Fenwick HMG Casting Rod Review

Fenwick is no new entry into the field, and anyone with even an enthusiast’s level of familiarity has probably heard of the brand.

Regularly at the cutting edge and pushing the boundaries of rod blank materials, Fenwick is probably responsible for evolving the sport of fishing more than any other brand in terms of techniques fishermen developed.

That being the case, the Fenwick HMG Casting Rod is a great option that brings much of Fenwick’s high-end features to bear on a blank that’s still reasonable in price.

Aside from the features, this rod also offers an excellent all-around build with plenty of options to choose from– so long as you’re okay fishing for bigger, stronger fish.

Review

Construction (craftsmanship, make quality)

The craftsmanship of the Fenwick HMG Casting Rod likely helps set it apart from some of its other mid-tier competitors.

That said, it’s worth keeping in mind that this is still definitely more of a casual casting fishing rod with plenty of features focusing it in that direction– though they do so to the specialized benefit of this pole, not its detriment.

Regardless of how the features impact its overall construction, Fenwick is one of the numerous brands within the Pure Fishing umbrella that employ lab testing for the best results.

In this instance, those lab tests helped Fenwick reduce the weight of their rod by 8% while still increasing its general strength by 13%

Part of this comes from the way Fenwick threads the carbon fiber binding the graphite– though the inclusion of carbon fiber itself helps.

Finally, this casting rod also boasts high-quality componentry, though its quality doesn’t extend its versatility.

Length

The Fenwick HMG Casting Rod comes in 3 different lengths at 6’6”, 7’, and 7’2” which is fine for most situations, but shoreline fishermen that need all the distance they can get will be a bit disappointed.

Still, whether you want to fish in larger open waters or somewhere a bit more cramped, there’s a rod length for you.

Material

This is Fenwick’s bread and butter, so it should come as no surprise that the Fenwick HMG Casting Rod uses both high-end materials as well as uncommon ones.

As mentioned prior, the graphite blank is durable while still providing plenty of sensitivity, but Fenwick reinforces the rod further with carbon fiber bindings.

Wound around the blank at strategic angles to provide additional durability, the carbon fibers ever so slightly reduce the sensitivity, but more than make up for it with a significant increase in general durability.

That said, this combination means that smaller fish or those who take softer bites may not be as easy to feel.

Action

Another sign that the Fenwick HMG Casting Rod is meant to really launch the lure is the focus on faster actions.

Like the Model-T, you can have this casting pole in any action….as long as it’s some type of “fast.”

Even then, you only get two options outside of purely fast with one medium-fast and one extra-fast option.

Power

You should be seeing a theme by this point as the Fenwick HMG Casting Rod’s power range once again assists in launching your lure out over the water.

Granted, since power is more important for lifting the fish out of the water, it makes sense that Fenwick would offer an equal mix of medium and medium-heavy powers.

Weight

While it doesn’t outright fail, the Fenwick HMG Casting Rod is going to feel a little bit heavier than your average graphite rod.

This extra weight likely comes from the cork handle and the carbon fiber binding, but it only adds an extra ounce compared to the industry standard and shouldn’t cause any casting or fatigue issues.

Sensitivity

Making sure that the Fenwick HMG Casting Rod employs some kind of fast action goes a long way in providing at least a solid baseline for sensitivity.

After that, the high-modulus graphite goes the next step, but unfortunately, the graphite bindings do cap the boost a bit.

Still, the high-modulus rigidity plays a crucial role in providing this rod with good sensitivity.

Modulus

The “HMG” in Fenwick HMG Casting Rod stands for “High-Modulus Graphite” and it, along with many of the other features, skew this casting fishing rod in a particular direction: distance.

In terms of casting distance, you’re likely to struggle to find a comparable rod with roughly the same features that can throw farther.

That said, this also allows you to throw lighter lures farther, adding one more tool in your tackle box.

Markings on Rod

They are technically present but don’t provide the relevant lure and line information that you find on top-tier rods. You’ll have to keep the manual with you until you memorize its tackle specs.

Rod Guides

It’s not often you get to talk about rod guides in a truly positive light rather than simply noting that they won’t cause you any trouble and moving on, but Fenwick forces the review to do so.

For starters, the Fenwick HMG Casting Rod employs Fuji stainless steel guides, so you don’t have to worry about the guides accidentally cutting your line.

On top of that, this casting fishing pole also employs zirconium aconite inserts which are significantly stronger than most other materials used.

Combined, this means you shouldn’t have to worry about the guides cutting your line or having to replace them, saving you time and money….which you can then spend fishing!

Handle (material, shape, etc)

The cork handle of the Fenwick HMG Casting Rod provides a good durable grip that you don’t have to worry about, but there’s nothing special about it– other than the split design.

It does at least provide something with a little heft to really grab onto when casting heavier lures or reeling in a big fish.

Type of Rod

The Fenwick HMG Casting Rod is not just a casting rod but a baitcasting rod which means the reel sits on the top of the rod.

This makes the Fenwick versatile in terms of the reel in can seat, but it can really only seat reels that sit at the extreme ends of the spectrum: spin casting and baitcasting.

This means if you’re an intermediate fisherman who uses a spinning reel because the baitcaster is tricky, either persevere or move along.

Between the two, you should probably persevere, because this is a great rod.

Reel and Real Seat Compatibility

As a baitcasting fishing rod, the Fenwick HMG Casting Rod can accept both baitcasting reels as well as spincasting reels.

The latter is only really relevant in that it means you can teach a child how to fish using this pole– though this is probably a bit expensive for that purpose and far more pole than a child learning how to fish would ever need.

Still, the baitcasting seat features a positive lock, so you don’t have to worry about the reel wiggling in the rod.

That said, this casting pole uses proprietary Fenwick reel seats, so there’s no guarantee that it will seat every reel– especially older reels.

Uses (Who is this good for)

Throw a dart. No seriously, anyone who uses a casting rod can find a good use for the Fenwick HMG Casting Rod.

Granted, its lower max line test limits its versatility a bit in terms of what kind of fish you can go after, but outside of that and some edge cases, there really isn’t anyone at any skill level that can’t enjoy a relaxing day fishing with this pole.

Warranty

More often than not, you need to parse a rod’s warranty or scour the company’s website and documentation to find any information.

Not so for the Fenwick HMG Casting Rod which comes with a limited lifetime warranty on the rod blank (but, of course, you’ll eventually need to replace guides, and you’re on your own with that one).

Customer Service

As a brand of Pure Fishing, Fenwick’s customer service is reasonably helpful and quick, though there’s a reasonable chance you may never have to find out– even throughout the pole’s lifetime.

Regardless, if you do need to contact customer service, make sure you have all of your documentation– they’re a bit more of sticklers for that than some other companies.

Conclusion

In the end, the Fenwick HMG Casting Rod doesn’t really have any negatives outside of a slight narrowing of application due to a lack of options in the power and action categories.

Granted, those categories tend to be a bit more niche and often where more experienced fishermen eventually wander in search of new quarry and self-improvement.

As such, this casting rod is a bit more of an intermediate rod with the ability to still work well for beginners and provide good performance for expert fishermen.

While the baitcasting design ostensibly allows this fishing pole to handle multiple lures at once, the line test limit undercuts that.

Still, if you’re looking for a high-quality casting fishing pole that comes with plenty of nice touches and can handle a fair number of different situations, this is a great option.

It also doesn’t hurt that this casting rod is reasonably priced making it a solid choice for anyone at virtually any skill level.