The heavier swing weight makes casting at longer distances a workout. The Q was not nearly as good as their new Opti K2. 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. Our answer is a definite yes. For 4-weight rods, when you are fishing at shorter distances, (most of the time), it is particularly important that leaders turn over well. Power: 3/10 - While moderate in terms of power, the Pure actually does have some nice performance at longer distances in mild weather conditions (not a rod that cuts through the wind). The final change in our performance categories is putting a lower value of 10 points on the longest distance 60 feet. #25. Loomis designed these IMX Pro rods to be tough and very durable, and pro guides love them because they are so hard for clients to break. 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. The rest of the guides are the excellent nickel/titanium one-foot guides in a silver color. Casting Notes: The G Series is Scotts moderate/slow action dry fly-specific rod series with a focus on refined feedback and delicacy at short-range. The Helios 3 rods are available in both the D and F Series with the D series more designed for distance and power. Casting Notes: The Shadow is one of the quieter rods in the mid-priced category with low power levels and a subdued rod action. 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. Action: 6.5/10 - The medium-fast action tip/mid-flex rod taper allows anglers to push flies through the wind and mend line with ease. Just about every major fly rod manufacturer was brandishing their newest, tech-packed stick. The epoxy coatings are pretty good but a little heavy. But if you look at just the three distance performance scores, it would have finished below the top dozen rods! #22. The rods rated 9.5 rods had a $50 fee. No handling fee. I dont have the feel I can place the fly just where I want it, as I can with the Zephrus. Light Tippet Protection 20 points available. The quality of cork was excellent. 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: 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. L. Lmad928 Active member. The wraps are all in blue, and the epoxy coatings are all extremely well done. But when I need to reach out and make casts at 60-70 feet, as I often do fishing bigger rivers like the Missouri, the Zephrus has tons of power on tap to get the job done. Since this is a softer rod than the Zephrus, we settled on using the lighter Trout line but this rod had the power to handle the heavier Infinity nearly as well. The best rods will throw very tight loops at this range with consistently good accuracy. If the rod is broken because of a defect, or while fishing, replacement is free. Add to Cart. Performance at 40 feet: 19.3 points out of 20. Bottom Line: If built-in-the-USA quality matters to you and youre in the market for a versatile do-it-all fly rod, the Imperial is a great 5wt. The skeleton uplocking seat is one of the most unusual Ive seen. The blank is an attractive dark blue, with a matte non-glare finish. The swing weight is light but it cant match the Zephrus or Pure. Thomas & Thomas Contact Vision Nymphmaniac STATIC TESTS AND MEASUREMENTS Airflo Euro Nymph This recent Airflo rod has been specifically designed for euro nymphing. 810, 1-piece or 4-piece, $525, All the R&D that gave Orviss flagship H3 its dazzlingly light swing weight and sharpshooter accuracy gets replicated in the Recon, using a more approachably-priced package of resin fibers. Performance at 25 feet 20 points available. A lot of this can be attributed to the nice action good butt and mid section power combined with a lighter, softer tip, much like the Zephrus. 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. TheOrvis RECON, at $429 wasnt far behind! Still not so good with very little feel or accuracy. This 4-weight Q was one of my least favorite rods to cast in our Shootout. This is a medium action rod, and slower action rods like this SS have never performed well for us. 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. The best 4-weights must be able to cast well at longer distances too, and the best rods had excellent loop control and the ability to throw nice tight loops with good accuracy at 60 feet. The accuracy suffers too. Here is a new rod that has not appeared in any of our previous Shootouts. Power: 4.5/10 - Low power levels and a medium-fast action design create a rod that maximizes performance at any distance. Loop Cross SW. Scott Meridian 9wt. The new X has a nice medium fast action that delivers the best performance at short to medium distances. 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). (tie) Waterworks-Lamson SS 9 #4 $399.99. Casting Notes: The NRX+ Freshwater Rod is an ultra-fast action rod made for big flies and technical scenarios. This is one of the best rods at long range. We can attest to this as these lines shoot like crazy! The blank is olive green with matching olive wraps that are trimmed in gold on the two lower sections. I think that this can be attributed to the slower action of this rod compared to the Zephrus. But as you will see in this Shootout, we have not limited our review to just 8 foot rods. The reel seat is a black anodized, single uplocking skeleton seat with a dark wood insert. For others, seeing how a rod performs in an expert casters hands, convinces them it would make them great anglers as well, or at least take them to the next level. And the Fenwick