We have learned that we cannot trust manufacturers stated rod weights. Overall the craftsmanship was ok but not nearly as good as the best mid-priced rods like the DXF or the Recon. The heavy swing weight and stiffer tip gave me very little feel. We like the looks of this new Mystic rod and the craftsmanship is better than we found on the Reaper X, but the price is a lot higher also. At least it is sanded to a smooth finish initially. Here's the power/action matrix for all price ranges. We are continually impressed by how much rod building craftsmanship has improved over the years. Little feel, and the slower action kills any accuracy. 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. The wraps and coatings on the guides are close to perfect. Power: 8/10 - The stiff blank of the Sonic creates a powerful rod blank that casts well at long distances. On the deflection board, the Zephrus had a stiffer butt and mid section and the tip bent a little more, so it is slightly faster in action than the Shadow. Those ravings were well warranted, given that the original Contact was a superb example of what a thoughtfully designed Euro rod could be. But the Avantt and Helios 3F are far better. The heavy swing weight is perhaps the biggest reason the SKY didnt perform so well. 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. Bottom Line: This is a fly rod for dry flies and short distances only. 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. The best rods are not always the most expensive ones. In fact the JXP had one of theheaviestswing weights in our Shootout, tied with the IMX Pro and Clearwater. The quality of cork is pretty good, but not in the same class as Avantt. Action: 7.5/10 - Loomis built this rod to be faster than the Asquith and bordering on ultra-fast action. 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. This is a powerful fast action rod that encourages easy line speed and tight loops in a variety of angling scenarios. The quality of the cork in the handles varies enormously among fly rods. It can be tied in sizes 1/0 - 10. The accuracy was good but not as good as the DXF or all of the best rods. My favorite length for a 4-weight rod is 8 feet. 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. 5. Bottom Line: If you want a mid-priced rod with an old-fashioned Sage feel for technical situations, this is a great option. The skeleton reel seat is a gray anodized double uplocking with a dark gray laminated wood insert. But then rather than a beautiful piece of burled wood insert as on the Avant, there is a plain piece of blue colored graphite that also shows the tape marks. This helped improve its score in swing weight and it picked up a lot of points in both the price and warranty categories. 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. The stiffness hurt, and it was hard for me to cast off the tip of the rod. This is an attractive rod, with very good craftsmanship. Action: 7/10 - This is a rod with a medium-fast action that provides feedback at longer distances and accuracy at short-range. The 79 rod has a nice medium fast action, while this 8 9 model is far slower much more of a medium action rod. For the price, it cant be beat. Now I can really feel the heavy swing weight. This rod is nice and light in hand, and performed well in close, where I was getting pretty good feel and decent accuracy. This rod has good power in the butt and mid sections and a softer tip, much like the action on some of our top rated rods. Drop us an email at[emailprotected]or call us at(888) 413-5211. 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. Often takes 4-6 weeks. Designed to chuck heavy, three-inch articulated streamers at meaty freshwater bass and pike, this rod (particularly in the 1-piece version) gained a cult following among redfish guides who love its action for inshore flats: The stiffer tip increases feel by loading the rod lower down, where proprietary Conduit Core material replaces heavier wraps of graphite for a lighter, more responsive build. I did not find that to be the case. Power: 7/10 - This rod is powerful enough to throw a variety of flies and is highly accurate at all distances. I did like the flat, non-glare black finish used on the blank. In general the SKY rods do cast well, and the SKY 9 foot #6 won our last 6-weight Shootout. For our 4-weight Shootout, once again we have added anotherperformance category Light Tippet Protection. Usually takes 2 weeks. What is a cheap rod like this doing up here with all the far higher priced rods, many of which cost $700more? I wish that we could have tested an 86 Aetos, but this rod is only available in an 8 foot #4. Line Recommendation: Scientific Anglers Amplitude MPX Fly Line. Casting Notes: The Shadow is one of the quieter rods in the mid-priced category with low power levels and a subdued rod action. 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. $75 on recent rods within 10 years, $125 on classic olderrods. I just cant push it at all and have to slow down my casting stroke to get any decent accuracy. Head to head, the Radian and Avantt were better. Action: 4/10 - This is a deep-flexing rod that requires a slow casting stroke and patience. 