This is a budget-priced rod, nonetheless I enjoyed casting it. The action feels medium/fast, fairly typical of modern rods, and the stiffness seems to suit me at the medium to longish end of the casting spectrum. Loops are well formed; I could feel little or no 'after-wobble' and could see no energy and distance sapping waves running along the lower, rod leg, of my loops. At medium distances and slightly more the line straightened nicely. Straining for distance caused the loop to land in something of a heap – blame me not the rod. At short range I found myself preferring to cast without hauling, then control was fine. Casting short with a haul it seemed difficult to get a sweet neat loop.

This is rated for a #6 line and seemed to me to suit that line-weight well, I could go a line lighter but found no advantage, casting seems soggy with a line heavier when casting overhead. With the #6 line the XT Fly seemed to roll and Spey cast nicely, if this was to be used more for short casts or mainly roll and Spey-casting, close combat stuff, then perhaps a heavier line. Otherwise I'm sticking with the #6. So, from the performance side of things the Odyssey belies its price – a competent casting/fishing tool.

The components used in building this rod, reel-seat, grip and ring-set, add to that sense of exceptional value for money. Shakespeare have opted for single leg snakes, the wire is on the thick side but unlike some budget rods the rings are not over-sized and the intermediate rings taper down in size towards the rod-tip. Completing the butt-end the reel-seat is a bold, all metal fitting with two locking rings. The seat looks great, solid and heavy, but I had a serious problem fitting and fixing reels into that seat. Two of the reels I tried could not be fixed properly in this reel seat. Before buying, I would make sure your reels will fix in place properly. That reel-seal lets down an otherwise likeable and impressive rod.