleasantly surprised to see the Meeker. Just arrived and I'm very pleased with the quality and attention to detail. From the tube to the minute details on the rod with alignment diamonds and engravings on the cork, and reel seat, you can tell the attention to detail invested. I've cast this already and love the feel and loading of the blank. Looking forward to fishing it at Bennett Springs State Park, Missouri in a couple of months.

Fit and finish are great. Outstanding price for a wonderful quality product.

Super impressed with the build quality on the rod. I’ve been out with hit half a dozen times and for a 2wt, I’m blown away by the strength of the backbone and delicate feel of the tip. Sensitive enough to feel and pull so very light bites on 5 and 6X tippet, but also enough meat to net a 19” rainbow that wanted to grind his face into the rocks. Stoked with the price to value on this rod!

I own ESN’s and Contact II’s but the Diamondback Ideal Nymph 10’ 1wt has quickly become my favorite rod. Don’t let the 1wt fool you,I have landed some decent fish in fast moving water with no issues. The accuracy with this rod is pin point with quick recovery and can throw dry droppers with ease,and this rod also comes with a great price point.

Link grip feels great while casting but cork a little weak

Just received my 2wt 10’10” rod and used for the first time.. the rod performs excellent! Great feel sensitivity and response.. extremely strong and handled 17” fish in pocket water, while protecting a 7x tippet.

Of the roughly 25 trout rods (Including several Euro Rods) I have fished over the past few years - if I had to pick only one - the Ideal Nymph Rod is it. I have fished both the 10ft 10 inch 2wt and the 10ft 2wt models - both are superb with excellent fit/finish - but I personally prefer the 10ft 2wt because it is lighter in hand and feel because you can balance it effectively with a lighter reel and most often I'm not in situations where the extra 10 inches of reach is a big difference maker. The rod is very versatile (throws a great dry fly/dry dropper presentation and indicator nymph rig) but shines most under euro nymph/tightline use cases. For those who use Daniellson Reels (Swedish Full Cage) - plan on using a different reel with these rods because Daniellson's reel foots are not beveled to our American Standard and as a result do not fit well with the downlocking reel seat sleeve. The 3 specific things that differentiate these rods for me in making them an optimal cost/value over comparable options in the market: 1. Very high quality rod blank that recovers fast 2. Stiffer power in the bottom 2 sections of the rod without sacrificing any sensitivity or tippet protection up top (less noodle-like feel) 3. High quality downlocking reel seat with fighting butt that optimizes the reel balance and steady drift equation that we go through for Euro Tight Line style.

Clout

I have fished this rod twice and caught 16 to 18 inch browns and rainbows on it with both nymphs and dries. Great sensitivity for Euro nymphing and great lower backbone for fighting thick fish

Meeker Glass