Fenwick HMG Spinning Rod Review

The Fenwick HMG spinning rod offers a solid build with some high-end materials, but it’s not the best rod for every fishing style.

Still, there’s no getting around the fact that a wide range of anglers, from experienced to those just going on casual fishing trips, can benefit from the quality materials to the smooth performance.

That said, just because this pole is a high-quality product doesn’t mean everyone can just stow it with their tackle boxes as standard fare gear.

That’s why this Fenwick HMG spinning rod review breaks down the special features and figures out which of those are key features for you.

Pros

• Excellent limited-lifetime warranty
• Spiral carbon fiber blank
• Multiple action settings

Cons

• Not the smoothest casting
• Not the most comfortable
• Not the best power

Review

Construction (craftsmanship, make quality)

This fishing rod comes in a single blank construction as well as two-piece spinning rods, though the body construction benefits from the blank material designed to increase its strength, power, and durability.

This comes down to the carbon thread used in its construction, specifically the carbon spiral wrapping that uses carbon strips to reinforce the blank with carbon threading that runs along its length and imbues this pole with superb durability.

The spiral carbon body construction gives even the two-piece spinning rods a blend of strength and sensitivity that benefits a variety of styles.

Length

Regardless of your preferred type of fishing, this pole has you covered with both one and two-piece rods in a variety of lengths.

In fact, even the two-piece spinning rods have a variety of lengths with the option of a 7′ or 7’6″ model.

Of course, most fishermen will still gravitate toward the one-piece models which come in 6′, 6’6″, and even 6’9″.

A wide variety of options allows you to find the pole that works for you while still appealing to a wide variety of styles.

For instance, you can use the longer two-piece rod when you need a little bit more casting distance or switch to a one-piece option when accuracy is more important.

Material

This graphite rod uses a carbon blank that gives it superb durability, but that’s not to suggest it’s the strongest option available.

A carbon composite rod that reinforces its carbon graphite blank with fiberglass will generally be stronger.

However, carbon composite suffers from a loss of sensitivity.

Thankfully, Fenwick goes the extra mile by also using Powerlux 100 resin for extra strength without having to worry about the loss of sensitivity that carbon composite imposes.

Action

This fishing pole includes a couple of different action categories but generally tends to range in the fast action area.

As a primarily fast action rod, this option gets the most out of its carbon fiber bindings to afford a precise action that carbon rods are known for.

That said, hovering in the fast action area comes with some trade-offs.

Despite being a lightweight spinning rod, you still won’t be able to generate the distance of a slower action.

However, you, at least, don’t have to worry about the action suffering from a loss of precision when using Fenwick’s two-piece spinning rods thanks to the spiral carbon design with its solid taper.

Of course, the lightweight carbon graphite blank also ingrains these carbon fiber rods with more sensitivity– which only increases due to the fast action.

That said, even the two-piece spinning rods won’t top the charts if you’re looking for pure distance casting.

Power

This fishing pole sits primarily in the medium power range which works for most types of fishing conditions but can leave others feeling left out.

For instance, if you need a heavy power pole, your best bet is to go with the medium-heavy power option.

Medium-heavy power is generally enough for most people’s fishing needs– unless you’re fishing monstrous catfish that weigh over 100 pounds.

That said, those who tend to use light and medium-light power rods might find the Fenwick to pack a bit more punch than they would prefer.

While this pole comes in a medium-light power, that’s as low as it goes.

While the simple average may work most of the time, it won’t tell you when the lightest strike hits your line despite the carbon fiber construction or ergonomic reel seats.

That said, the power range combined with the quicker action still provides an advantage in terms of its all-around smooth performance, making it a reliable product for most casual fishermen.

Rod Guides

Depending on who you purchase this rod from you may get some inaccurate information regarding the specifics of this rod’s guides.

It’s not uncommon to see different sellers saying that it comes with stainless steel guides with zirconium inserts, but only half of that statement is true.

In fact, this rod does not use guides with zirconium inserts but alconite instead.

Maybe it’s the fact that the guides and inserts are “diamond-polished” and zirconium is a primary element of cubic zirconia, or synthetic diamonds.

Chances are, however, that the different sellers simply haven’t caught up to the fact that Fenwick upgraded to alconite, a ceramic, that’s stronger and lighter than guides with aluminum oxide inserts.

However, this rod does use stainless steel guides which provide superb durability when compared to aluminum oxide guides.

This additional durability not only affords the ability to use braided lines but to also incorporate heavier lures into your fishing.

Now, with stainless steel guides, braided fishing line, and heavier lines, you can go to a large body of water with many different types of species and fish them all.

While the Fenwick HMG isn’t ideal for saltwater fishing, it still works great for trout fishing, bass fishing, catfish fishing, and many more.

Handle (material, shape, etc)

This fishing rod employs a premium cork handle that provides some advantages over composite handles but also suffers from its own potential issues.

That said, a cork grip handle is a more durable handle than the composite options while still providing just as good of performance in wet conditions– with or without the use of grip tape.

This pole also employs a split grip, so you don’t have to worry about losing leverage when salmon fishing or wrestling with any other large fish known for its fighting strength.

Type of Rod

The Fenwick HMG fishing rod uses a spinning reel rather than baitcasting reels which means you really need to know what you’re doing if you step out onto the water with one.

Spinning fishing reels might allow you to make certain casts that are otherwise difficult to do with a baitcasting fishing rod and can even be used as a drop shot rod.

That said, the type of fishing almost doesn’t matter when using this fishing rod as everything from walleye fishing to crappie fishing and everything in between is on the table.

Uses (Who is this good for)

Because spinning rods often require the skills of an experienced fisherman to use properly at all, this is not an ideal fishing pole for a casual fisherman.

The only way a spinning rod should be the choice of a casual fisherman is if they’ve been fishing for a while and picked up the skill necessary to properly wield it.

However, your average avid fisherman who spent a full season on the water generally has enough skill already to cast the spin casting rod properly.

Reel and Real Seat Compatibility

This rod’s positive lock reel seat, also known as a twist-lock reel seat, provides unparalleled strength that you don’t have to worry about coming loose mid-cast– or worse when reeling in a fish.

The Sea-Guide Soft Touch Alien ergonomic reel seat is a durable plastic reel seat made of nylon.

However, this style reel seat differs from a baitcasting seat by positioning the reel on the top of the pole.

In terms of strength, this alignment adds additional strength to an already durable plastic reel seat without having to worry about whether or not you have a solid connection.

Warranty

The Fenwick HMG fishing rod comes with a limited lifetime warranty which is a better significantly better type of warranty than the more common one-year warranty that comes with many competitors.

However, it’s still important to note that the lifetime warranty only covers manufacturing defects– though every type of warranty generally stops at the line as well.

And, you’re certainly not going to find anything better that only comes with a one-year warranty.

Conclusion (Wrap Up)

Different types of fishing conditions call for different types of rods, but this pole skirts the line by working for so many different situations.

With a maximum medium-heavy power rod, this lightweight carbon graphite rod easily outclasses aluminum alloy models as well as most other light spinning rods.

It also doesn’t hurt that the Fenwick has an angler-friendly price despite the quality materials and smooth performance.

While casual fishermen may struggle a bit if they’re not experienced, most will appreciate the top-dollar performance of this high-quality product.

Even the 2-piece fishing rods for distance casting tend to be a more reliable product than many of their competitors.

If nothing else, this Fenwick HMG spinning rod review should provide you with the information you need to know if this spinning series is right for you.