The Rhino rod-and-reel combo from Rather Outdoors swept the 2026 ICAST New Product Showcase, taking both Best in Show and Angler's Choice. At the Rhino booth, product development lead Chris Littau walks through the engineering behind the relaunch of a brand most anglers grew up with.
It started about two years ago with a breakthrough in how the team builds a rod. The new blank uses fibers oriented in multiple directions to spread the load, with a material and resin made only in Rather's own factory on custom-built equipment. In lab break tests, the rods are coming in roughly twice as strong as a traditional rod, while keeping the sensitivity and action of a real fishing rod. Chris, with nearly 30 years in product development, calls it the biggest change he's seen in his career.
The components were engineered to match: a grip textured after rhino skin that stays tacky when wet, a new reel seat with direct blank contact, and one-piece Armor One guides in 304 stainless steel with no inserts to crack or knock out.
On the reel side, Chris gets into the asymmetrical gear tooth design, which moves material to the loaded side of the gear for about 50% more surface contact, less stress, and a gear that stays smooth longer. Add sealed internals to keep out dirt and sand, a beefed-up drag about 20% stronger than a standard system, a threaded-in stainless shaft, a braid-ready spool, and an oversized overmolded knob, all at a price point where you rarely see those features.
The lineup includes about ten standalone rods starting at $49 and six combos starting at $69.99, ranging from an ultralight up to a 7-foot one-piece medium-heavy.
For more ICAST 2026 coverage and the Fishing Business Podcast, visit fishingtackleretailer.com.
#ICAST2026 #Rhino #RatherOutdoors #FishingTackle #BestInShow #FishingTackleRetailer #FishingIndustry
It started about two years ago with a breakthrough in how the team builds a rod. The new blank uses fibers oriented in multiple directions to spread the load, with a material and resin made only in Rather's own factory on custom-built equipment. In lab break tests, the rods are coming in roughly twice as strong as a traditional rod, while keeping the sensitivity and action of a real fishing rod. Chris, with nearly 30 years in product development, calls it the biggest change he's seen in his career.
The components were engineered to match: a grip textured after rhino skin that stays tacky when wet, a new reel seat with direct blank contact, and one-piece Armor One guides in 304 stainless steel with no inserts to crack or knock out.
On the reel side, Chris gets into the asymmetrical gear tooth design, which moves material to the loaded side of the gear for about 50% more surface contact, less stress, and a gear that stays smooth longer. Add sealed internals to keep out dirt and sand, a beefed-up drag about 20% stronger than a standard system, a threaded-in stainless shaft, a braid-ready spool, and an oversized overmolded knob, all at a price point where you rarely see those features.
The lineup includes about ten standalone rods starting at $49 and six combos starting at $69.99, ranging from an ultralight up to a 7-foot one-piece medium-heavy.
For more ICAST 2026 coverage and the Fishing Business Podcast, visit fishingtackleretailer.com.
#ICAST2026 #Rhino #RatherOutdoors #FishingTackle #BestInShow #FishingTackleRetailer #FishingIndustry
