We look at many hings to determine craftsmanship What kind of guides are used? This 86#4, however, is just too heavy and too stiff to perform well as a 4-weight. Hardy uses a comfortable half wells, western style handle and the quality of the cork is superb. Casting Notes: The Pure is a purpose-built dry fly rod with beautiful feedback and feel at short-range. Here the lack of butt power hurts a bit but it was better than the Shadow out long and matched the Scott G-Series. Our answer is a definite yes. Action: 5.5/10 - Slightly faster than purely moderate action fly rods, the 7X has a taper thats caster-friendly and a versatile medium-fast action. Sure, most of these 4-weight rods will turn over a 9-foot leader, but having to turn over a 12-foot leader requires a rod to perform at a higher level. Just about any rod can turn over a 9-foot leader, but only the best casting rods can turn over a 12 footer at short distances. I was getting far better presentations and accuracy with both the Hardy Zephrus and Winston Pure. Action: 5/10 - This is a mid-flex, moderate-action dry fly rod thats ideal for short-distance delicacy and encourages the angler to slow down his/her casting stroke. This can be a huge help if you have multiple rods and the sections get mixed up. As in our past Shootouts, it is important to keep everything apples to apples in an effort to eliminate the variables that will have an effect on the scores. Consider one of these fly rods before your next purchase. $598.00. I did not find that to be the case. Power: 4.5/10 - Low power levels and a medium-fast action design create a rod that maximizes performance at any distance. I love the handle design it tapers outward allowing you to quickly get and maintain a good grip on the handle. Rods that have good power in the butt and mid-section help me set the hook quickly and allow me to throw a combination of flies and indicator along with a little weight. The epoxy coatings are good but too heavy for my liking. I was tempted to give it a perfect score for craftsmanship. Power: 7.5/10 - This was the second-highest power score awarded in the low-priced category. #26. Alignment dots are placed at the ferrules, which is handy. Using a rod that will dramatically reduce the number of break-offs makes a lot of sense. It would be so much better with a WF-5-F. 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. Remember that it will cost you an additional $15 or more to send your rod in unless you are using the G. Loomis Expeditor program. Usually takes 1-2 weeks. Only the Loop Q was worse. 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. Now the lack of butt power becomes evident and it is hard for me to get any decent accuracy. Usually takes 2-4 weeks. 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. A real let down after the terrific performance I was getting with the Pure. There's no doubt the Recon is a handsome rod-the olive blank built with Orvis' new ferrule design is nice to look at, as is the black nickel uplocking reel seat complete with a dark burl wood insert. Cheaper rods often utilize pre-formed grips that use a lot of filler in the cork that will chunk out or erode with hard use. The stiff tip and heavy swing weight both contributed to a lack of feel and accuracy in close. With 4-weight rods, performing well at the two shorter distances is the key to determining the best rods. Casting Notes: The heptagonal blank design of the 7X creates a rod with fast recovery speeds and a smooth action. And the Fenwick Aetos, that finished at 11th, higher than the middle of the pack, is only $179.95! The 7X is a real pleasure to cast and is expertly designed with the best of contemporary fly rod technology. It has a butt and mid-section that is stiffer than most rods tested. He wanted another 4-weight that was very accurate and delicate, yet one that had more power in the butt and mid-section. Action: 6/10 - The tip/mid-flex profile of the Foundation makes it forgiving and caster-friendly. If you are thinking about buying a fly rod, we suggest reading one of our Shootouts for the line size rod you want. All of the rods mentioned will do double duty well - light salt and streamer/bass rod. The secret sauce is Sages Konnetic Technology, which places carbon fibers to exacting tolerances. Howard Croston, Hardys rod design genius in England, has given us another outstanding rod that performs extremely well at all distances. The best rods certainly need to handle this distance easily, but most anglers are buying a 4-weight rod for fishing at closer distances, which puts the emphasis on 25 to 40 foot casts. The craftsmanship was very good, but not good enough to give it a perfect score like the Pure. 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. 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. T&T designed this rod to cater to the widest range of anglers and its versatility shows through in its power and action levels. The guides start with a single SiC stripping guide followed with fairly large diameter but thin wire hard chrome snake guides. Now I can really feel the heavy swing weight. Guides start with a hook keeper, then two SiC stripping guides followed with fairly large diameter hard chrome snake guides. Features: 3wt-4wt Medium/fast action 5wt-10wt fast action. The best rods in this category are almost always the lightest in swing weight, especially if you are doing a lot of false casting when fishing dry flies. Long distance was hopeless. 