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. Makes sense because its the most expensive rod in our buyers guide. Action: 6.5/10 - A medium-fast action build creates a rod thats caster-friendly and can be used in a variety of angling scenarios. The blank color is a non-glare, graphite gray with slightly darker gray wraps and alignment dots. Bottom Line: If youre an angler who appreciates fast action performance but wants a little more castability than some of the other fast action mid-priced rods on the market, this is a great choice. 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! A flare on the bottom end of the grip accommodates the uplocking seat. This isnt a good rod choice for streamers or heavy nymphs. The skeleton reel seat is a gray anodized double uplocking with a dark gray laminated wood insert. Bottom Line: The AETOS is one of our favorite entry-level fly rods and the 5wt is great for nymphs, dries, small streamers, and caster-friendly performance. Power: 2/10 - Low power levels reflect this rods purpose-built design. The craftsmanship is typical Orvis excellence. You can read about these warranty policies later in our Shootout. #26. The cork handle is too thin, (for most anglers). Ive helped many manufacturers like G. Loomis, Sage, Winston, Loop, Douglas, and Scott with their rod design process. Those rods are both a lot lighter in swing weight and faster in action. There is a lot to like about the SKY though, and foremost is its appearance. Out long the K2 seemed to hold its own with the Recon, and it was better than either the Shadow or DXF. Moreover, if you want to fish with a 4-weight we consider to be the optimal choice, you dont have to spend $850, $900, or $1000, but only $679 for the Hardy Zephrus. The cork is a stack of thin rings, and the quality of the cork is excellent. 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. At least it is sanded to a smooth finish initially. Action: 5/10 - This is a solidly medium-fast action rod with a mid/tip-flex profile thats versatile and beginner-friendly. Bottom Line: This is a great entry-level rod for anglers looking to get into trout fishing. 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. At long range, the lack of power now becomes evident. An attractive X-pattern graphite wrap is used behind the logo, just above the cork handle. That being said, its not a rod that will provide the angler with tons of feedback and feel. L. Lmad928 Active member. 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). Here Im getting nice loops and decent accuracy, but Im working a lot harder than with the Avantt or the Helios 3F. The extra 3 inches in length also had a negative effect on the overall action. I dont know how Orvis pulls this off, but we like the results. Umpqua Signature Tyer Bob Quigley designed the Film Critic to match mayflies at their most vulnerable stage of the hatch while emerging from nymph to dun. Still not so good with very little feel or accuracy. Now the stiffness is becoming an advantage, and Im getting some nice tight loops. The stiffness hurt, and it was hard for me to cast off the tip of the rod. We can attribute this to the use of one-coat finish rather than multiple coats as seen on the T&T rods. #19. That might be the answer, but then it would likely be more of a 3-weight rod than a 4-weight. To see perfection, take a look at the guide wraps on the T&T rods they are stunning, but they require multiple coats, carefully applied. 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. I was getting decent feel in close but accuracy was not that great. Shipping isfrom their US warehouse, usually takes 2 weeks. Rather than use a fly, we use a fluorescent yarn indicator, (specifically glow bug yarn), trimmed so that it gives us about the same wind resistance as a smaller dry fly. For guides, they use one SiC stripping guide followed with hard chrome snake guides that are thin and light on the tip sections. With the Infinity it cast better long, and I would have scored it closer to 9 at long range. Our answer is a definite yes. Forty feet was definitely the sweet spot for this rod. This rod has a stiffer tip than many of the best rods, and I felt this hurt both feel and accuracy at the two shorter distances. 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. Their choices sometimes differ from mine, but we are almost always in general agreement on the top 4-6 rods in the Shootout. A lot heavier in hand than the Pure, and the stiffer tip is not giving me much feel. For 4-weight rods, when you are fishing at shorter distances, (most of the time), it is particularly important that leaders turn over well. 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. #16. #8. 5wt fly rods are (by far) the most popular rod model in contemporary fly fishing. But is that high priced rod really $400-$600 better? It was one of the worst rods in the important swing weight category, and it was near the bottom in light tippet protection too. The shorter rod is nice and light, and faster in action than its longer brother. Power: 4/10 - While this is a dry fly rod, it has a little reserve power to allow anglers to present dries accuracy at medium-long distances, too. If you want to economize, look carefully at both the Hardy Shadow at $349.95 and the Orvis Recon at $429.00. Heavy, slower action rods never perform well. Bottom Line: Weve been recommending the DXF 5wt in this price range for a while and think it provides the most performance for the lowest cost in the mid-priced category. The TFO rods, the Taylor rods, the Mystic rod, and the Waterworks rods are all designed here in the U.S. and built in Asia. 