The Blue Thunder has in fact been around for a while and has already proved its worth with anglers who have had the opportunity to use it, the word is that it is more powerful than the already successful Response-a rod that I personally did not think could easily be improved on. However, more powerful does not necessarily mean a better rod! So I was keen to find out for myself what Terry was up to and wether this was the way forward in rod

Rod Stats: The Blue Thunder has a 73 inch butt and an 86 inch tip section, which makes the rod 13ft when assembled.
The blank is slim and is finished in dark blue, fitted with Fuji BNHG guides throughout, secured in place with blue and red whippings edged with a gold trim. Shrink tube has been used to protect the blank wall from the coasters when securing the reel in place, this also acts as the handgrip, while the tip has a reflective tape sealed into the high build for easy night vision.

First Impressions: The Blue Thunder carries a £290 price tag and knowing that Terry is a realistic sort of chap I wondered what on earth this rod would be like. It was at the high end of the price bracket so it would need to be something special  to get my vote. I could not get out of my head the ‘more powerful’ statement that had been used but when the rod turned up I was quite surprised to that it actually felt softer, especially in the tip section when compared to the Response.
But this was simply a first impression and no person can tell what a rod is really like by bending it in their hands. There was only one way to establish its true characteristics and that was to cast it.

The Penny Drops: I set off to the beach to work out what was going on because usually ‘more powerful’ means a stiffer rod and at this juncture I felt that there was something that wasn’t falling into place.
After a few casts my eyes were soon opened and then the penny dropped. I now knew what this rod was all about. What Terry has done is design a blank so that the tip loads quickly, allowing the caster to put the power into the mid-section and butt faster.
This design in the blank made me realise where the ‘more powerful’ phrase had come from. It was all beginning to make sense now as a few more casts followed and I was able to really get hold of the lead and hit some huge distances. It did not matter what I threw at the rod because it handled it with no worries at all. In fact it soon let me know who was the boss because a couple of mistimed casts nearly threw me off my feet!

Not for the Faint Hearted: I can honestly say that the Blue Thunder is a rod that is designed for the angler who really can cast properly.
Not by the longest stretch of the imagination is it suitable for a beginner or even the average angler. This rod needs to be cast correctly and loaded up properly. I know this because when I fished with it, the rod did not work when I tried to use a simple lob to get the bait up to 100 yards. It felt lifeless and non-responsive, almost like trying to drive a Ferrari along the beach! The power is there but it must be used sensibly, otherwise disaster looms for the caster and more importantly the bait.
However, as soon as I wound up for a long-range cast, the rod came to life and was in a league of its own. The rod was designed for use with a power cast so that it can be be loaded up properly, therefore using the rod to its best abilities. Any other kind of cast will simply not allow the rod to work to its full potential.

How It Was Done: Having discovered what the rod was all about and what Terry was up to,
I had another little play to establish when the power kicks in during the cast and why it did not work when simply lobbing a bait.
What happens is that the tip loads up quickly, allowing the bend to progress into the mid-section. This is when most anglers could be forgiven for thinking that they have loaded the rod. A cast made from this position is a complete waste of time because there is a long way to go before the rod is properly activated.
The butt is similar to the Response but is in fact 6 inches shorter. This in effect gives the butt a brisker and less forgiving action.
Once the butt is beginning to load, you know that there is only one way to go and that is forward - and an incredible long way forward at that!

Final Thoughts: On a final note, I feel that I must emphasise that this rod is designed for the true surf casters out there and the price tag does reflect this fact. But I do believe that it is worth every penny to the right buyer. What you are getting is a rod capable of maximum range, but, of course, only in the right hands!

Northeast tackle shop owner and rod designer Terry Wood has produced yet another top beach rod which is called the Blue Thunder. Barney Wright gives it the full treatment and tells you what the rod is all about.