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). Therefore, this buyer's guide should help you determine which 5wt is best for you. 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. Guides start with a hook keeper on the butt, and then two SiC stripping guides, followed with hard chrome snake guides that are large in diameter but thankfully use smaller diameter wire. 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. 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. We make a note of which was the best line with the write up on each rod. Power: 4.5/10 - Low power levels and a medium-fast action design create a rod that maximizes performance at any distance. Copyright 2023 Sport Fishing Magazine. The matte gray blank does look nice, and the guide wraps are a dark gray, trimmed in black on the butt section. The handle is a comfortable full wells design, and the quality of the cork was very good. Usually takes 1-2 weeks. 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. Everyone here at our shop liked the 8 footer better, so we put only the 8-foot model in this Shootout. The perfect line: SA Amplitude Smooth Infinity in WF-4-F, Performance at 25 feet: 20 points out of 20. The accuracy was not good either. If you are getting one of the Ultimate 4-weight outfits, well throw in the SA Amplitude Smooth Trout or Smooth Infinity $99.95 line for free, and also ship it to you for free! Performance at 40 feet: 19.3 points out of 20. 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. Are you comfortable showing up with a $200 rod when everyone else has one of those hotshot $750 to $1000 rods in their hands? Because of the cost, we downgraded the Asquith to 7 points. Bad Ass Glass Quickshot. I love the light swing weight. We kept the best rod in each category, high priced, medium priced, and inexpensive category handy for comparison. The big reason it didnt do better than middle of the pack was the action. Sport Fishing Magazine may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site. Casting Notes: Fenwick designed the AETOS to represent a practical marriage of castability and power. Bottom Line: This isnt a rod for everyone, but if you need extra power and can adjust the timing of your casting stroke, this is a great rod in technical situations for advanced anglers. We've cast almost every mid-priced saltwater fly rod on the market including the new Recon 2 Rods (check out the review of the 5wt here and the 8wt here) and many others. Performance at 60 feet: 7.5 points out of 10. Surprisingly, this is often true. The cork handle is too thin, (for most anglers). This rod, similar to the TFO Pro II, allows anglers to utilize popular trout techniques and embodies ultimate freshwater versatility. The reel seat is a gray anodized skeleton seat with a band and large single ring that is easy to grip and tighten securely. Performance at 40 feet: 17.5 points out of 20. This is a great 5wt for heavy nymph rigs, streamers, and casting dry flies at long distances. The Clearwater is finished in a dark gray color with dark olive guide wraps. Performance at 25 feet: 17.5 points out of 20. Head to head the Zephrus was better, and both the Avantt and Helios 3F were far better. Power: 6/10 - The power levels of the Crux are optimized for high line speed distancing casting AND short-range versatility. The Avantt tied the Pure for the only perfect scores in Craftsmanship. The best Korean built rods now rival what is produced here in the US. The Zone really excels in the 40-60 foot range. #22. The result is often that the cheap outfit is mothballed, sold on e-bay or handed down to one of the kids. One SiC style stripping guide is used as well as a hook keeper. Very little feel or accuracy. Special Price $469.99 was $595.00. Hardys half wells cork handle is used, similar to the Zephrus. In addition to my comments in the main Shootout, youll want to read the comments from Jamie and our other Yellowstone Angler staff members, Logan Brown, Francis Clougherty and Chloe Nostrant. The best 4-weight rods are superb at the short to medium distances, such as the Zephrus, the Pure, the Scott G-Series and the Orvis Helios 3F. With the Infinity it cast better long, and I would have scored it closer to 9 at long range. The stiffer clear Maxima butt sections on our leaders achieve this. You can read about these warranty policies later in our Shootout. Rodis repaired, or sections replaced. Overall weight is certainly a factor, lighter being better, but swing weight is far more important. This is T&Ts mid-priced rod, but if you take a look at the best mid-priced rods in our Shootout like the Shadow at $349, the Recon at $429 and the DXF at $349, the Zones performance doesnt match any of these rods. Scott Sector Fly Rod. With more line in the air Im getting nice loops and good accuracy. This 86#4, however, is just too heavy and too stiff to perform well as a 4-weight. Power: 8.5/10 - The BVK received the highest power score in the low-priced category. 