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. A beautiful birdseye maple insert is used. It does feel very comfortable to me when Im casting it. The new Orvis rods are clearly to be taken seriously. One year warranty on hardware and guides. 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. I was tempted to give it a perfect score for craftsmanship. When Im fishing dry flies Ill use a 12-foot leader most of the time as this keeps the fly line farther away from the fish, minimizing the number of fish you spook while casting. I do like the fast action, just not the heavy swing weight, which is far heavier than the Douglas DXF. The spacer is not fancy burl or birdseye maple, but laminated wood as often seen on inexpensive rods. For the price, it cant be beat. The JXP is also very stiff. And a look at the deflection chart confirms this. We actually cast two #4 line Pure rods- the 8 footer you see here and its 86 brother. This rod would perform a lot better if it had more power in the butt and mid-section. Rods are either replaced with a new rod or the broken section is replaced. Winston PURE 8 #4 $850.00. But even with the lighter line, the accuracy was not very good. Im really surprised it is so far down in our finishing order as a 4-weight. 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. 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. Copyright 2023 Sport Fishing Magazine. That gives it a perfect score of 10 along with the Aetos. This rod provides the angler with a ton of feedback and feel at short range and features a classic aesthetic that harkens back to trout rods of old. This means you can generate line speed but you can also focus on delicacy at short range. This rod is great for dry flies at long distances or small streamers. Action: 5/10 - This is a rod thats forgiving and closer to moderate action than it is to fast action. Both the newWinston PUREandOrvis HELIOS 3F put in impressive performances, securing podium finishes. Anyway, I tried it out in a local store and I have to say it did not feel like a fast action rod, or even a medium-fast action rod. If you are thinking about buying a fly rod, we suggest reading one of our Shootouts for the line size rod you want. We value your comments about the Shootout and invite any questions you might have about it or your tackle needs. 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. Part of the light swing weight can be attributed to the use of the superb REC nickel/titanium single-foot guides. The top three rods were a lot better. The craftsmanship is typical T&T excellence, even though they are using lower quality components in the cork handle and reel seat. And, if it does, help us by purchasing your next 5wt from us. A real let down after the terrific performance I was getting with the Pure. The reel seat is an unusual, triangular shaped silver anodized seat with no spacer. 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. Its slightly more refined than the 3D but maintains a smooth, powerful action. To read their comments, simply click on their photo above at the beginning of our Shootout. 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. $75 on recent rods within 10 years, $125 on classic olderrods. For this reason, we are again using our own Yellowstone Angler Clear Butt leaders in 12-foot 4X. 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. Sign up for our Newsletter, a monthly dose of new ideas and exclusive deals on great gear, sent directly to your inbox. TFO FINESSE TROUT 89 #4 $229.95. With the inexpensive warranties that most manufacturers now offer, you are going to use your new rod for many years, which makes it easier to justify buying a more expensive rod. Tracks beautifully with nice tight loops that are giving me great accuracy. The ring seems to lock up well. In addition to being a test caster and editor, hes responsible for some of the photos and putting all of this on line. The handle is a comfortable full wells design, and the quality of the cork was very good. Bottom Line: Winston has been making moderate-action dry fly rods for years and this is the culmination of years of R&D. 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. The medium fast action of the Recon is very similar to the Helios 3F and this is one reason it performs so well. That's a lot. The one thing that was a negative is the heavier swing weight. Nice and smooth but noticeably heavier in swing weight than the Recon and Shadow and not nearly as accurate. This same Expeditor service applies to the Asquith but the fee is $275 for 2ndday air. The Recon was much better. 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. The Expeditor service for the NRX or NRX LP rods is $100, while the IMX Pro rods are $85.00. 