Blanks are black chrome with white accents Quick rod identifier on the blank Chrome snake and stripping guide with a ceramic insert Full black nickel aluminum reel seats Rods with fighting butts have composite tips for durability If ever there was a rod that identified with a particular fishery, it's the Clearwater 9-Weight 9' Fly Rod and the Northeast. Four major species, striped bass, bonito, false albacore, and bluefish, all range the Northeast Coast, and the 9-foot, 9-weight reigns supreme. The Clearwater 909-4 offers the strength to handle all of these fish and to power a line through often tough and windy conditions. But anyone traveling south would be wise to bring this rod as well for snook, permit, bull reds, and even juvenile tarpon. In freshwater, this rod is the perfect pick for big bass in the weeds and carp. The Clearwater 909-4 checks off a lot of boxes in your arsenal and barely scratches the budget.The new Clearwater Rod Series is not just a cosmetic facelift, but a complete overhaul from the ground up by our Vermont rod designers. Everything has changed except the value. It's still the best fly rod you can buy for the money, but with a significant upgrade in performance and looks in a comprehensive series that covers every angler from small stream addicts to Skagit slinging two-handers. Each rod was designed with a purpose-built profile and action to handle the kind of fishing the rod model would be traditionally used for, from medium-action small stream rods to medium-fast freshwater rods and fast-action big game rods.