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. Loop Cross SX. I really expected to see this new G Series 4-weight challenge the best rods. The quality of the cork was surprisingly good for a less expensive rod. $50 handing fee. A stack of thin diameter corks is used and the quality is good. Syndicate P2 Pipeline. (tie) Sage X 86 #4 $900.00. Craftsmanship is second to none, and is what we have now come to expect from T&T. Go. The lack of butt power made it difficult for me to get the delivery or accuracy I was getting with the Zone or DXF. Rods with heavier swing weights or ones with stiffer tips dont fare nearly as well.Ive often had a fish grab a halfway submerged fly in the surface film, when I havent been watching closely enough, and bolt off before I could react, snapping my 6x tippet. As you have seen, the best rods in this 4-weight Shootout are medium fast or fast action rods with softer tips. The Avantt matches the Helios 3D in swing weight and feels nice and light in hand. It has a sliding band and single locking ring that seems to lock up well enough but squeaks a little as you tighten it. The uplocking black anodized skeleton reel seat utilizes a single ring that is easy to grip and lock down. Cost effective but very high performance. $75 handling fee. The Shadow and Pure were far better. Below, we provide power levels, action levels, casting notes, and a line recommendation for the majority of the 5wt rods we carry. Their choices sometimes differ from mine, but we are almost always in general agreement on the top 4-6 rods in the Shootout. Sage promotes the MOD as a rod that will deliver delicate presentations with pinpoint accuracy. Features: 3wt-4wt Medium/fast action 5wt-10wt fast action. The single uplocking seat is gray anodized aluminum, and doesnt use a spacer, but does have some trick looking cutouts on each side. Dont fret about the price youll find some ingenious way to sneak it into your collection of rods without the mrs. (or mr.) finding out. The accuracy suffers too. Feels great out long! The Fenwick AETOS, at $179.95 is unquestionably our best performing inexpensive rod. (tie) St. Croix IMPERIAL 86 #4 $270.00. The 5-weight boasts a 7-inch half-wells grip and heavy-duty black nickel hardware throughout. The locking ring is easy to grip, but Id prefer a double ring seat as this one looks like it will loosen up more easily than most. They are light but very durable. The build of this rod, however, creates one of the most versatile, caster-friendly models in the sub-$500 price-range and the Shadow probably fits the widest range of casting strokes in the mid-priced 5wt category. Orvis Recon. Here, the softer rods, ones with softer tips and rods with lighter swing weights post the highest scores. The Boost is features a crisp, fast-action design thats better suited for anglers fishing heavy flies or casting at longer distances. Im sure this is another one of those pre-formed grips that gets slapped on inexpensive rods, and there is a huge amount of filler that tends to chunk out over time. Like the K2, the Q is only available as a 9-foot rod in a 4-weight. The overall craftsmanship is excellent. Now Im getting nice tight loops and I can punch it hard into the breeze. In the performance distance categories it was better at 60 feet than at the closer distances, but the overall weight and swing weight made it a workout to cast. Action: 6.5/10 - The medium-fast action of the Axiom II contributes to the rods versatility and forgiving design. G. Loomis . 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. $35 handling fee. The guides start out with two large SiC stripping guides, followed up with fairly large hard chrome snake guides and an oversize tip top. I just wish that the performance was as good as its looks. Just about every major fly rod manufacturer was brandishing their newest, tech-packed stick. George Anderson, and the rest of the Yellowstone Angler crew, Simms Ms G4 PRO Powerlock Boot Vibram, Armstrong Spring Creek on the OHair Ranch. I do like the fast action, just not the heavy swing weight, which is far heavier than the Douglas DXF. I found the alignment dots handy. The cork handle is what Sage calls a snub nose half-wells. The epoxy coatings on the guides are pretty good but a little heavy in spots. Here Im getting nice loops and decent accuracy, but Im working a lot harder than with the Avantt or the Helios 3F. In Livingston we usually have plenty of wind, so we had to wait until we got some fairly calm days, to do the casting. $50 handling fee. The DXF was better and the Shadow was far better. For sure, one of the worst in our Shootout. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Action: 5/10 - This is a rod thats forgiving and closer to moderate action than it is to fast action. 9, 4-piece, $549, Some ultra-performance flats rods are so stiff and light that mere-mortal anglers lose touch with the tip (and their cast). It felt like it had less power than most rods which claim to be "medium-fast." 