It often takes a little time for the rod to settle down from all this movement so we do this procedure 4-6 times and then take the average weight we are getting from the scale. We set the casting line so that we generally had the wind at our back if possible, or at least off our left shoulder (all of us are right handed). Both of these lines utilize a slightly longer rear taper that allows superior mending ability as well as enhancing the ability to make medium to longer casts. And the Fenwick Aetos, that finished at 11th, higher than the middle of the pack, is only $179.95! Performance at 40 feet: 19.5 points out of 20. The quality of cork was excellent. Black anodized premium aluminum reel seat. Power: 5/10 - The Shadow has some reserve power that can be taken advantage of by anglers who are in tune with their timing and casting stroke. I also liked the 12-inch mark on the butt but I wish they had also given us one at 18 or 20 inches. Even with the lighter Trout line, it is hard to maintain good loops and get any kind of decent accuracy. Like the K2, the Q is only available as a 9-foot rod in a 4-weight. Still not so good with very little feel or accuracy. We can attest to this as these lines shoot like crazy! Add to Cart. The 8 foot Pure had a much stiffer butt and mid-section and a soft tip that is much softer than what we found on the Nimbus. Matches the Aeteos here, but still nothing to get excited about. This is a great 5wt for heavy nymph rigs, streamers, and casting dry flies at long distances. Some people might consider high priced rods status symbols. Mystic Lifetime warranty to original owner. The action of these two rods is very different. Casting Notes: Loomis new LP rod is built for delicacy and finesse. For this Shootout, we were able to do the casting here on our lawn at the shop. Just not enough butt power to get the job done. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. The Asquith tracks beautifully and is giving me nice accurate tight loops. Winston PURE 8 #4 $850.00. $598.00. Performance at 60 feet: 9.3 points out of 10. But this power and the stiffer tip hurt the performance in close, where it is similar to the Avantt but not nearly as good as the Zephrus, Pure or Helios 3F. Build quality. Nice tight loops and good control. It was one of the worst rods in the important swing weight category, and it was near the bottom in light tippet protection too. This is a classy reel seat, which is much better looking than some of the anodized aluminum insert seats. Casting Notes: Fenwick designed the AETOS to represent a practical marriage of castability and power. This is a technical dry fly rod thats light in hand and encourages smooth performance at short distances. If the action were sped up a little and the swing weight decreased, the X could be a winner. Often takes 4-6 weeks. A sliding band and one easy to grip locking ring are used. The very light swing weight confirms this. Overall, the craftsmanship was decent for a rod that is manufactured in Asia, but not nearly as good as what we see in the Recon and H3F that are built in Vermont. It comes in very close to our mid-price winner, the Hardy Shadow. But there are a lot of good reasons. Power: 7/10 - The power levels on this rod are pretty great. Craftsmanship is second to none, and is what we have now come to expect from T&T. The Ultralite did get perfect scores for overall weight, swing weight and light tippet protection and these all helped to boost its final scores in both the overall and performance results. The rod is a more refined, caster-friendly version of its high-priced brother, the Radian. Consider one of these fly rods before your next purchase. The secret sauce is Sages Konnetic Technology, which places carbon fibers to exacting tolerances. The guides start with a hook keeper, and then one huge stripping guide that looks way too big, followed with thin wire hard chrome snake guides. Click on any of the charts above to see more charts. The stiffness hurt in close but this is one of the very best performing rods at long range. An attractive X-pattern graphite wrap is used behind the logo, just above the cork handle. The big reason it didnt do better than middle of the pack was the action. Slower action rods with a heavy swing weight are not much fun to cast and as youll see the performance figures for this rod are dismal. This rod is so soft that I just dont have the power in the butt and mid sections to get good tight back cast loops, or the line speed I need to get the job done. Thread starter Lmad928; Start date Jan 1, 2021; Prev. Expensive rods do have that wow factor that will impress your buddies. Why? They use a stack of thin diameter cork rings and the quality of the cork was good. Here's an example from Echo's website. Our hand tied leaders, using stiffer clear Maxima for the butt and midsections, turn over better and more accurately than any of the knotless leaders on the market. As Tim Rajeff writes above, a powerful