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. Special Price $469.99 was $595.00. This is a great 5wt for heavy nymph rigs, streamers, and casting dry flies at long distances. The Pure is a brand new rod from Winston. 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. 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. The rod also has the power to slug it out with sizeable game, and the fighting butt to tuck in your gut and settle in for the fight. We are just trying to call it like we see it, in an unbiased manner. Flex and Feel The Zone feels like most 'fast action' saltwater rods today. The epoxy coatings were a bit too heavy though, not nearly as nice as what we see on the Hardy rods. I found the alignment dots handy. Of course it is six inches shorter too. How well are the guides wrapped and how nice are the coatings? Overall a very good performance. The thinner cork handle may actually be an advantage for some anglers, especially children or women with smaller hands. Line Recommendation: RIO Gold Premier Fly Line. Keep in mind thatfastaction rods are not necessarilystiffrods as many people assume. Dont be deceived, though, this is a medium-fast action, high-performance rod with plenty of power for throwing small dries at long distances on tailwaters. The color of the blank is a deep ruby metallic red that really lights up in the sunlight. Classic Trout. You can certainly use this rod for larger dry flies out of a boat but its not quite as accurate/high-performing as the BVK. Better now, with more line in the air, but the G series was still a little better in both feel and accuracy. This is a powerful fast action rod that encourages easy line speed and tight loops in a variety of angling scenarios. I think that this can be attributed to the slower action of this rod compared to the Zephrus. The DXF has been one of our top mid-priced rods, but there was no denying the Hardy Shadow and Orvis Recon were better. The accuracy suffers too. These single foot guides are finished in a dark color to complement the blank. Power: 4/10 - The Classic Trout is low on power and isnt built for high line speed or distance casting. Action: 2/10 - The medium-slow blank of the TFO Finesse Trout is the slowest rod blank in the low-priced category. Rodis repaired, or sections replaced. A great 4-weight rod is the best tool Ive found to meet these demands. I felt the best rods at long range were the Helios 3F and the Loomis Asquith, as well as the T&T Avantt and the Scott Radian. Performance at 25 feet: 18.5 points out of 20. 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. Here it feels as good as the Scott rods and the Helios 3F.Performance at 60 feet: 9.0 points out of 10. Out at long range it performed extremely well and was one of the very best, pretty much being equal to the Helios 3F and Avantt. I just wanted to leave a comment and say thanks for all the reviews you guys put out. The best rods will throw very tight loops at this range with consistently good accuracy. Bottom Line: The Radian marries lightweight design with versatile performance and has been a best-seller for years. Black anodized premium aluminum reel seat. Head to head, the Radian and Avantt were better. The guide wraps are a dark green to complement the rod. A sliding band and wide locking ring is used that is easy to grip and seemed to lock up well. This rod uses spigot ferrules, rather than the slipover ferrule design found on most rods including the Scott Radian. Use this link to go to ourFavorite Freshwater Outfitsfor the 3 through 8-weight rods, in our Online Store. The cosmetics and components of this rod are similar to its shorter brother. If you are a Winston fan and like to fish dry flies at shorter distances, this is your rod! The reel seat is a black anodized, single uplocking skeleton seat with a dark wood insert. The Recon has been one of our favorite rods, and this 4-weight version is terrific. Bottom Line: If youre looking for a high-performance rod in the sub-$700 range and youre an angler who appreciates power and efficiency, the Sky is a great rod series. The blank itself is unsanded natural graphite gray, much like the Scott rods, leaving the tape marks visible. When Orvis introduced the Superfine Glass I fell in love again. The quality of the cork is not too good either and it used a lot of filler. This can be a huge help if you have multiple rods and the sections get mixed up. At 40 feet you need a rod that is light and pleasant enough to do a lot of false casting, as you will when fishing dry flies, but you shouldnt have to double haul to get the rod to perform and hit this distance. Call us at 406-222-7130, or e-mail us at [emailprotected] and we can discuss your needs and wants. The blank itself is a deep burgundy color, with dark gray wraps. Winston BIIIX 5wt. Accuracy is good, just not great. George Anderson, and the rest of the Yellowstone Angler crew, Simms Ms G4 PRO Powerlock Boot Vibram, Armstrong Spring Creek on the OHair Ranch. 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. Bottom Line: If youre part of the Loop Army or just looking for a streamer stick, this is a great rod for a diverse population of anglers. The idea here is to measure the swing weight at the middle of where your palm is likely to sit on the grip. For the softer rods in our Shootout, the Trout worked best, while most of the other rods performed better with the Infinity. 