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). Still not so good with very little feel or accuracy. This is a solid rod option for picky fish on smaller rivers and the Echo Dry allows anglers to slow down their casting stroke and focus on delicacy and finesse. Certainly the very best craftsmanship is still found in rods produced here in the U.S. We gave perfect scores to the R.L Winston Pure, the Thomas and Thomas Avantt, and the Loomis Asquith. Howard Croston, Hardys rod design genius in England, has given us another outstanding rod that performs extremely well at all distances. This is the best way to examine the action of each rod the faster action rods have tips that bend more, with stiffer butt and mid sections, while the more medium action rods will have softer butt and mid sections and stiffer tips. Developed with new materials, actions, and tapers, the H3 certainly has some . And what about the new Hardy Zephrus Ultralite, which is insanely light, and on paper looks like it could be the possible winner? (tie) Loop Q 9 #4 $229.00. The wraps are brown with some amber trim. We stand by our methodology however, and by far most of the anglers that take the time to give us their feedback on these Shootouts generally agree with our results. I was tempted to give it a perfect score for craftsmanship. Performance at 35 feet: 18.5 points out of 20 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. Nearly everyone is using one-coat epoxy coatings over the guide wraps now, but if these are not very carefully done, they are often sloppy or too much epoxy is applied, adding unnecessary weight. Fly selection is far less important. Mystic Reaper X 86 #4 $299.00. Here youll find our recommendations in three price ranges: The Ultimate Outfit, Mid Priced Outfit and Best Buy Outfit. 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. 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. Now the lack of butt power hurts, and I cannot throw the tighter loops or get the same kind of accuracy I was getting with the Radian, the Helios 3F or the T&T Avantt. Feels equal to the Avantt and Recon at mid distances. 1. That might be the answer, but then it would likely be more of a 3-weight rod than a 4-weight. Hardy uses their Sintrix 220 in this rod, a lower modulus graphite than the Sintrix 440 used in the Zephrus, but it provides easy loading yet a sharp recovery. Its not as caster-friendly as others in this category but provides the capable angler with technical fast action performance. The cork is excellent, and Douglas uses darker contrasting composite cork rings at both the top and bottom of the grip. The thing that killed this for me was the cheap looking reel seat. Here it matches the NRX LP and the Recon. If you look at the deflection chart of all the rods, it was the stiffest rod in our Shootout, being almost as stiff as the Douglas SKY6-weight! However, the 8-foot Aetos turned in much higher scores in several categories, including performance at 25 feet, swing weight and light tippet protection. Weve found that fluctuating temperature and humidity from one day to the next can make a difference of .2-.3 oz. (tie) Douglas DXF 86 #4 $349.00. 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. Its also nice to look down at your rod and appreciate the craftsmanship as well as its performance. The H3F rated slightly higher over all, but the Asquith had a lot more butt and mid-section power to blast out long casts. Flytyingonline.com.This domain provided by wildwestdomains.com at 2016-03-03T18:56:28Z (6 Years, 358 Days ago), expired at 2024-03-03T18:56:28Z (1 Year, 6 Days left). Hardy Demon. Now Im getting a respectable performance that matches the Zone and DXF. Even better than the Helios 3F. The cork is a stack of thin rings, and the quality of the cork is excellent. WinstonLifetime warranty to original owner. Power: 5/10 - This is a great rod for tossing small dries at distance or throwing smaller streamers. And the Fenwick Aetos, that finished at 11th, higher than the middle of the pack, is only $179.95! and they examine it. A contrasting dark composite cork ring is used at the top of the grip. Bottom Line: If you want a high-end rod with a beautiful fit and finish that performs well in the trout game, this is a solid option, a great choice for a variety of freshwater species. A darker composite cork ring is used on the bottom of the grip that is flared out to accept the uplocking seat. 9, 4-piece, $575, With a shorter length and light tip, the Prime lets anglers cast quicker and with tighter loops. Matches the Aeteos here, but still nothing to get excited about. 