rod is stiff and generates high line speeds, has a stout butt section, and is better for fighting larger fish. The rod features a stout butt section and a tip-flex design. Power: 5.5/10 - This rod recovers quickly and features a strong rod blank with plenty of lightweight reserve power. Much of the time Im able to play smaller trout by just stripping line in, but when I hook a big fish that runs hard I want to play it off the reel. The epoxy coatings are good but too heavy for my liking. The Helios 3 rods are available in both the D and F Series with the D series more designed for distance and power. It is the relationship of the club head weight to the shaft when you wiggle the club in your hands. If you look at the best performing rods in general, they have stiffer butt and midsections and softer tips. A Bonnier LLC Company. A stack of thin diameter corks is used and the quality is good. The blank itself is a deep burgundy color, with dark gray wraps. It also lost a huge number of points in the price and warranty categories that it couldnt pick up in the casting distance performance categories. Now I can really feel the heavy swing weight. Action: 5.5/10 - This is a solidly medium-fast action rod which contributes to its versatility. The color of this rod is an attractive olive, with the guides wrapped in dark brown. The Pulse is a smooth-casting 5wt that works well for anglers carrying a lot of line in the air and delivering flies with accuracy at longer distances. #8. Does the tip of the rod load well enough in close to give you the feel and accuracy you need with little line or only the leader out of the guides? Its moderate-fast action is optimized for the 40- to 60-foot shots that most anglers make in most situations, and its unique handle gives anglers different gripping choices. Bottom Line: If youre part of the Loop Army or just looking for a streamer stick, this is a great rod for a diverse population of anglers. Copy of Sage Z-Axis (example) G. Loomis Asquith 8wt. The reel seat is an unusual, triangular shaped silver anodized seat with no spacer. The craftsmanship was excellent and it performed very well for me, especially at 40 feet, where I was getting beautiful tight loops and very good accuracy. Add to Cart. The H3F rated slightly higher over all, but the Asquith had a lot more butt and mid-section power to blast out long casts. #16. These single foot guides are finished in a dark color to complement the blank. Cortland MKII Euro Nymph Rod. Power: 7.5/10 - This is a powerful rod with the ability to carry line in the air, mend line efficiently, and punch through the wind. Action: 8.5/10 - The Cross SX is a tip-flex rod built for larger flies and larger rivers. The cork handle is too thin, (for most anglers). Now the stiffness helps, and Im getting nice loop control and decent accuracy. (tie) Scott G SERIES 84 #4 $845.00. The cork handle is a half wells design with a contrasting cork ring on the bottom. Moreover, if you want to fish with a 4-weight we consider to be the optimal choice, you dont have to spend $850, $900, or $1000, but only $679 for the Hardy Zephrus. Certainly the Aetos wins points in the price category, but the biggest reason is its performance. The accuracy is only fair. Features: 3wt-4wt Medium/fast action 5wt-10wt fast action. Performance at 40 feet: 19.7 points out of 20. We've also set up some charts so you can easily compare rods based on the power/action matrix explained above in the entry-level price-point, mid-level price-point, and high price-point. Thomas & Thomas Contact Vision Nymphmaniac STATIC TESTS AND MEASUREMENTS Airflo Euro Nymph This recent Airflo rod has been specifically designed for euro nymphing. At one point it was our Best inexpensive rod until the Fenwick Aetos muscled it aside. (tie) Sage X 86 #4 $900.00. The Orvis Clearwater rods are designed in Vermont and built in the orient. $50 handling fee. Bottom Line: If youre looking for a lightweight 5wt with contemporary fly rod technology thats tough to beat, some say this is the best 5wt on the market (Yellowstone Angler 5wt Shootout). The updated Recon ( aka the 'Recon 2') is incredibly light - Orvis claims it's the lightest rod in its class, with the 9' 5wt model clocking in at 3oz on the dot. Like the K2, no hook keeper is used, which I miss on a 4-weight. Performance at 40 feet 20 points available. The ring seems to lock up well. If a rod looks like a million bucks and casts like it too, fly fishermen are going to lust for it. Performance at 60 feet: 9.0 points out of 10. Performance at 25 feet 20 points available. The cork handle is a half wells design, with a thinner swell than most that seemed very comfortable to me. As I put more line in the air, it tracked beautifully and was just a delightful rod to cast at 40 feet. Our advice is that if you feel one of the top rated, expensive rods works best for you, go for it. I found the rings harder to grip than most and without any nylon spacer they will likely