Commemorative spinning combo released
Ugly Stick is one of the most iconic names in the fishing world, and the company just celebrated its 50th birthday, and released a commemorative rod to mark the occasion.
My first fishing rod was a two-piece Ugly Stik. It had a Shakespeare spinning reel mounted on it, and if I had a dime for every fish I caught using that combo, long before I had a clue what I was even doing, it would be a nice little nest egg.
Untimely loss
As I got older, more expensive rods found their way into my arsenal, and when I bought my first house, I found that old Ugly Stik in my dad’s storage shed. The reel was shot, but the rod was still fine. I mounted a new reel on it and used the setup for pond fishing well into my late 40s, when a house fire destroyed everything I owned.
Watching the fire department extinguish the last of the embers, my cousin stood by my side saying thing like “oh man, what about your flat-screen TV? What about your new laptop, what about all your military medals and awards?”
All gone, I told him. And the things he mentioned didn’t even matter to me at that point. Only a few items really stuck out as painful to lose. Most were just sentimental things. Artwork created by my mom. An old milk box that belonged to my dad’s parents back when milk was delivered in glass bottles and placed into somewhat insulated boxes on your doorstep, photographs that could never be recreated.
And that old Ugly Stik, which my dad bought for me from Shirley’s Bait and Tackle in Camden, SC on the way to fish with Mr. Robert Munn at Lake Wateree on a day that I caught a 3+ pound crappie with that Ugly Stik. I was too young at the time to know that was worth raising an eyebrow over.
The amount of fishing tackle that burned up in that fire is more than I care to calculate, and truthfully, I wasn’t phased by the loss of the vast majority of it. But thinking about that old Ugly Stik, my very first fishing rod, which I was still using 40-some years later felt like a punch in the stomach followed by another punch in the stomach.
Same Ugly toughness
When Ugly Stik released their 50th Anniversary rod earlier this year, I couldn’t help but smile with good memories about my first fishing rod, and I was happy to get my hands on one of the anniversary editions.
The new 6-foot, 6-inch, two-piece rod comes with its own spinning reel attached, and the rod and the reel are both branded with the 50th Anniversary logo. It has a medium power rating, making it good for a variety of species, and it features Ugly Tech construction, which features a combination of graphite and fiberglass, creating a rod strong enough to tame large fish, yet sensitive enough to allow the angler to detect the slightest bites. Ugly Tuff guides are made of PVD-coated stainless steel with a smooth, hard coating that reduces line fray and allows maximum casting distance.
Upgraded features
Just like the original, the 50th Anniversary Limited Edition Ugly Stick has the company’s Clear Tip design. The ergonomic reel seat features an exposed blank, putting the angler in better touch with the rod, increasing the ability to feel every bite, as well as every move made by the angler’s lure.
The rod’s handle is shrink-tubed, aiding the angler in gripping the rod, and adding durability.
The reel, which is decked out in red and black, has a four-bearing system, including three ball bearings and a one-way clutch instant anti-reverse bearing. It has a machined aluminum spool and a good-sized handle knob for better grip.
The price? It falls right in line with the 50th anniversary at $50, a bargain in today’s prices for such a full-featured rod-and-reel combo. Click here for more information on the 50th Anniversary Limited Edition Ugly Stik. It’s only available for a limited time, so don’t let it pass you by.
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