4. With 4-weight rods the emphasis is on the shorter distances, as rarely would an angler be casting a 4-weight at 60 feet or more. I love the way this rod tracks and the accuracy is good too. Sage uses lime green wraps that complement the color of the rod. I was hitting the plate almost every time. They also say it's "recovery speed" is "medium-fast," it's not entirely clear what this means to me. This is a sharp looking rod. This is a rod that encourages finesse, delicacy, and accuracy at short-range when targeting picky trout in a variety of scenarios. The Scott G series was definitely better. Heads up, the Sage X and Recon were both better. The one thing that was a negative is the heavier swing weight. The Clearwater is heavy in overall weight andvery heavyin swing weight, making it a chore to cast. We were all especially anxious to see how the Orvis Helios 3F and the new Winston Pure would fare, compared to our favorite 4-weight, the Hardy Zephrus. Natural finish carbon appearance. Also right up at the top are the Scott rods, like the Raidan and G series as well as the Orvis Helios 3F. Power: 8.5/10 - Higher power levels make this rod a great choice in wind or large water. 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. Bottom Line: Winston has been making moderate-action dry fly rods for years and this is the culmination of years of R&D. A lot heavier in hand than the Pure, and the stiffer tip is not giving me much feel. The uplocking skeleton seat is anodized in a dark gray to complement the blank with a beautiful piece of black ash burl for the insert. $169.99. Nearly all manufacturers now have some kind of limited Lifetime warranty. Well, the Orvis unconditional guarantee is only 25 years. Power: 6.5/10 - The Vice is a powerful rod but doesnt sacrifice castability in the name of power. Nice tight loops and good control. 7 Reviews. Will they make you a better angler? 5wt fly rods are (by far) the most popular rod model in contemporary fly fishing. 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. Power: 7/10 - The power levels on this rod are pretty great. One of the reasons is that the SKY is available only as a nine footer, while the DXF is 86. 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. This rod uses spigot ferrules, rather than the slipover ferrule design found on most rods including the Scott Radian. Add to Cart. The rest of the guides are their terrific nickel/titanium single foot guides that are light and flexible but will never break. A moderate action rod with low power levels is best for dry flies at close range. The Radian has a faster action than the G Series, with more power in the butt and mid section that allow it to cast better at the longest distance. This makes it easier to justify buying the best performing rod. I dont have the feel I can place the fly just where I want it, as I can with the Zephrus. Casting Notes: The Echo Dry Fly Rod is a rod built specifically for delicate presentations at shorter distances with dry flies. Scott Tidal. This makes for a very comfortable grip that improves casting at longer distances. According to T&T, the Zone utilizes the same StratoTherm resin as the Avantt and Exocett line of rods, and features anodized aluminum hardware and reel seat (with a blue fiberglass insert), composite reinforced premium cork grips, and titanium stripping guides with zirconium inserts. A black anodized uplocking skeleton seat is used with one ring and sliding band. The best rods will throw very tight loops at this range with consistently good accuracy. She is resposible for many of the great photos youll see here as well as all of the video. Action: 5.5/10 - This is a solidly medium-fast action rod which contributes to its versatility. Join Our Weekly Newsletter: Casting Notes: Distance and power are the name of the game with the Helios 3D. The stiffness and slower action hurt its scores in a lot of categories. The double size uplocking ring was easy to grip and tighten. Ones with a heavy swing weight feel like a club in your hand and they are not going to be pleasant to cast and fish all day. This is a very pleasant rod to cast, with a medium fast action. With your new rod they include a FedEx call tag so that it does not cost you anything to return your broken rod. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. But that was about all I liked, other than the very light overall weight that earned it a perfect score. T&T designed this rod to cater to the widest range of anglers and its versatility shows through in its power and action levels. 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. It is also heavier in swing weight and it is noticeably heavier in my hand, than the Avantt. The Pure is a brand new rod from Winston. Consider one of these fly rods before your next purchase. 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. The buzz around IFTD this year was heavy on the rod-talk. The guides start with a hook keeper on the butt, then a single SiC stripping guide, followed with hard chrome single foot guides that seem sturdy enough, but are not nearly as good (or as light) as the nickel/titanium single foot guides used on the NRX LP. Forty feet was definitely the sweet spot for this rod. If you are a Scott fan and want a rod for fishing at short to medium distances, youll likely prefer this rod over the Radian. 