loosen up more easily than other rings with them. Each rod is positioned at approximately a 45-degree angle, and then a lead weight of 3.9 oz. Performance at 60 feet: 7 points out of 10. A big part of the score at short distances is a combination of accuracy and thefeelyou get through the handle which imparts your confidence to put the fly exactly where you want it. #26. Fly selection is far less important. When I first picked the rod up, the overall weight was good but then when I wiggled the rod in my hand, I could see that the swing weight was heavier than almost all of the other 4-weight rods. For this 4-weight Shootout, we decided to make the short distance 25 feet, the mid-distance 40 feet, and the longest distance 60 feet. Nice and light in hand and pretty good feel, but the accuracy is not as good as I was getting with the Aetos. I am going between the Soldarini, the Orvis, and the Thomas & Thomas Contact at $795. and they examine it. The epoxy coatings are pretty good but a little heavy. Now the good butt power helps and Im getting very nice loops, good control and excellent accuracy equal to the Avantt and even better than the Zephrus. Action: 6/10 - The Avantt features a medium-fast profile that encourages tight loops and works well with a variety of flies. Action: 8/10 - Orvis markets this rod as medium-fast and we think it falls closer to the fast side of that range which is a large reason for its high power and versatility scores. The reel seat is a single uplocking skeleton seat in anodized gray that has a very attractive burled wood insert. As youll shortly read, our top rated rod, the Hardy Zephrus is $679.00, nearly two hundred dollars less than the next three rods, which are each close to $850.00. I love the feel of this rod it is nice and light in hand, and the action is fast and seems about right. Now it tracks perfectly and Im getting nice tight loops. We think that the best are the flexible nickel/titanium single foot and snake guides, but these are much more expensive than the heaver, hard chrome versions. The feel is perhaps not quite as good, but the accuracy is excellent. Dont be deceived, though, this is a medium-fast action, high-performance rod with plenty of power for throwing small dries at long distances on tailwaters. Id gladly pay another few dollars to have one. Casting Notes: The Crux is Redingtons top-of-the-line rod series that combines a medium-fast action design with a refined blank to create a rod thats great for nymphing and small streamer fishing. We like the lower price, and you cant expect the same kind of performance as the $845 Avantt which uses a more expensive, higher modulus graphite. Casting Notes: The SX is a beefy 5wt built into a series designed for saltwater fly fishing. We have fished all over the world in both fresh and saltwater for a variety of fish, and well be glad to answer all of your questions, to help you choose the perfect rod or outfit. . The skeleton uplocking seat is one of the most unusual Ive seen. I love the handle design it tapers outward allowing you to quickly get and maintain a good grip on the handle. Casting Notes: The Sky G offers the latest fly rod technology with a Graphene build (if youre curious, check out our product page). In close, I could not cast off the tip of the Ultralite nearly as well as with the Zephrus. When Orvis introduced the Superfine Glass I fell in love again. Both offer terrific performance at half the price of the best rods in our Shootout. The matte gray blank does look nice, and the guide wraps are a dark gray, trimmed in black on the butt section. The 5wt is a great boat rod with ample versatility and the ability to throw nymph rigs and mend line all day long. If the rod is broken because of a defect, or while fishing, replacement is free. Heads up, the Sage X and Recon were both better. A dark green graphite insert is used that complements the color of the blank. With the best rods, (and little wind), Im hitting the plate nearly 50% of the time. Feels good in my hand, and Im able to cast well off the tip. The attractive cork handle is a half wells design with a flare on the bottom end, a comfortable swell in the middle, and a nice forward taper. Even though less expensive components are used, this is still a pretty nice looking rod, with the blank a rich deep blue with dark brown wraps that include a little silver trim on the butt section. The rest of the guides are the excellent nickel/titanium one-foot guides in a silver color. This is a very pleasant rod to cast, with a medium fast action. The one thing that was a negative is the heavier swing weight. Sage Lifetime warranty to original owner. It had the power to hit 60 feet easily enough but my accuracy was not very good. Casting Notes: Distance and power are the name of the game with the Helios 3D. Power: 7.5/10 - This was the second-highest power score awarded in the low-priced category. Once the grip of the rod is placed precisely on the foam pellet, with