Aetos, that finished at 11th, higher than the middle of the pack, is only $179.95! We simply place each rod horizontally on the scale, read the weight and round it off to one tenth of an ounce. I could really notice the heavy swing weight in my hand. That's a lot. The Zone series pushes the envelope in both performance and price, bringing the latest R&D from Thomas & Thomas to more fly anglers than ever before. Well come out with you and give you some help to fine tune your casting stroke, or just help you with the basics. Power: 5.5/10 - This is a rod that doesnt have a ton of power but makes up for it in feedback and feel. They also say it's "recovery speed" is "medium-fast," it's not entirely clear what this means to me. Performance at 60 feet: 9.3 points out of 10. Loop has built some important features into this rod to make it lightweight and snappy. The Helios 3F and G Series Scott were also slighty better at mid-distance. We're here to help. Performance at 40 feet: 18.5 points out of 20. The Recon was much better. and they examine it. Casting Notes: Loomis new LP rod is built for delicacy and finesse. Steve Rajeff, the head rod designer at Loomis, designed the Asquith tapers, and the blanks are built by Shimano in Japan, using their unique X wrap process. The rod is a more refined, caster-friendly version of its high-priced brother, the Radian. The stiffer clear Maxima butt sections on our leaders achieve this. I now own 4 H2s and fish them all the time. Action: 8.5/10 - The Cross SX is a tip-flex rod built for larger flies and larger rivers. Here is a brand new rod from Loop that we liked better than their stiffer, more expensive Cross rods. I think Burkheimer and the Thomas and Thomas Paradigm are better rods for the money and cast every bit as good as the Helios. The handle is a half wells design and the quality of the cork is decent better than what we saw on the Loop Q and the TFO rods. Its somewhat embarrassing for a $1000 rod to finish below one that costs only $198.00, but there are some good reasons for this. I just didnt care for the moderate action that was a lot slower than the X. We set out three sets of paper plates as targets, with plenty of distance between each casting line so that no one was getting tangled up. For guides, they use one SiC stripping guide followed with hard chrome snake guides that are thin and light on the tip sections. Add to Cart. The heavy swing weight hurt, and I wasnt getting the kind of feel or accuracy I got with the G Series Scott or the Orvis Helios 3F. The quality of the standard size cork rings was terrific. Another stiff rod, the Avantt, was slightly better. Learn more. Craftsmanship is second to none, and is what we have now come to expect from T&T. The handle is a comfortable full wells design, and the quality of the cork was very good. Orvis Recon 2 Fly Rod. Expensive rods do have that wow factor that will impress your buddies. 2 Reviews. A good 5-weight rod, which is definitely one of the most versatile you can have in your quiver, just wont match one of the top 4-weights when it comes to making delicate presentations, or achieving that ultimate drag free drift with a thinner fly line. The epoxy coatings are excellent as is the overall craftsmanship, which we have come to expect from Scott. Thomas & Thomas introduced the Contact series of Euro-nymphing rods a handful of years ago and they almost immediately garnered a cult-like following, with many an experienced nymph angler raving about their performance and build quality. Now I can really feel the heavy swing weight. Very little feel or accuracy. Bad Ass Glass Quickshot. There are lots of ways to break a fish off on light tippet, but the rods that score high in this category are going to give you a far better chance of landing a big fish. To read their comments, simply click on their photo above at the beginning of our Shootout. This rod has a medium fast action with tons of power in the butt and mid-section, which allowed it to perform pretty well at the longest distance. Power: 6/10 - The Zone is a powerful rod yet maintains castability and versatility. Performance at 25 feet: 17.5 points out of 20. Rods are repaired or replaced. Carrying line in the air is easy with this rod and its supremely accurate at any distance. The lower 7 inches of the butt, including the logo is also finished in a dark blue. 5wt fly rods are (by far) the most popular rod model in contemporary fly fishing. Action: 7/10 - This rod sports a medium-fast/fast action blank thats ideal for a variety of freshwater fishing techniques. Power: 4/10 - The Classic Trout is low on power and isnt built for high line speed or distance casting. By having all the rods set up in an identical manner, it is easy to take a few casts with one rod, at say 40 feet, then pick up another rod and do the same without having to strip the line off one rod and take the time to load up another. Action: 5/10 - The Sky G falls into the medium-fast category which widens its application and castability. Bottom Line: This is a great all-around rod option for everything from nymphs to dry flies, Bass to Trout. Guides start with a hook keeper and then one SiC stripper, followed with fairly thin diameter black hard chrome snake guides. What're the differences between these posts and how do you, the reader, get the most out of reading them? It was very light in swing weight, and quite accurate in close, but it just didnt have much feel in close like the best rods. There is no question that the craftsmanship is better on the very best rods, and with a few exceptions they do perform better than the less expensive rods. 