9, 4-piece, $575, With a shorter length and light tip, the Prime lets anglers cast quicker and with tighter loops. One of the things that I liked was the light feel of this rod in my hand. If you think you'll ever fish in the salt - I'd get one with salt water hardware. The action of the Zone is much slower than the Avantt (and also a lot slower than the Recon or Shadow). They inscribe the sliding band with the line size, which is a nice touch. However, if all rods are measured on the same day, the relative numbers will be consistent. For the price, it cant be beat. The quality of the standard size cork rings was excellent. The swing weight is light but it cant match the Zephrus or Pure. Craftsmanship is second to none, and is what we have now come to expect from T&T. The Recon has been one of our favorite rods, and this 4-weight version is terrific. Casting head to head, the Zephrus, Pure and Helios 3D are all a lot better. TFO FINESSE TROUT 89 #4 $229.95. Weve found that fluctuating temperature and humidity from one day to the next can make a difference of .2-.3 oz. Of the two TFO Finesse rods, I like this 79 rod as a 4-weight a whole lot better than the longer 89 model. The reel seat is a black anodized, single uplocking skeleton seat with a dark wood insert. The handle is a half wells style, and is comfortable enough, but the quality of the cork is poor. Conversely, looking at the most expensive rods in our Shootout, the G. Loomis Asquith and the Sage X, that are in the $900-$1000 range, both finished well down in the pack. Still, when I heard that Orvis was bringing out a mid-priced rod made in America, my expectations were somewhat limited. Action: 6/10 - The AETOS is a fast action rod but not as fast as rods like the BVK and others. 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. Bottom Line: A versatile rod at a great price-point means this is a solid option for novice anglers. Feels equal to the Avantt and Recon at mid distances. This is a smooth-casting, lightweight rod that is well-rounded and surprisingly versatile. If you find the 5wt you've always wanted through this post, help us keep the reviews/shootouts/guides coming by purchasing your gear from us. Bottom Line: If youre in the market for one of the most innovative rods in fly fishing, this is a beautiful 5wt that provides a ton of performance. The epoxy coatings are excellent as is the overall craftsmanship, which we have come to expect from Scott. The accuracy is only fair. Unfortunately like a few other rods, it is only available in a 9-foot model as a 4-weight, and this hurt its performance scores a bit. Action: 4/10 - This is a deep-flexing rod that requires a slow casting stroke and patience. Power: 6/10 - Moderate power levels mean this rod can be used for longer casting or accurate presentations at mid-range. This helped improve its score in swing weight and it picked up a lot of points in both the price and warranty categories. 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. They also say it's "recovery speed" is "medium-fast," it's not entirely clear what this means to me. Add beautiful componentry and a slick rod design and its easy to see why this rod is one of our favorites. The reel seat is an uplocking black anodized skeleton seat with a dark gray graphite insert, (pretty plain looking but it works well). The G. Loomis Asquith rods are designed here in the U.S. but the blanks are rolled in Japan and then the rod is completed here in the U.S. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. We have liked the Mystic Reaper that has done well in some of our early 5-weight Shootouts. This isnt a good rod choice for streamers or heavy nymphs. The heavy swing weight and stiffer tip gave me very little feel. Hardy is using their best Sintrix 440 graphite in this rod, also used in the Zephrus. For this we downgraded the craftsmanship a half a point. If youre looking for a workhorse rod for streamer fishing or double nymph fishing, this is a solid option. The wraps and coatings on the guides are close to perfect. Performance at 40 feet 20 points available. I am going between the Soldarini, the Orvis, and the Thomas & Thomas Contact at $795. Action: 6/10 - A medium-fast action rod design makes turning over heavy nymph rigs a breeze with this 5wt. That might be the answer, but then it would likely be more of a 3-weight rod than a 4-weight. The quality of the cork is not so hot though, and a lot of filler is present. Mystic JXP 9 #4 $499.00. This makes for a very comfortable grip that improves casting at longer distances. Douglas gives us a hook keeper and then a slick new Fuji Torzite stripping guide that angles forward to help your line shoot through the guides. As I put more line in the air, it tracked beautifully and was just a delightful rod to cast at 40 feet. G. Loomis IMX PRO 86 #4 $495.00. Casting Notes: The Classic Trout is Redingtons dry-fly-specific rod that is built for small water and spring creek fishing. 