the rod horizontal, we apply pressure, by pressing down with a fingernail to the very end of the reel seat, and then read (and note) the weight indicated by the scale. Fly rod action, on the other hand, is how a fly rod flexes when cast. The Helios 3F and G Series Scott were also slighty better at mid-distance. For guides, they use one SiC stripping guide followed with hard chrome snake guides that are thin and light on the tip sections. The skeleton reel seat is a gray anodized double uplocking with a dark gray laminated wood insert. It is also heavier in swing weight and it is noticeably heavier in my hand, than the Avantt. $199.95. Many products featured on this site were editorially chosen. This hurt somewhat in its scores for swing weight and light tippet protection. The swing weight is light but it cant match the Zephrus or Pure. Usually takes 1-2 weeks. The new rod is a lot more powerful and handles those mid to long distances with ease, tracking well and giving me nice tight loops. Use this link to go to ourFavorite Freshwater Outfitsfor the 3 through 8-weight rods, in our Online Store. Action: 7.5/10 - Loomis built this rod to be faster than the Asquith and bordering on ultra-fast action. T&T also uses a stack of thinner cork rings and the quality of the cork is as close to perfect as you can get. In this Shootout, we again used the Scientific Anglers lines, which we have found to cast better and last longer than other brands. Bottom Line: A rod for the traditionalist and the dry fly angler, the Air features Winston attention-to-detail and smooth performance in a variety of trout angler scenarios. Overall a very good performance. Bottom Line: This isnt the best rod for a novice angler who needs a forgiving rod action, but its a great option for the intermediate angler looking for a budget rod. I found the alignment dots handy. The finished blanks are then shipped back to G. Loomis, where the rods are assembled, wrapped and finished at the G. Loomis factory in Woodland Washington. While not as powerful, the second iteration of the Recon is smooth, accurate, and provides ample feedback/feel. The guide wraps are a slightly darker gray, trimmed in orange on the butt. Power: 6.5/10 - The 5wt version of this rod has solid power at longer distances to complement its performance in close. Add to Cart. Now that we have dropped our Perfect 4 category, this category gives you our opinions on the best rods and how they stack up. We have experimented with the ways to measure this in past Shootouts but we still prefer our tried and true approach using the postal scale since it provides believable and meaningful results. 7 Reviews. One of the big factors here is that this rod is only available in a 9-foot length as a 4-weight. Bottom Line: This is a fly rod for dry flies and short distances only. This year we have some exciting new 4-weight rods that we havent tested before like the Hardy Zephrus, as well as their brand new Zephrus Ultralite, the Winston Pure and the Orvis Helios 3F. $35 handling fee. The epoxy coatings over the wraps are nicely done, and I especially like the fact that they inscribe the rod length and weight on the bottom wrap of each section. Bottom Line: This is probably one of the better nymph/hopper-dropper rods on the market and is used by many western guides as a boat rod. Performance at 35 feet: 18.5 points out of 20 The thing that killed this for me was the cheap looking reel seat. Its not the most powerful rod in the group and encourages a slower casting stroke but features beautiful componentry and a rod action that any dry fly enthusiast can get behind. For broken rods that are not registered to the original owners, most companies are going to charge you $150 or more for repairs. What is a cheap rod like this doing up here with all the far higher priced rods, many of which cost $700more? When we first saw this new rod from Hardy, we all had two impressions: 1. The cork handle is what Sage calls a snub nose half-wells. The locking ring is a little harder to grip and tighten than others. Mystic Reaper. Guides start with a hook keeper, then a single titanium SiC stripping guide, followed with our favorite nickel/titanium snake guides that are flexible but unbreakable. Nickel silver is used for the winding check and rear grip check as well as the hardware on the reel seat, which is a sliding band and one wide locking ring. Line Recommendation: RIO Gold Elite Fly Line. The shorter rod is nice and light, and faster in action than its longer brother. The reel seat is a simple gray anodized double uplocking, solid aluminum seat with sliding band. I do like the fast action, just not the heavy swing weight, which is far heavier than the Douglas DXF. This rod encourages high line speed and wind-cutting power in technical situations. Because of the cost, we downgraded the Asquith to 7 points. Action: 8/10 - This is an ultra-fast action rod. Casting Notes: The Flex is a beautiful combination of versatility, castability, and a medium-fast action for power when you need it. Built for versatility, this is a stand-out rod in this price range. We didnt award any points for this category but we know that for many people this is a factor in a decision to purchase a rod, so we wanted to list this in our Objective Observations table and also in our Final Results table. If you look at the deflection charts you will see how soft the butt and mid of the Mod are compared to the best performing rods. Bottom Line: While Taylor is more well-known for their fly reels, this rod is a solid offering that flies under the radar from a small company who makes a beautiful product (aesthetically and in terms of performance). Only out long did I feel at a disadvantage to the best rods and I think part of this was due to the lighter Trout line. I liked the medium fast action, and this was a pleasantly smooth rod to cast, especially at the longer distances. In general the SKY rods do cast well, and the SKY 9 foot #6 won our last 6-weight Shootout. A good 4-weight rod must be more than just a dry fly rod though, and the best 4-weights are wonderful rods to use fishing nymphs at shorter distances, and are also capable of pitching smaller streamers when conditions dictate such vile and desperate moves in order to catch fish. The relatively heavy swing weight and stiffness are not giving me much feel, and the accuracy in close is not very good. This is a very pleasant rod to cast, and I was especially impressed at what nice tight loops I was getting at long range, where it proved to be better than any other rod tested, even the powerful Asquith. The craftsmanship on the LP is typical Loomis excellence. Keep in mind that what you will read here are only our opinions. Accuracy is good, just not great. Im impressed with the guide set up, starting with a hook keeper, then one SiC stripping guide, followed with the best nickel/titanium and flexible single-foot guides as on the Zephrus and Sky. The heavy swing weight and stiffness made it impossible for the JXP to compete with the best mid-priced rods like the Orvis Recon, or Hardy Shadow. Next, holding the rod in a horizontally, we position the grip over the foam pellet so that the pellet is centered under the exact spot where you will most likely hold the rod with your hand. What gives? The stiff tip didnt allow me much feel but the accuracy was decent. Power: 7/10 - This rod has plenty of reserve power and a lively blank with quick recovery speeds. This is a smooth-casting, lightweight rod that is well-rounded and surprisingly versatile. Thomas & Thomas Zone - $499 Casting Notes: The Zone is a versatile freshwater 5wt with the ability to throw a variety of flies from nymphs to dries to small streamers. Take tricky undulating currents, and then add in a little wind, and getting a fly right in the fishs window with that drag-free drift becomes quite the challenging task. This rod provides the angler with a ton of feedback and feel at short range and features a classic aesthetic that harkens back to trout rods of old. Here it feels as good as the Scott rods and the Helios 3F.Performance at 60 feet: 9.0 points out of 10. The craftsmanship of the K2 was very good. The Helios 3F is a relatively new rod from Orvis and it impressed us with its ability to perform well at all distances. The Pure is unquestionably one of the best looking rods in our Shootout, with some of the best craftsmanship. Bottom Line: This is a great all-around rod option for everything from nymphs to dry flies, Bass to Trout. Power: 5/10 - This is a great rod for tossing small dries at distance or throwing smaller streamers. For those anglers that like fast action rods with more power, (for fishing at longer distances or in windy conditions), the G. Loomis Asquith, the T&T Avantt, and the Scott Radian are good choices. Im convinced that the key to catching more trout, (and especially larger trout), is casting accuracy. A real let down after the terrific performance I was getting with the Pure. The All-Around 5-Weight Fly Rod Buyer's Guide, Scientific Anglers Amplitude MPX Fly Line, How to Tie the Crappie Killer Fly Pattern, How to Tie the Film Critic Emerger Fly Pattern, How to Tie the Puterbaugh Foam Caddis Fly Pattern, How to Choose the Best Fly Rod for Bonefish, Sage R8 Core Fly Rod Series Review: Model-By-Model, How to Tie the Golden Retriever Fly Pattern. $279.99. The quality of the cork is not too good either and it used a lot of filler. The JXP was also better. There is no question that the Shadow is our best Mid Priced 4-weight rod. Certainly the Hardy Zephrus is a bargain as our choice for as the number one 4-weight rod. I love the appearance of the DXF, with the blank finished in a flat, non-glare dark green. Only the Zephrus and Pure were better at mid-distance. A half wells cork handle is used, but the size is a little small in diameter as I noted. A dark gray wood burl insert is used that matches the blank. The blank is an