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. 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. Im getting effortless tight loops, and I had complete confidence on where the fly was going on every cast. Action: 6/10 - While Sage labels this rod as a fast-action rod, we think its closer to medium-fast which is good for castability and versatility. Heres a mid-priced rod that put in a good performance across the board. If you look at the best performing rods in general, they have stiffer butt and midsections and softer tips. If you buy this rod, you need to put a WF-5-F line on it. And since it was such a soft rod, the lack of butt and mid-section power killed its score at 60 feet, especially if there was any wind. These Shootouts take a lot of time and effort. Nickel silver is used for the winding check and rear grip check as well as the hardware on the reel seat, which is a sliding band and one wide locking ring. Casting Notes: The Finesse Trout is a small water rod built specifically for delicacy and finesse with dry flies for Trout. Rods are repaired, not replaced, except for broken sections. Now I can really feel the heavy swing weight. The quality of the cork was much better too, but still not in the class of what we found on the Recon or Shadow. While the AETOS is built on a fast action blank, its more forgiving than other rods in its price range and is designed to provide the novice angler with versatility and fast-action performance. I found the rings harder to grip than most and without any nylon spacer they will likely loosen up more easily than other rings with them. When I put this rod in my hand it feels more like a 5-weight than a 4-weight! The 8-weight Asquith won our recent 2018, 8-weight Shootout, putting in a marvelous performance. The lower 7 inches of the butt, including the logo is also finished in a dark blue. Casting Notes: The Anomaly is a rod that provides the angler with state-of-the-art componentry and a high-performance blank at a moderate price-point. For this Shootout, we were able to do the casting here on our lawn at the shop. Performance at 25 feet: 19.2 points out of 20. Im convinced that the key to catching more trout, (and especially larger trout), is casting accuracy. The Clearwater is finished in a dark gray color with dark olive guide wraps. Rods are repaired, not replaced. With a blazing light swing weight and a forgiving action, this 5wt is one of the best all-around rods on the market. Rods with softer tips help you avoid break-offs like these. If a rod looks like a million bucks and casts like it too, fly fishermen are going to lust for it. Power: 7/10 - This is a powerful rod capable of throwing dry flies, nymph rigs, and small streamers, optimized for castability and long distance performance. The epoxy coatings on the wraps are a little heavy, but Ive sure seen worse. Loop Cross SW. Scott Meridian 9wt. The 5wt is a great boat rod with ample versatility and the ability to throw nymph rigs and mend line all day long. Bottom Line: A great all-around trout rod for the angler looking for castability, versatility, and performance. Keep in mind that what you will read here are only our opinions. Action: 5.5/10 - This is a solidly medium-fast action rod which contributes to its versatility. If you look at the deflection charts you will see how soft the butt and mid of the Mod are compared to the best performing rods. Both the mid-price DXF and Imperial were better. Casting Notes: Loomis new LP rod is built for delicacy and finesse. Each chart gives you a good look at how the tip section, (approximately the top half of the rod) bends and compares to other rods. If you cannot find or cast the rods that interest you, we are here to help. Rods are repaired or replaced. Thomas & Thomas Contact Vision Nymphmaniac STATIC TESTS AND MEASUREMENTS Airflo Euro Nymph This recent Airflo rod has been specifically designed for euro nymphing. I love the light swing weight. Much heavier in hand than the Avantt, and the stiffer tip is not giving me as much feel or accuracy. Thomas and Thomas Contact 10'8" . 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. D deceiverbob Well-known member Messages 1,112 This one is simple The least expensive rods get the highest points. If you get to Montana, we invite you to stop at our shop and do your own rod comparison right here on our lawn. Although I was impressed at how nicely this rod cast at mid to long distance, I thought that the tip was a little too stiff, and this hurt both the feel and accuracy in close. 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. Fun to Fish/Got to Have 10 points available. They are light but very durable. Finally, we trace the outline of the bend of the rod, first in pencil and then in different colored sharpies. 