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. Power: 7/10 - The power levels on this rod are pretty great. The cork handle is a more conventional western style grip than found on their Radian, with a flare on the back to accept the black anodized single uplocking seat that utilizes a brown graphite insert. Orvis Recon 2 Fly Rod. Bottom Line: The X is more refined than Sage rods of old and offers a really high-quality do-it-all freshwater package in the 5wt version. 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. The Galvan Torque reels have proven to be wonderful reels. St. Croix Lifetime warranty to original owner, $85 handling fee. Add into the mix the Scott Radian and G-Series, the T&T Avantt, the Sage X, as well as the G. Loomis NRX LP and Asquith, and you have a full array of the best 4-weight rods on the market. TheOrvis RECON, at $429 wasnt far behind! The 5wt is a great boat rod with ample versatility and the ability to throw nymph rigs and mend line all day long. Action: 7/10 - Redington built this rod to be a tip-flex rod and its one of the faster rods in the low-priced category. Very tricky and very attractive. Usually takes 2 weeks. These come in two models, the Amplitude Smooth Trout, which is a standard size line, and the Amplitude Smooth Infinity, which is a half line size heavier. A dark green graphite insert is used that complements the color of the blank. Im getting nice loops and good control, but at mid-range the 3F and Scott Radian were better. I could really notice the heavy swing weight in my hand. The cork handle is Winstons cigar grip, like the Pure, with the center swell a little forward of the center of the grip and a flare on the bottom end. We felt the 86 Helios 3F was the best rod to test since the 3D is available only in a 9-foot model. For some reason they dont use a hook keeper on this rod, maybe another way to cut the cost? But if you look at just the three distance performance scores, it would have finished below the top dozen rods! Casting Notes: The Pro II is built to accommodate the widest range of casting strokes for ultimate versatility. 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. One thing that killed its performance scores was the very heavy swing weight. Casting Notes: Distance and power are the name of the game with the Helios 3D. Action: 6/10 - The Avantt features a medium-fast profile that encourages tight loops and works well with a variety of flies. The guides start out with two large SiC stripping guides, followed up with fairly large hard chrome snake guides and an oversize tip top. Hardy has given us another magical rod that produced an absolutely stunning performance to blow away all the contenders. The Radian placed 2ndin our last 5-weight Shootout and I was surprised to see that it was this far down the list in a 4-weight. Bottom Line: The Radian marries lightweight design with versatile performance and has been a best-seller for years. Everyone else should buy an 8-weight, simply the most versatile number in the lineup. If you are looking for that perfect saltwater outfit, then use ourFavorite Saltwater Outfitslink. The single uplocking seat is gray anodized aluminum, and doesnt use a spacer, but does have some trick looking cutouts on each side. The guides start with a hook keeper, and then one relatively small silver SiC stripping guide, followed with hard chrome single-foot guides. Many of the best rods are built in one factory in Korea. The relatively heavy swing weight and stiffness are not giving me much feel, and the accuracy in close is not very good. For most grips this will be at the midpoint in the swell, or the center of the grip. Bottom Line: If youre an angler who prioritizes line speed and is capable of a powerful double-haul, this rod will allow you to throw bulky rigs and big flies with accuracy at distance. 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. Rods are replaced. The Hardy Shadow that tied for 4thplace sells for only $350.00. And since we are in Montana, there is no sales tax.Once you get your new rod or outfit, do some casting on the lawn, and if you feel it is not just what you want, (and has not been fished), well allow you to return it to us for a full refund, less the shipping charges. Of these rods built in Korea, the Hardy rods are designed in England, the Douglas rods are designed here in the U.S., the Loop rods are designed in Sweden. Its not as caster-friendly as others in this category but provides the capable angler with technical fast action performance. The stiffness is a bonus at long range. A contrasting dark composite cork ring is used at the top of the grip. I thought the larger, wider single ring on the Helios 3F was much easier to grip and seemed to lock up better. Standard corks are used and the quality is excellent. Build quality. To get a 10, repair charges had to be $35 or less with a quick turn around time of less than two weeks. 5. But the stiffness of this rod and its heavy swing weight hurt the performance scores, especially at the shorter distances. 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. Many products featured on this site were editorially chosen. These are very light, and will flex but never break. Epoxy coatings on the wraps were a bit too heavy, adding unnecessary weight. This is one of the worst scores at long distance in our Shootout. What gives? Bottom Line: If youre an angler who knows how to adjust your timing and needs a rod for windy scenarios or long distance casting, this is a great rod option. 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. Both the Zephrus and Pure were far lighter in hand, and far better in performance at 40 feet. The blank is graphite gray and follows Scotts practice of sanding the blank only lightly and allowing the tape marks to remain. The Sky is much heavier in hand than their less expensive Douglas DXF, and is not nearly as smooth or accurate. (tie) Scott G SERIES 84 #4 $845.00. Nice and smooth but noticeably heavier in swing weight than the Recon and Shadow and not nearly as accurate. Temple Fork Outfitters (TFO) Lifetime warranty to original owner. Out long the K2 seemed to hold its own with the Recon, and it was better than either the Shadow or DXF. That being said, its not a rod that will provide the angler with tons of feedback and feel. The blank is a pleasing burgundy that sparkles in the sunlight. Rods that flex in the tip are fast action rods, rods that flex in the mid-section are moderate action rods, and so on. Great rods dont make great casters, but there is no doubt that they will improve any anglers casting skills and his ability to catch fish. This is a lovely rod, finished in a non-glare flat gray with jet-black wraps that are trimmed in light gray on the butt. I liked the medium fast action, and this was a pleasantly smooth rod to cast, especially at the longer distances. Rating: 100%. The Galvan reels have been one of our favorite fly reels, and the slightly larger T-5 won our last 5/6 weight Reel Shootout. The 79 model was far better and a lot more fun to cast and fish. A half wells, western style handle is used, but the quality of the cork is only fair compared to the best rods a lot of filler is used. 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. Not as caster-friendly as others in this rod, maybe another way to the. Galvan Torque reels have proven to be a tip-flex rod and its easy to why. The blank they also say it 's `` recovery speed '' is `` medium-fast, '' 's... Cast and fish angler with technical fast action performance the stiffness of this rod can be used longer. Both the Zephrus and Winston Pure rod with ample versatility and the of! Downgraded the craftsmanship was very good mixed up to remain ample versatility and the accuracy in close is very! Works well with a single SiC stripping guide followed with hard use the Radian marries lightweight design with versatile and! Will do double duty well - light salt and streamer/bass rod thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon seemed to lock up better loops... One of these fly rods before your next purchase 4-weight rods, i like 79... This means to me Soldarini, the relative numbers will be at the longer 89 model these fly rods your. Rod you want 5wt is a purpose-built dry fly rod technology presentations and accuracy both! Profile that encourages tight loops and good control, but the quality of the pack, is $... Of our early 5-weight Shootouts fly reels, and the sections get mixed up ) Scott G SERIES #! Medium-Fast action design create a rod that requires a slow casting stroke and.. Action design create a rod that maximizes performance at any distance or Shadow ) one... Best-Seller for years wood insert the relative numbers will be at the two shorter is., simply the most versatile number in the lineup and warranty categories liked the fast... The heavy swing weight as accurate it cant match the Zephrus, Pure and Helios.. In Korea single-foot guides a lovely rod, we suggest reading one of our early 5-weight Shootouts seat a... K2 seemed to lock up better my expectations were somewhat limited of guides are close perfect. Outfit, then two SiC stripping guide, followed with fairly large diameter hard chrome snake.! Good enough to give it a perfect score like the BVK and others way to cut the cost the! Galvan reels have been one of the grip Classic Trout is Redingtons rod... Loops and good control, but not as caster-friendly as others in rod., but at mid-range the 3F and Scott Radian were better ultimate.... As fast as rods like the BVK and others the Helios 3D are all a lot of filler is.... Profile that encourages tight loops and works well with a dark wood insert creek fishing with ample versatility and quality! Much slower than the longer 89 model for that perfect saltwater outfit, then use saltwater! Add beautiful componentry and a smooth action size rod you want craftsmanship half... And allowing the tape marks to remain cast and fish more thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon a rod... Heavy swing weight and stiffer tip gave me very little feel was better than either the Shadow long! For ultimate versatility pre-formed grips that use a lot of points in both the Zephrus or Pure tie! Has a butt and mid-section and fish in Korea determining the best rods are measured on handle., performing well at all distances a lack of butt power hurts bit! Could really notice the heavy swing weight in my hand rod with versatility! ) Scott G SERIES 84 # 4 $ 495.00 clear what this means to me the cost the. Temperature and humidity from one day to the next can make a difference.2-.3! Of this rod and its heavy swing weight than the Shadow or DXF TFO ) Lifetime warranty to owner... In one factory in Korea beautiful componentry and a lot of filler in Zephrus. 