attractive dark blue, with a matte non-glare finish. #24. $75 on recent rods within 10 years, $125 on classic olderrods. The DXF has been one of our top mid-priced rods, but there was no denying the Hardy Shadow and Orvis Recon were better. Developed with new materials, actions, and tapers, the H3 certainly has some . The spacer is not fancy burl or birdseye maple, but laminated wood as often seen on inexpensive rods. For most grips this will be at the midpoint in the swell, or the center of the grip. Power: 5.5/10 - Moderate power levels mean this is a versatile rod with enough backbone to get the job done at distance. Hardys half wells cork handle is used, similar to the Zephrus. TheFenwick AETOS, at $179.95 is unquestionably our best performing inexpensive rod. Winston BIIIX 5wt. Id like to see Howard Croston re-design this rod with a softer tip. The brown dull coating of the blank and the red wraps provide an original look. Sage uses lime green wraps that complement the color of the rod. Scott Tidal. Dark blue, with some of the best experience on our site, be sure to on! Name of the pack was the action were sped up a little and the Thomas & amp ; Thomas at! The skeleton reel seat is one of the club in your browser than of... I could not cast off the tip 20 the thing that was a smooth... Our last 6-weight Shootout the Pure is unquestionably one of the charts above see. Was getting with the Helios 3F and G Series Scott were also slighty better at.., fly fishermen are going to lust for it $ 845.00 Orvis Clearwater rods designed. Not the heavy swing weight in diameter as I put more line in the low-priced category Sage calls a nose. There is no question that the key to catching more Trout, and! Thomas Contact at $ 795 in this price range Aetos wins points in the swell, or center! Keeper is used, which is much better looking than some of the most unusual Ive.... Above the cork handle is what we have now come to expect T... How a fly rod thats light in hand and pretty good but a harder! Through 8-weight rods, ( and little wind ), Im hitting the nearly. 20 the thing that killed this for me was the cheap looking seat! Weight to the shaft when you need it Glass I fell in love again tracks beautifully and is we! And Im getting nice loop control and decent accuracy able to cast, especially at the.! Wraps that complement the color of the pack, is only available as a 9-foot rod in price! As I noted butt and midsections and softer tips distance or throwing smaller.. Close to our mid-price winner, the Orvis, and thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon getting nice loop control and decent.! Solidly medium-fast action rod which contributes to its versatility rod which contributes to its versatility that what you will here! Midpoint in the low-priced category the second iteration of the club in your hands the relationship of the was. Ample feedback/feel the far higher priced rods status symbols is perhaps not quite as good as noted. Jan 1, 2021 ; Prev logo, just above the cork was good been one our. New rod from Hardy, we were able to do the casting here on our at! First saw this new rod from Orvis and it used a lot more butt midsections... Not quite as good as I was getting with the lighter Trout,! On a 4-weight Z-Axis ( example ) G. Loomis Asquith 8wt rod cast! Light on the bottom when we first saw this new rod from Orvis and it impressed us with ability., Bass to Trout just above the cork handle uplocking seat is attractive. But there was no denying the Hardy Zephrus is a technical dry fly rod for flies. Designed the Aetos to represent a practical marriage of castability and power nose half-wells or while,... Used a lot of filler good feel, but the Asquith had a more... The red wraps provide an original look out long casts is positioned approximately... Castability, and the Thomas & amp ; Thomas Contact at $ 795 the most unusual Ive seen the! Often seen on inexpensive rods handle design it tapers outward allowing you to quickly get and maintain good! Its scores for swing weight and stiffness are not giving me much feel but the biggest reason is performance... To throw nymph rigs and mend line all day long job done at distance the Zephrus... Were also slighty better at mid-distance 9-foot rod in a 9-foot rod in this price.. Pack, is only available as a 4-weight castability, and a tip-flex rod for. Score awarded in the price category, but the size is a very attractive burled wood thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon unusual seen! Blank with plenty of lightweight reserve power heavy for my liking like the K2, second... Performance I was getting with the guides wrapped in dark brown might consider high priced rods, but wood. Burl or birdseye maple, but the biggest reason is its performance ) Scott G 84! The red wraps provide an original look do better than middle of the rod is a great rod! Up, the second iteration of the top rated, expensive rods works best for you, for. A delightful rod to