Shakespeare Cedar Canyon Select Fly Rod Review

Last Updated on September 10, 2026 by Daniel Globe

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Choosing a first fly rod can be confusing when listings mix line weights, rod actions, and similar model names. The Shakespeare Cedar Canyon Select Fly Rod tied to this review is ASIN B096YG9V79, an 8’6″, 5/6-weight, three-piece rod with a cork handle and stainless steel guides. Its easy-casting design and packable construction make it appealing for beginners and casual anglers, but the listing has a few specification inconsistencies you should understand before ordering. This review helps you decide if its forgiving setup and travel-friendly design fit the way you plan to fish.

What Is the Shakespeare Cedar Canyon Select Fly Rod?

The Shakespeare Cedar Canyon Select tied to ASIN B096YG9V79 is a rod-only fly fishing setup made for adult anglers. Amazon lists the model as SROCCL8056 with an 8’6″ length, 5/6-weight line rating, medium power, and three-piece construction. You need to supply your own compatible reel, fly line, leader, and flies.

The main selling point is simplicity. The listing highlights easy casting, a cork handle, stainless steel guides, and a three-piece layout that breaks the rod down for travel or hiking. If you are learning basic fly casting, that combination is easier to understand than a highly specialized rod built for one narrow technique.

Who Should Buy It?

Design and Build Quality

At 8’6″, this model sits in a versatile middle ground for a 5/6-weight fly rod. You get enough length for common trout and bass presentations without stepping up to a longer 9-foot rod. The three-piece construction also gives you a more manageable packed setup for car trips, trail access, or storage at home.

The cork handle is a practical touch because it gives you a traditional fly-rod grip and stays comfortable during repeated casting. Stainless steel guides are another useful detail because they provide a durable path for the fly line. The listing does not clearly identify the blank material in a reliable way, so you should not rely on the older article’s carbon-fiber claim.

Casting Action and 5/6-Weight Performance

Shakespeare markets this rod around easy casting. Amazon’s feature bullets call the blank moderate action, which generally points toward a more forgiving loading feel for learning timing and line control. However, Amazon’s structured specifications label the action moderate-fast, so you should treat the exact action category as a listing inconsistency rather than a settled specification.

What is clear is the 5/6-weight line rating and medium power. That puts the rod in a useful general-purpose range for many freshwater fly-fishing situations, especially when your goal is trout or bass rather than very light presentations or heavy saltwater work. Matching the reel and line to that 5/6-weight rating will give you the most straightforward setup.

Portability and Travel

The three-piece design is one of the rod’s clearest practical advantages. You can break an 8’6″ rod into shorter sections for a vehicle, closet, or hiking setup instead of handling a full-length rod. That makes it easier to bring on casual trips where space matters.

The tradeoff is that you have two ferrule connections to check during setup. If a section loosens while casting, guide alignment can shift and the joint can take unnecessary stress. A quick fit check before and during a long session is a simple habit that helps keep the rod assembled correctly.

How It Performs in Real Use

For Beginner Casting Practice

The easy-casting positioning and 5/6-weight rating make this model a sensible learning platform. You can focus on timing, line pickup, and basic presentations without starting with an especially fast or specialized rod.

For Trout Fishing

The 8’6″ length gives you useful reach for streams, rivers, and bank fishing while staying shorter than many 9-foot fly rods. Because Amazon lists trout as a target species, this is one of the most natural use cases for the model.

For Bass Fishing

Amazon also lists bass among the target species. A 5/6-weight setup can cover many common freshwater bass presentations, but you should match the fly size and line to the rod rather than treating it as a heavy-duty setup for oversized flies.

For Hiking and Car Trips

The three-piece construction is helpful when you need to move the rod between locations. You still need a protective storage solution and your own reel and tackle, but the rod itself takes up less length once disassembled.

Setup and Care Tips

Start by confirming that your reel and fly line match the rod’s 5/6-weight rating. Assemble the three rod sections straight, align the guides, and check each joint before fishing. When you finish, wipe the rod and guides clean and let them dry before storage, especially after use around dirty or brackish water.

Because the product listing does not clearly position this exact model as a dedicated saltwater rod, you should not assume saltwater-specific corrosion protection. If you use it around saltwater, rinse the rod with fresh water afterward and inspect the guides and reel hardware regularly.

Pros and Cons

Is It Worth the Price?

This rod makes the most sense when you want a straightforward 5/6-weight rod without paying for a full kit you may not need. Its value comes from the practical combination of an 8’6″ length, three-piece portability, cork grip, stainless steel guides, and beginner-friendly casting focus.

You get less value if you still need every other part of a fly-fishing setup, because a complete combo may reduce the amount of matching and shopping you have to do. Check the current Amazon seller options before deciding, since price and availability can change.

How It Compares to Alternatives

If you want a more modern, four-piece construction with a carbon-composite blank, the Shakespeare Cedar Canyon Carbon Fly Rod is worth comparing. The current 5/6-weight Carbon model is 8 feet long, uses medium-fast action, and has an EVA handle. If you want a longer 9-foot rod with carbon-fiber construction, a cork handle, and a refined medium-fast action, the Cedar Canyon Elite Fly Rod is the step-up option in the same family.

The Cedar Canyon Select reviewed here makes more sense when you specifically want the 8’6″, 5/6-weight, three-piece SROCCL8056 configuration and prefer its cork handle. The alternatives are better fits if you prioritize four-piece packing, a faster action profile, or more premium construction.

Customer Feedback and Listing Notes

Buyer ratings and sales rankings change over time, so they are poor fixed specifications for a long-term review. More important for your decision is that the Amazon page still resolves to ASIN B096YG9V79 and identifies the product as the Shakespeare Cedar Canyon Select, model SROCCL8056. Before checkout, confirm that the seller is offering the 8’6″, 5/6-weight, three-piece variant described here.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Bottom Line

The Shakespeare Cedar Canyon Select SROCCL8056 is a good fit if you want an 8’6″, 5/6-weight, three-piece fly rod with a cork handle and an easy-casting focus. You should skip it if you need a complete combo, a different line class, or an exact action classification with no listing ambiguity. Its strongest points are simple setup choices and portability, while the confusing model naming and action data are the main caveats.