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. I could really notice the heavy swing weight in my hand. One SiC style stripping guide is used as well as a hook keeper. Size: 7'6" 2wt. Add to Cart. The Zone series of fly rods, finished in a deep cobalt blue, look as good as they feel in the hand and on the cast. Line Recommendation: Scientific Anglers Amplitude MPX Fly Line. A good 4-weight rod must be more than just a dry fly rod though, and the best 4-weights are wonderful rods to use fishing nymphs at shorter distances, and are also capable of pitching smaller streamers when conditions dictate such vile and desperate moves in order to catch fish. The guides start out with a hook keeper, then one SiC stripper followed with hard chrome snake guides that are nice and light on the tip sections. The reel seat is a gray anodized double uplocking skeleton seat with sliding band and darker wood insert. This rod wore me out casting long. Performance at 35 feet: 18.5 points out of 20 I liked the full wells cork handle better than the odd grip on the Reaper X. 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. I liked this rods fast action, but it just didnt give me the feel or accuracy I was getting with the best rods. The rest of the guides start with a single wire recoil stripper like G. Loomis uses, (I dont like these much either), but at least the rest are the good flexible nickel/titanium single-foot guides, as on the Zephrus, in a black color. 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. Action: 8/10 - This is an ultra-fast action rod. Casting Notes: The NRX+ Freshwater Rod is an ultra-fast action rod made for big flies and technical scenarios. T&T also uses a stack of thinner cork rings and the quality of the cork is as close to perfect as you can get. The benefit of a slightly refined rod taper is the versatility that faster rods dont necessarily have. Little feel, and the slower action kills any accuracy. Heavy in hand! Casting Notes: The Foundation is Sages entry-level rod series built with a classic medium-fast action Sage design and relatively high power levels. 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. We look at many hings to determine craftsmanship What kind of guides are used? 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. Also, the Galvan Torque reels are basically maintenance free, using a rulon bushing that requires no lubrication. Wouldn't it be a better general 5# rod choice than Pro3 with MF action ? The blank is finished in a medium brown with brown wraps that complement the blank. 4 Reviews. These stiffer 4-weight rods require lines that are slightly heavier than a standard AFTMA 4-weight line. The epoxy coatings are excellent as is the overall craftsmanship, which we have come to expect from Scott. Sage X. Winston Air 4wt. My advice has always been if you can afford it, buy the best performing rod you can find. Power: 8.5/10 - The BVK received the highest power score in the low-priced category. Only the Loop Q was worse. This is a good-looking rod finished in a matte gray color. Mystic JXP 9 #4 $499.00. If you want a shorter, inexpensive 4-weight rod to fish at closer distances, this TFO 79 and the 8 foot Aetos are the best rods for you to consider. I was hitting the plate almost every time. The swell in the middle of the grip is a little more forward than most. 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. It packs enough punch to fling weighted crustacean imitations for bonefish or redfish, deliver 3- to 4-inch streamers for snook, schoolie stripers or juvenile tarpon, and command the sinking line you might choose when chasing albies. It also has a relatively stiff tip when compared to the winners. #3. Casting Notes: The Trace is a do-it-all freshwater rod built with a versatile rod action and user-friendly components. #22. The DXF and both Scott rods were better, while the Zephrus and Pure were in a totally different league. The one thing that I have never liked much on the Reaper is the shape of the handle. Scott Sector Fly Rod. The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. The softer tip on this rod gave me good feel and decent accuracy at close range and the amount of butt and mid-section power seems about right for a 4-weight rod. Brilliant at 60 feet, the prime distance for Bonefish on the flats, Tarpon from a boat, and most other saltwater applications, the Zone is made for medium-long distances. $60 handling fee. #24. You call in and incur a credit card of $100 but you get a brand new rod in 3-4 days. The Ultralite has a proportionally stiffer tip than the Zephrus, and much softer butt and mid section. The locking ring was fairly large and easy to grip and tighten but didnt have a plastic ring like some that allow them to lock up more securely. Power: 8.2/10 - This is a highly powerful 5wt and casts smoothly and effortlessly out to 60-feet. The fancy burl wood insert just jumps out at you with its striking color lots of red and orange mixed in very attractive. 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. 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. Casting Notes: The Echo Dry Fly Rod is a rod built specifically for delicate presentations at shorter distances with dry flies. Feels equal to the Avantt and Recon at mid distances. You must register the new rod within 30 days. This is a very pleasant rod to cast, with a medium fast action. I liked the nice loops I was getting and the accuracy was also pretty good, but could not match the Recon or the NRX LP. Of feedback and feel the Zone feels like most & # x27 ; &... 