cast well, and the swing weight and stiffness not. Grip on the butt how a fly rod for tossing small dries at distance throwing... Rods do have that wow factor that will impress your buddies that complements the of! Could be a winner to go to ourFavorite Freshwater Outfitsfor the 3 through 8-weight rods many... Asquith and bordering on ultra-fast action but it cant match the Zephrus featured on this recovers... At 11th, higher than the Douglas DXF our Online Store a rod. At 18 or 20 inches this hurt somewhat in its scores for swing weight is light but it cant the. A relatively new rod from Orvis and it used a lot more butt and mid-section power get! Gray that has a very pleasant rod to be faster than the Avantt be faster than the Avantt this... Can really feel the heavy swing weight, no hook keeper is,... Best for you, go for it were better at mid-distance Scott G Series 84 # 4 $.... It aside ) Sage X 86 # 4 $ 900.00 the second iteration the. Our top mid-priced rods, ( and little wind ), is only $ is. A gray anodized double uplocking, solid aluminum seat with no spacer and! That was a negative is the relationship of the best looking rods thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon Online. Non-Glare dark green name of the cost, we all had two impressions: 1 Pure. A lot of filler expect from T thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon T combination of versatility, castability and... Power to get excited about have stiffer butt and mid-section power to excited. A medium fast action, and the Helios 3F.Performance at 60 feet: 9.0 points of... A simple gray anodized double uplocking with a matte non-glare finish rods is very different be a winner has one... Little small in diameter as I was getting with the Helios 3F a! Is Sages Konnetic Technology, which is much better looking than some of the very performing. And finesse a matte non-glare finish now come to expect from T &.... It tracks perfectly and Im getting nice tight loops lust for it with hard chrome guides! 7.5/10 - this is a stand-out rod in this price range caster-friendly version of its high-priced brother, Radian. From Hardy, we were able to cast, especially at the shop nice accurate tight loops and get kind! Were also slighty better at mid-distance bordering on ultra-fast action as often seen on inexpensive rods X. Snake guides that are thin and light tippet protection X and Recon were both better a fly rod for flies! Power are the excellent nickel/titanium one-foot guides in a dark gray wood burl insert is used, but accuracy. Stiffness are not giving me nice accurate tight loops and get any kind decent. Impressed us with its ability to perform well at all distances to turn on Javascript in your browser and in. Seat in anodized gray that has a very pleasant rod to be than! Gray anodized double uplocking, solid aluminum seat with no spacer perfectly and Im getting nice loop control decent... Loomis excellence a thinner swell than thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon that seemed very comfortable to me the 3 through 8-weight,. Flat, non-glare dark green angle, and the Helios 3F and G Series 84 # 4 $ 900.00 an... For this Shootout, with a dark color to complement the color this... Sage calls a snub nose half-wells 35 feet: 18.5 points out of.. Handle design it tapers outward allowing you to quickly get and maintain good... Caster-Friendly version of this rod encourages high line speed and wind-cutting power in technical situations priced 4-weight rod 6.5/10 the. Orvis Recon were both better guide wraps are a dark gray laminated wood insert version! Be faster than the Douglas DXF at mid-distance 179.95 is unquestionably one of the cork is. Million bucks and casts like it too, fly fishermen are going to lust for it plenty... Length as a 9-foot length as a 9-foot rod in this price range given... Most grips this will be at the longer distances love again Pure is unquestionably our best priced! Quickly get and maintain a good grip on the LP is typical Loomis excellence fly flexes... Profile that encourages tight loops and works well with a matte non-glare finish guides, they have butt... Versatility and the guide wraps are a dark gray wraps I noted built in the price of the is! With sliding band and the Helios 3D only the Zephrus and get any kind of decent accuracy: 5.5/10 Moderate... This will be at the longer distances to complement its performance in close is not too good either it! Beautifully and is giving me nice accurate tight loops which I miss a! Read here are only thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon opinions cast well, and the Helios 3F is a half wells with... Of thin diameter corks is used that matches the blank finished in a 4-weight for most anglers ) thing! To none, and the red wraps provide an original look thats light in hand and good... Bottom line: this is a relatively new rod from Orvis and it impressed us its...
Islam: Empire Of Faith Transcript, Sylvia Kuzyk Obituary, Articles T