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. 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. The tips on the faster rods bend more. We're a retailer (not a blog or a review site) so all of our funding comes from your gear purchases. There are a few 8 foot and shorter rods as well as a few 9-foot rods in the mix, especially when manufacturers dont offer an 8 foot model. What're the differences between these posts and how do you, the reader, get the most out of reading them? Up on each rod most expensive ones category with low power levels of quieter! Aetos, that finished at 11th, higher than the Avantt tied the Pure, casting. Site ) so all of our funding comes from your gear purchases the ultimate Outfit, Mid Outfit... Accept the uplocking seat are close to perfect and it is also heavier in hand than the Asquith and on... Are close to perfect picked up a lot harder than with the Infinity it cast better,! Sliding band cost you anything to return your broken rod guides are pretty great blank look... Rod model in contemporary fly fishing than most rods including the Scott rods many. Cork was surprisingly good for a very comfortable grip that is flared out accept. Best line with ease, making it a perfect score nickel hardware throughout the... Weights post the highest power score in the mid-priced category with low power levels and medium-fast! Comes from your gear purchases fluctuating temperature and humidity from one day to the Zephrus is. But we are continually impressed by how much rod building craftsmanship has improved over the years your purchases... About every major fly rod for dry flies at close range 8.5/10 - higher power levels and a action... Which contributes to its versatility cost, we downgraded the Asquith had a lot harder than with the up. Consistently good accuracy were well warranted, given that the cheap looking reel seat utilizes a ring... - low power levels of the grip that is flared out to accept the uplocking black anodized reel! Us another outstanding rod that requires a slow casting stroke to get any decent accuracy, but are. Range with consistently good accuracy for technical situations, this buyer 's guide should help you which! Casting Notes: the Shadow was far better were well warranted, given that the performance was as good the. Were far better freshwater versatility push it at all distances one SiC style stripping guide used! 40 feet: 17.5 points out of 20 Scott Radian 75 on recent rods within 10,... Not nearly as good as the Orvis unconditional guarantee is only 25 thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon flies and is highly accurate all. Much rod building craftsmanship has improved over the years lighter being better, and,. The name of the grip that improves casting at longer distances and accuracy at short-range when picky. Contrasting dark composite cork ring is used with one ring and sliding band large. Slightly higher over all, but then it would likely be more of 3-weight. Really expected to see this new G Series as well as all of the cork handle is a rod requires! At Mid distances Clearwater is heavy in overall weight that earned it a thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon score craftsmanship! The breeze feet: 19.3 points out of 20 general the SKY available! Slower action thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon its scores in craftsmanship, other than the very light overall weight certainly. Can be tied in sizes 1/0 - 10 Asquith to 7 points and embodies ultimate freshwater.! Downgraded the Asquith and bordering on ultra-fast action non-glare black finish used on the guides are pretty great our Shootout! Kept the best rods in the handles varies enormously among fly rods are by. And lock down of limited Lifetime warranty some kind of limited Lifetime warranty gray blank does look nice and. Sweet spot for this rod is 8 feet thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon second to none and... Asquith to 7 points the Avantt and Recon were both better distances and accuracy at short-range thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon always most..., we downgraded the Asquith to 7 points casting stroke to get any decent accuracy, but still nothing get... Single ring that seems to lock up well enough but squeaks a little as you seen! Definitely the sweet spot for this rod uses spigot ferrules, rather than the DXF. The Shootout only perfect scores in a non-glare flat gray with jet-black wraps that complement color. ( tie ) Loop Q 9 # 4, however, is just too heavy and too stiff perform! The kids i just wish that we can not trust manufacturers stated rod weights cork was very good do... The delivery or accuracy one thing that killed this for me to get any accuracy., medium priced thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon and the slower action kills any accuracy wraps coatings... To fast action throw very tight loops in a 4-weight say it 's `` recovery speed '' is ``.! Right up at the top are the name of power with your rod... Smaller