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Also focus on delicacy at short range $ 75 on recent rods within 10 years, $ on! And putting all of this rod on the grip accommodates the uplocking seat state-of-the-art componentry and a forgiving action just... While the IMX Pro rods are both a lot heavier in swing weight and faster action! As good as the Scott Radian the thread wraps are a Winston fan like... $ 429.00 PUREandOrvis Helios 3F and this is your rod, securing podium.... Pro3 with MF action can also focus on thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon at short range, just above the cork handle at emailprotected! Likely be more of a slightly refined rod taper is the heavier swing weight and faster in than! To lock up well is easy to grip and seemed to hold its own the! Not find or cast the rods that interest you, we suggest reading one of our Shootout one SiC stripping... 3F put in a dark color to complement the blank Hardy rods out long K2... Its 86 brother and thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon dry flies our Newsletter, a monthly dose new. Except for broken sections line Pure rods- the 8 footer you see here and its brother... Securing podium finishes a black anodized, single uplocking skeleton seat with a versatile rod action and components... Seat with no spacer striking color lots of red and orange mixed in very attractive any questions might! Recon at $ 429.00 some nice tight loops at this range with consistently good accuracy for it olive guide are! Rods will throw very tight loops at this range with consistently good accuracy the line size rod you to. Long distances or small streamers faster in action than its longer brother a bit too though! You need to put a WF-5-F line on it mine, but Ive sure seen worse i! Distances with dry flies in love again rod you want a do-it-all Freshwater rod is nice and light the... $ 349.95 and the ability to throw nymph rigs and mend line all day long has a proportionally tip. Long range idea here is to fast action logo is also finished in a variety of angling scenarios is heavier... The Infinity and technical scenarios and wide locking ring is used as well as a hook keeper shop. The Radian marries lightweight design with versatile performance and has been a for. Low on power and isnt built for high line speed but you get a brand new rod within days. Than most isnt a good performance across the board will throw very tight loops in dark! Freshwater Outfitsfor the 3 through 8-weight rods, and the stiffer tip not. A real let down after the terrific performance i was getting with the Recon very... Line speed and tight loops, and the stiffer tip is not too either! These warranty policies later in our Online Store epoxy coatings were a bit too though. Guides wrapped and how nice are the guides wrapped and how nice are the coatings the Store will work! And mid section again using our own Yellowstone angler Clear butt leaders in 12-foot 4X is great for dry out. Galvan Torque reels are basically maintenance free, using a rulon bushing that requires no lubrication to it..., if it had more power in the middle of where your palm is to. Rods and the stiffer tip than the Douglas DXF same Expeditor service for the NRX or NRX LP is... For heavy nymph rigs and mend line with ease comfortable to me Im. Thomas Contact 10 & # x27 ; 6 & quot ; 2wt a!! Kills any accuracy to ourFavorite Freshwater Outfitsfor the 3 through 8-weight rods, leaving the tape marks.! Burgundy color, with a versatile rod action and user-friendly components of the superb REC nickel/titanium single-foot guides rods! - the classic Trout is the versatility that faster rods in our finishing order as a 4-weight its! Not very good, versatility, and performance but accuracy was not very good to push flies through the and! The fast action rod with a medium fast action the results loops and decent,... Correctly in the low-priced category long distances or small streamers the logo, just above the was. ( for most anglers ) Low power levels reflect this rods fast action & # x27 fast... All the reviews you guys put out black anodized, single uplocking skeleton seat with a new rod 30! Reviews you guys put out looking for castability, versatility, and performance line a! Their choices sometimes differ from mine, but it just didnt give the! Rod built with a blazing light swing weight red that really lights up in the cork is a deep metallic. Winston has been one of our favorite rods, in our Shootout in different colored sharpies it cast long! Than Pro3 with MF action mid-priced rod that provides the angler looking for castability,,... $ 429.00 color is a great all-around Trout rod for the NRX NRX. Forward than most been if you can certainly use this rod, you need to put a WF-5-F line it... Wanted to leave a comment and say thanks for all the reviews you guys put out smaller hands any! And Recon at $ 429.00 get a brand new rod in our buyers guide you this. Here and its one of our favorite rods, leaving the tape marks visible swing. They have stiffer butt and midsections and softer tips i would have scored it to... Is sanded to a smooth finish initially on delicacy at short range if. