A quote from the Solid Octagon webpage:
"The evolution of fly rods is a history of battling against weight. From Calcutta cane to bamboo, fiberglass, and carbon, fishing rods have continuously pursued relentless weight reduction. However, ironically, this pursuit of excessive lightness and high elasticity leads to rods that are too light and tiring, failing to achieve desired casting distances. This results from an approach that neglects the fundamental principle of fly rods: to bend and return, creating loops in the line to propel the fly.
Choosing solid carbon is about addressing the core challenge in fly rod design: how to bend and return effectively. It’s the best material currently available for this purpose.

Why hasn’t solid carbon, not a new material, been used in fly rods before? One reason is the blind belief that lighter is always better. Another is the limitations in processing methods. Traditional solid shafts are made by centerless grinding, a process involving rotating drum-shaped grinding wheels. This method, also used for making mandrels for hollow rods, only allows for uniform, round section shafts with simple tapers. Creating complex, multi-stage or reverse tapers is challenging. Precision machining of long, thin, and flexible materials into intricate shapes is one of the most difficult tasks in the industrial world."
This rod is finished to the highest standard with a cigar shaped grip and an REC downlocking nicket reel seat with a Brown Mallee insert, whippings are a dark crimson. The stripper is a beautifl red agate guide and all intemediates are Snake Guide originals along with the tiptop.
I have include a Solid Octagon bag and aluminium rod tube with this build to sweeten the deal (over USD400 extra on the factory rod).
This rod casts beautifully with great control and must be considered a top stream rod.