Rods, also known as SkyFish by many, are the latest phenomenon to capture the attention of the world. A phenomenon so strange that many theorise they may be a new form of life.

Moving at incredible speed Rods have managed to steer clear of everyday observation, until now. Footage has now been captured on every continent around the world, with a similar phenomenon even captured on video while orbiting aboard the space shuttle.

With long slender bodies, cylindrical in shape and fins that spiral around their bodies rods are unusual yet very organic in appearance. Ranging in size from 30 centimeters to almost 30 meters in length, the size can vary greatly. Yet even the various sizes keep the same proportions and shape.

Moving at speeds estimated to be over 1000mph they operate past the threshold of normal human perception. People who are videoed along side Rods never report having seen them at the time, they move far too fast. Birds have been filmed chasing the Rods but they are easily  out maneuvered by the Rod.

First discovered by Jose Escamilla in 1994 while filming unidentified objects in Midway New Mexico. A short time later a Discovery Channel documentary team were filming base jumpers at the Caves of the Sparrows in South America, purely by chance they captured some of the clearest footage of Rods to date.

Around the same time Martyn Stubbs released his excellent Smoking Gun video, a compilation of NASA footage containing unusual objects and phenomenon, an excellent video well worth watching. Stubbs actually identifies 3 distinct forms of phenomenon which he designated 1,2 and 3. The third phenomenon has striking similarities Rods. Phenomenon 3 is best described as small thin objects that are seen as a streaks appearing on the footage.

The Sky Fishing Protocols are a set of guidelines established by Jose Escamilla that ensure you aren’t just capturing insects. A standard operating procedure for gathering video evidence relating to rods, it ensure good quality data is collected by observers that can be added to a collective body of evidence.

Rods are such an unusual phenomenon that they are not thought to be a mechanical device. The way they move like fish swimming through the air, hence the SkyFish name, only adds to the natural look of the phenomenon. If Rods are indeed a living creature they are a completely new form of living creature.

There have actually been a number of unexplained phenomenon that are thought to be potential new life forms. The first Mercury mission to orbit the earth saw one such phenomenon.

Dr Robin Wotan of Excitor University believes that Rods may actually be very old form of life, as opposed to new life-form. Dr Wotan, an entomologist, believes the Rods may be a very ancient form of insect, the first insect. The insect missing link.

While the look and movement might suggest Rods are a new life form there is so little known about the phenomenon that we cannot rule out the idea that they are a mechanical machine. They would make the ultimate observation platform, a futuristic unmanned aerial vehicle – UAV-.

The unfortunate truth of situations such as this is proving such a phenomenon will only occur when one is found dead, captured or killed to study. If it bleeds its alive, if it whirs and buzzes then its mechanical.

While there are insects and birds in amongst the footage, the high quality footage shows something obviously different than an insect or a bird. These are not insects or birds filmed with slow shutter speeds. What they are exactly is still unknown.

Observed on every continent of the world, moving so fast they are invisible to the naked eye, waiting for the invention of high speed optics before becoming obvious Rods are the latest topic for us to ponder with wonder.

Reference: Roswell Rods. Jose Escamilla is currently seeking funding to produce a film on the subject. See his website,  for more information.

Reference: Martyn Stubs – NASA Smoking Gun