Reference 6wt 686 FastGlass Fly Rod

The Epic Reference 686, often imitated, never beaten.

The Epic 686 has gained cult status and we've seen many imitators try to replicate the magic of this fly rod. There is only one - and this is it!

Utilizing the same industry-leading blank & high-quality components as our Studio Built™custom collection, but without the customisation options, the new 686 Reference takes it up another notch.

Regarded by industry pro's and glass aficionados worldwide as the best glass 6wt made, the Epic 686 presents beautifully but packs plenty of attitude. Perfect for tossing big flies, swinging streamers and light saltwater work.

Smooth as silk yet with a ton of reserve power this Epic really is beauty and the beast rolled into one. You are going to love casting this fly rod.

The ultimate 6wt fiberglass fly rod. 

Our Epic™ 686 is crafted from 8 micron FastGlass II. A unidirectional S-2 Glass, this material is stiffer and stronger than e-glass or standard s-glass. The 686 is as strong as an ox, super smooth and extremely versatile.

Experience the Epic® difference

• Industry-leading FastGlass II fly rod blank 
• Stunning FLOR grade cork grip
• Hard anodised Epic reel seat ensuring a lifetime of service
• Premium quality Fuji titanium stripping guide
• Corrosion proof black Ion-plated snake guides
• SureFit™ Ferrule System for immediate section replacement
• Stealthy and chip-resistant SnakeBelly ™ Finish
• Superior service and ongoing customer support
• Finished in matching translucent wraps
• natural fiberglass rod tube & rod sock
• NEW Artic colourway

In stock and ready to be delivered direct to your door

 

Got questions? - Drop us a line, we'd love to hear from you.

Recommended line weight: AFTMA #6
Length: 8'6"
Pieces: 4 
Total length: 2,580mm
ERN: (Unwrapped): 6.4
ELN: 6
Optimal Grain Window: 140 - 175 Grains
Effective Line Range: AFTMA 5 / 6 / 7
Action: Progressive / Mid Flex / Medium Fast
Taper: Fast
AA: (Action Angle): 68° (Fast)
Blank Weight: 63g

These are the smoothest, most beautiful fly rods you’ll ever cast. Purposefully designed and exquisitely handcrafted using only the very best components available. 

Light in the hand and an absolute pleasure to cast; There is simply no better fly rod made - and your absolute delight is guaranteed.

"I really believe the EPIC 686 is by far the most popular GLASS streamer rod on the market. More often than not, I get requests for the 686 and most of the time in Salsa. Carl has created a wonderful, and powerful taper and folks love them!" 

"I will only touch on this for a second because everyone keeps hearing how phenomenal the 686 is. This is a phenomenal blank. The beauty is in the fact that the rod can lay out ten feet of line with the delicacy of a full flex cane, but when called upon fire 95' of line into a stiff breeze. It does all of this with a great deal of feel and composure that most rods will never achieve. It is quite possibly one of the best 6wts on the mark glass, graph, or grass."
- Zeb Tonkavich Snowman Custom Rod Works

"the Epic 686 is (f#$%'ing) magic in my hands. This fly rod is responsive, quick to load, and a powerhouse that lays out very long accurate casts with relative ease."
- Cameron Mortenson The Fiberglass Manifesto

FastGlass II™
All Epic "Glass" rods are produced from industry-leading 8 micron Unidirectional S-2 Glass. This next-generation fiber is specifically engineered for fly rod production and features 8 micron fibers developed and produced in the USA. These fibres are almost half the diameter of other unidirectional materials, resulting in tighter, more precise and stronger fly rods. 

Built Epic Tough
Epic glass rods are incredibly tough. Our S2 FastGlass II has a far higher strength-to-weight ratio than Carbon fibre (graphite) rods. Epic FastGlass rods can endure more acute and severe bends than the equivalent Carbon fibre or even regular S2 glass, tip sections are stronger and far less susceptible to breakages due to high-sticking and problematic rod angles when pulling against load.

The Epic Promise

Carl McNeil - Founder, Wanaka, New Zealand.

The Epic Lifetime Warranty.

Every Epic fly rod that we produce is covered by our lifetime, original owner warranty. This warranty covers failure due to defects in material or workmanship of our product. 

This warranty is limited to repair and replacement of the rod or blank and does not cover direct, indirect, consequential, incidental or any other type of damage resulting from the use of the product. This warranty does not cover fire, theft, missing rod sections, intentional breakage, modification or customization of the finished rod, or damage during the assembly of a blank into a finished rod. 

Epic Fly Rods reserves the right to determine whether to repair or replace any Epic Product covered by this warranty and the right to replace any discontinued models with comparable models when necessary. Colors and components may vary between original and replacement parts.

This Policy applies to the original owner only and may not be transferred to another person.

We will always do our very best to get you back out on the water fishing our gear again as soon as possible.