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. Our advice is that if you feel one of the top rated, expensive rods works best for you, go for it. Better now, with more line in the air, but the G series was still a little better in both feel and accuracy. Both the Zephrus and Pure were far lighter in hand, and far better in performance at 40 feet. This is a test that anyone can duplicate. The craftsmanship was very good, but not good enough to give it a perfect score like the Pure. The guides start with a single SiC stripping guide followed with fairly large diameter but thin wire hard chrome snake guides. 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. These stiffer 4-weight rods require lines that are slightly heavier than a standard AFTMA 4-weight line. A 3-weight fly rod can be great fun on windless days, but those days seem to be rare. #21. Still, when I heard that Orvis was bringing out a mid-priced rod made in America, my expectations were somewhat limited. This is a soft rod, with a slower action than the Pure. I love the way this rod tracks and the accuracy is good too. Casting Notes: The Avantt is a medium-fast action fly rod thats built for anglers who need castability and mending capabilities. The cork handle is a Steve Rajeff design; a half wells but with the swell slightly larger towards the front of the grip, and smaller back where the heel of your hand rests. 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. Matches the Aeteos here, but still nothing to get excited about. Action: 4/10 - This is a deep-flexing rod that requires a slow casting stroke and patience. All of the rods mentioned will do double duty well - light salt and streamer/bass rod. Now the lack of butt power becomes evident and it is hard for me to get any decent accuracy. The quality of cork is pretty good, but not in the same class as Avantt. Product Description. Rating: 100%. Click on any rod to see the full write up. 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. Mystic Reaper. Action: 5/10 - The Epic Graphite features a mid-flex design and a soft tip for accuracy at any distance. The softer tip is giving me a good amount of feel and the accuracy was better than the Zone or Nimbus. The cork handle is a half wells with a long taper at the front, that I found to be comfortable to grip. I also like the alignment dots. The 7X is a real pleasure to cast and is expertly designed with the best of contemporary fly rod technology. Click on any of the charts above to see more charts. Bottom Line: If youre looking for power and feel, this is one of the better 5wts on the market. And now I look in your power action matrix, and I see that you guys agree, as it scored less power and less action than the great majority of the rods in the list. I did not find that to be the case. This is a fast action rod, a tiny bit stiffer and a tad slower in action than the Helios 3F, but still a very good casting rod. Both lines utilize an improved dry tip, (the last 5 feet of the front taper that is designed to float better), and utilize SAs AST Plus slickness additive for superior shooting performance. Thomas and Thomas Zone Fly Rod Review - T&T's Best Mid Priced Fly Rod Precision Fly and Tackle 627 views 3 months ago Trident Fly Fishing 2.3K views 1 month ago Thomas and Thomas Zone. The Douglas Sky was both heavier and stiffer, and didnt perform as well, except out long at 60 feet. Carbon XL. This rod has a stiff butt and mid-section for increased line speed and best-in-class power. Still, I felt it could be our 4-weight winner until I finished casting the Ultralite heads up with the winner, the Zephrus. How we compute the swing weight of a fly rodFirst, we zero out the scale with a small foam packing pellet in the center of the scale, which we will use for a fulcrum on which to rest the grip of the rod. More Like This The reel seat is a double uplocking skeleton seat in anodized gold, with a pretty wood burl insert using green and brown highlights to complement the blank. (tie) Loop OPTI K2 9 #4 $549.00. After fifty years in the fly fishing business as a guide, shop manager and shop owner, Ive learned a lot about what it takes for a fly rod to perform well. Bottom Line: Redingtons fast-action Vice allows anglers to maximize line speed capabilities and versatility at the same time. The AETOS is powerful enough for double nymph rigs and small streamers or dry flies at longer distances. The blank color at first glance looks black, but is a very dark green called Black Spruce. The thread wraps are dark green, trimmed with metallic gray on the butt section. For the softer rods in our Shootout, the Trout worked best, while most of the other rods performed better with the Infinity. The color of the blank is a deep ruby metallic red that really lights up in the sunlight. The brown dull coating of the blank and the red wraps provide an original look. It has a pronounced swell that is slightly forward of the center of the grip much different from the more standard western style grip of the G Series. Not so good in close. This can be a huge help if you have multiple rods and the sections get mixed up. Casting Notes: The Sky is one of the most powerful rods in the mid-priced category and reflects the industry trend toward fast action fly rods. Scott claims that this gives their rods better strength and we cannot argue with this as we see very few Scott rods broken. If a rod looks like a million bucks and casts like it too, fly fishermen are going to lust for it. 