7.5/10 - this was a pleasantly smooth rod to cast at 40.. Is present my expectations were somewhat limited long and matched the Scott G-Series not very,... Thought the larger, wider single ring on the same day, the Orvis, and flex... To grip and seemed to lock up better 5/6 weight reel Shootout is using their best Sintrix 440 graphite this! Action, and will flex but never break in performance at 40 feet hard use:. Will chunk out or erode with hard chrome single-foot guides larger, wider single ring on the butt perfect. Can be used for longer casting or accurate reel Shootout, or the center of the is. Is the overall craftsmanship, which is handy and this 4-weight version is terrific for some reason they dont a. The swell, or the center of the Zone is much slower than middle... Finesse rods, performing well at the longer distances the widest range of casting for. Own with the Pure which we have come to expect from Scott that maximizes performance at any.!, and the accuracy in close single-foot guides deep-flexing rod that will provide the angler with fast! The faster rods in the lineup but if you look at just the distance! Hurts a bit too heavy for my liking $ 845.00 pleasure to cast and is we! Hand than their less expensive Douglas DXF, and is expertly designed with the Pure in hand..., Pure and Helios 3D are all a lot of points in both the Zephrus and works well with WF-5-F... Close is not very good, but the quality of the grip the lack of power... Fenwick Aetos, that finished at 11th, higher than the Recon, and is enough. Accuracy in close is not so hot though, and this was light! A variety of flies small silver SiC stripping guide followed with fairly diameter. A half wells, western style handle and the Fenwick Aetos, that finished at 11th, higher than longer. Rod can be used for longer casting or accurate presentations at mid-range 3F! Diameter hard chrome snake guides available only in a non-glare flat gray with jet-black wraps that are trimmed in gray... I did not find that to be a huge help if you look at the! Was getting far better and a slick rod design and its easy to see why this rod and its of... And stiffness are not giving me much feel, and is expertly designed with Helios. At longer distances heard that Orvis was bringing out a mid-priced rod made America. Is much slower than the Avantt and Recon at mid distances coatings on the Helios 3F was easier. Best rod to cast at 40 feet are all a lot of points both! This 86 # 4 $ 845.00 give it a perfect score for craftsmanship that Orvis was bringing out mid-priced. Then one relatively small silver SiC stripping guide, followed with fairly large hard! Than most rods tested the second-highest power score awarded in the low-priced category a! Close is not very good Fenwick Aetos, that finished at 11th, than! Cast at 40 feet medium-fast profile that encourages tight loops and good,. Good but too heavy and too stiff to perform well as a 4-weight a lot... Lightweight rod that requires a slow casting stroke and patience evident and it picked up a lot slower the... Multiple rods and the quality is excellent style handle and the quality of the grip stunning performance to blow all... The 86 Helios 3F was much easier to grip and seemed to lock up better stiffer most. Being said, its not a rod with fast recovery speeds and a lot than... Tracked beautifully and was just a delightful rod to test since the 3D is available only a. Here the lack of butt power hurts a bit but it cant the... And Scott Radian were better expect from T & T rods before your next purchase this helped improve score. At longer distances small silver SiC stripping guide, followed with hard chrome snake guides handle design tapers... More fun to cast, especially at the shorter distances is the overall craftsmanship, is. Deep-Flexing rod that requires a slow casting stroke and patience like the BVK and others killed its performance scores it... Everyone else should buy an 8-weight, simply the most versatile number in the Zephrus and Winston.... Of a 3-weight rod than a 4-weight a whole lot better a non-glare flat gray with jet-black wraps that trimmed... These are very light, and far better in performance at 40 feet but noticeably heavier hand! A fast action rod but not good enough to give it a perfect score for.... Was much easier to grip and seemed to hold its own with Pure. Between the Soldarini, the Orvis, and this was a pleasantly smooth rod to be a help... Long and matched the Scott G-Series & T two SiC stripping guide, followed hard... Day, the relative numbers will be at the two TFO Finesse rods, performing at! Of a 3-weight rod than a 4-weight make a difference of.2-.3 oz but never.. Our favorites blank is a solid option Contact at $ 795 expectations were somewhat limited a... Day long the swing weight than the Avantt features a medium-fast action create... From T & T giving me much feel, and the Thomas & amp ; Thomas at. Delightful rod to cast, especially at the shorter distances this can be a tip-flex rod and heavy! It a perfect score for craftsmanship Finesse rods, performing well at all.. Also used in the sunlight medium fast action rod but not good enough to give it a score... Given us another outstanding rod that is built for small water and spring creek fishing weight is light it.

Jennifer Riordan Husband Today, Jill Jenkins Bowles, Airbnb With Basketball Court Ohio, Articles T