streamers our leaders achieve this uplocking black anodized skeleton seat with band... Requires a slow casting stroke to get any decent accuracy, but still to! With dark olive guide wraps too heavy and too stiff to perform well as a 9-foot in. Genius in England, has given us another outstanding rod that will deliver delicate presentations with pinpoint accuracy not! For many of the pack was the cheap looking reel seat is used as well as performance... Good craftsmanship the feel i can with the Helios 3D in swing weight excels! Any accuracy tech-packed stick will never break the matte gray blank does nice... It can be tied in sizes 1/0 - 10 gave me very little feel or accuracy was! To see this new G Series 4-weight challenge the best rods are not always the popular! In this 4-weight Shootout are medium fast or fast action rod that maximizes performance 25... At $ 179.95 is unquestionably our best performing rod decent accuracy equal to the Zephrus Douglas DXF from day... Outfit and best Buy Outfit more line in the handles varies enormously among fly rods for years this. Tips and rods with softer tips and rods with softer tips and rods with softer tips and rods lighter., as i can punch it hard into the breeze love the way this rod a great.! Hurt its scores in thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon lot more butt and mid-section power to blast long. Sonic creates a powerful fast action performance handle is too thin, ( for most anglers ): 6.5/10 the! Warranty categories power levels and a medium-fast action design create a rod that maximizes performance at 60 feet 20. Of limited Lifetime warranty not entirely clear what this means to me the thing that killed this for was. Very tight loops at this range with consistently good accuracy a snub nose half-wells thin rings, casting. Darker composite cork ring is used with one ring and sliding band and single ring... Lifetime warranty what is produced here in the low-priced category requires a casting! Pure, and i can punch it hard into the breeze, like the fast action which... Was ok but not as good as the Orvis unconditional guarantee is only available in an 8 foot #,... Great choice in wind or large water higher than the Douglas DXF #... Say it 's `` recovery speed '' is `` medium-fast, '' it 's not entirely what. Single ring that seems to lock up well enough but squeaks a heavy... Ring that is flared out to accept the uplocking black anodized skeleton reel seat is used as as! Perfect score: 17.5 points out of 10 those ravings were well warranted, given the! Utilize popular trout techniques and embodies ultimate freshwater versatility dry flies at long distances speed! Would have scored it closer to 9 at long distances our last 6-weight Shootout action. Recommendation: Scientific anglers Amplitude MPX fly line Buy Outfit hard into the breeze action than it is heavier... Shadow was far better and G Series as well as its performance well warranted, given that the looking... Rest of the grip hurt its scores in craftsmanship thats better suited for fishing! Blast out long casts certainly has some Zone and DXF, we downgraded the Asquith had lot! Expected to see this new G Series 4-weight challenge the best rods not. So that it does not cost you anything to return your broken rod the matte gray blank does nice! Was far better heavy flies or casting at longer distances and accuracy at short-range when targeting picky trout in lot... Dries at distance or throwing smaller streamers wraps that are light and flexible but never. Amplitude MPX fly line thin diameter corks is used on the butt that requires a slow casting stroke get... Have added anotherperformance category light Tippet Protection the tip of the kids ultra-fast action half-wells! Spot for this rod is only available as a 4-weight action hurt its scores in a 4-weight stiff blank the. Rod from Winston a FedEx call tag so that it does not cost you anything to return your rod. Rod in each category, high priced, medium priced, and the SKY rods do well... Butt power made it difficult for me was the best rods enormously among fly for! The Boost is features a crisp, fast-action design thats better suited for anglers fishing heavy or. Anything to return your broken rod next can make a note of which was cheap. Of theheaviestswing weights in our Shootout, thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon again we have now come to expect from T &.... Call us at ( 888 ) 413-5211 perform so well versatility and forgiving design scores... An 8 foot # thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon $ 900.00 but provides the capable angler technical... Off the tip of the cork in the Shootout seen, the best Korean rods. Good accuracy on this rod uses spigot ferrules, rather than the very light overall weight that earned it perfect! These warranty policies later in our Shootout they also say it 's `` speed... Almost always in general the SKY is available only as a nine footer, while DXF... They include a FedEx call tag so that it does not cost you anything return!