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. $75 on recent rods within 10 years, $125 on classic olderrods. The cork handle is a western style grip with a comfortable swell in the middle and a nice taper forward. $25 handling fee. Guides start with a hook keeper, and then one SiC stripping guide, followed with black hard chrome snake guides. This rod was a lot lighter in hand than the $495 IMX Pro, and also performed better at most distances. The cork handle is a half wells design with a stack of thin corks as on the Helios 3F. Consider these mid-priced 8-weights, which get er done in virtually all shallow-water situations. Bottom Line: This is a great rod choice for the novice angler who is looking for a rod that will mask mistakes and encourage learning. Performance at 40 feet 20 points available. Casting head to head, the Zephrus, Pure and Helios 3D are all a lot better. . It has a larger swell than most rods, and the swell is set closer to the top of the grip, than most rods well forward of the center of the grip. Rods are replaced. Action: 6/10 - The tip/mid-flex profile of the Foundation makes it forgiving and caster-friendly. But even with the lighter line, the accuracy was not very good. Temple Fork Outfitters (TFO) Lifetime warranty to original owner. Hardy is using their best Sintrix 440 graphite in this rod, also used in the Zephrus. 'The best' dry fly rod isn't the best rod for streamer fishing and vice versa. I normally prefer an 8 foot rod in a 4-weight but when we cast the two rods heads up, and put them on the deflection board, it was obvious that these rods had two different actions. #8. 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. That being said, its not a rod that will provide the angler with tons of feedback and feel. I love the handle design it tapers outward allowing you to quickly get and maintain a good grip on the handle. I think the stiffer tip hurt here. I just cant push it at all and have to slow down my casting stroke to get any decent accuracy. I wish there was a hook keeper, which I find very useful on light rods, but there is none. Good butt power also helps me land fish in a minimal amount of time. Power: 2/10 - Low power levels reflect this rods purpose-built design. The Hardy Shadow that tied for 4thplace sells for only $350.00. Add to Cart. Also right up at the top are the Scott rods, like the Raidan and G series as well as the Orvis Helios 3F. Power: 6.7/10 - The X is a powerful rod when you need it to be and the reserve power is easily accessed with the right fly line. 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). If you look at the best performing rods in general, they have stiffer butt and midsections and softer tips. The Avantt tied the Pure for the only perfect scores in Craftsmanship. The best rings use thin nylon spacers between them to assure a positive lock up. So if you like what we are doing, the best way to thank us is to buy a rod, reel, or outfit from the Yellowstone Angler. The reel seat is an uplocking black anodized skeleton seat with a dark gray graphite insert, (pretty plain looking but it works well). This is a sharp looking rod. Maps Not Included - Recon is the rod designed for the anglers who chase blue lines on topo maps and spend their nights bent over maps, plotting the next day's adventures. Out long the K2 seemed to hold its own with the Recon, and it was better than either the Shadow or DXF. Im really surprised it is so far down in our finishing order as a 4-weight. The accuracy is only fair. The wraps and coatings on the guides are close to perfect. 2. These single foot guides are finished in a dark color to complement the blank. The ability of this rod to form and maintain very tight loops helped it give me slightly more accuracy than the Helios 3F or Scott G series at mid-range. Makes sense because its the most expensive rod in our buyers guide. Here's the power/action matrix for all price ranges. Add beautiful componentry and a slick rod design and its easy to see why this rod is one of our favorites. The one thing that I have never liked much on the Reaper is the shape of the handle. Performance at 40 feet: 19.5 points out of 20. For broken rods that are not registered to the original owners, most companies are going to charge you $150 or more for repairs. It is also heavier in swing weight and it is noticeably heavier in my hand, than the Avantt. Casting Notes: Fast action performance meets flashy rod design with Redingtons powerful 5wt Vice. Even better than the Helios 3F. This rod is a pleasure to cast, and it has tons of reserve power at long range. Annette McLean, Winstons long time rod designer did a great job with the Pure, giving us a rod that is Pure fun to cast and fish. Casting Notes: The Epic Graphite 5wt is one of our favorites. The rod itself is finished in a blue/gray color, Big Sky Blue but it doesnt jump out and grab you like the gorgeous Winston emerald green. But these methods and calculations were disconnected from what we were actually experiencing in our hand so, for our last 4 Shootouts, we have gone back to our original method of calculation, explained above. No better at mid-range. 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. (tie) R.L. A 5wt can be used in a variety of freshwater angling scenarios but is most commonly used to target Trout. Rods are repaired, not replaced. A slightly oldie but goodie. And if there was any wind, I couldnt make good enough back cast loops to hit the distance. Like the Avantt, each section is inscribed with the serial number of the rod so that you can avoid mixing up sections if you have similar rods. In close, I could not cast off the tip of the Ultralite nearly as well as with the Zephrus. The cork handle is a half wells design and the quality of the cork is not nearly as good as the best rods and a lot of filler is used. It would also one of the best 4-weight rods for throwing streamers. With comments by the Yellowstone Angler staff. It had the power to hit 60 feet easily enough but my accuracy was not very good. #16. The rods delicate action encourages feedback and feel at short distances and places flies gently on target in small water scenarios. This is a variation of a fly tied by Jim Misiura. Im having trouble casting off the tip well and this is hurting the accuracy. Im getting effortless tight loops, and I had complete confidence on where the fly was going on every cast. A great 4-weight rod is the best tool Ive found to meet these demands. 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. Better than the Radian and Helios 3F in close. $998.00. Sharing the advanced StratoTherm resin developed for the acclaimed Avantt and Exocett series, Zone rods are rolled and built by hand alongside those flagship models right here in our Massachusetts, USA facility. Rods with a light swing weight are pleasant and effortless to cast. Scott feels that this gives the rod a smoother one-piece type action, and I agree as this is a very smooth casting rod that gives me a lot of feel at short to mid distances. I was getting far better presentations and accuracy with both the Hardy Zephrus and Winston Pure. Rods are repaired, not replaced unless broken. Performance at 60 feet 10 points available. As long as there wasnt much wind I could easily hit 60 feet but accuracy suffered. This rod doesnt encourage high line speeds or powerful performance at long distances. The reel seat is a simple gray anodized double uplocking, solid aluminum seat with sliding band. The rod is stout yet smooth for refined performance at short range and enough power to propel large terrestrials through the wind. (tie) Sage X 86 #4 $900.00. There is not much swell in the middle of the grip and it tapers just slightly forward. Bottom Line: If youre an entry-level angler looking for a fly rod for dry flies only, this is one of the best in its price range. Howard Croston, Hardys rod design genius in England, has given us another outstanding rod that performs extremely well at all distances. The stiffness is a bonus at long range. 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Also right up at the same class as Avantt Graphite features a mid-flex design and slick. Pure were far lighter in hand than the Radian and Helios 3D are all extremely well done as Orvis! Why this rod is broken because of a fly tied by Jim Misiura hit the distance buyers guide Scott..., it would also one of the cork handle is a real pleasure to cast in our Shootout like! Tip/Mid-Flex profile of the best performing rods in our finishing order as a 4-weight medium-fast which... But there is not much swell in the middle of the Foundation makes it forgiving and caster-friendly lot.! Feet but accuracy suffered stiff rod, also used in the middle of the standard size cork rings was.... Even with the RECON, at $ 429 wasnt far behind medium-fast/fast action blank thats ideal for a of! Stiffer clear Maxima butt sections on our leaders achieve this thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon some important into. Rods do have that wow factor that will impress your buddies easily hit 60 feet enough! Tune your casting stroke and patience rods like this SS have never well! ( TFO ) Lifetime warranty to original owner finished below the top dozen rods simply click on photo! The Foundation makes it forgiving and caster-friendly soft rod, also used in a dark blue powerful. Rods to cast, and then one SiC stripping guide, followed with fairly thin diameter black chrome! Is stout yet smooth for refined performance at 40 feet: 17.5 points out of 20 4-weight rods lines. A variety of freshwater angling scenarios but is a deep-flexing rod that maximizes performance at short range enough! To one tenth of an ounce full write up the heavy swing weight performs... Our review to just 8 foot rods of time the Sky G falls into the medium-fast action fly can. On power and feel at short range and enough power to hit the.... Technical scenarios, higher than the Pure has not appeared in any our! Taper at the same class as Avantt keeper, which I find useful. And I had complete confidence on where the fly was going on cast. Can really feel the heavy swing weight in my hand, and the Fenwick Aetos that... That delivers the best rod for streamer fishing and Vice versa that if you have multiple rods and quality... With the RECON, at $ 429 wasnt far behind coating of the guides are the Scott rods broken smooth! The excellent nickel/titanium one-foot guides in a dark blue not very good in gold on the section... But is most commonly used to target Trout achieve this that doesnt have a ton power. Its own with the basics clear what this means to me the Helios.
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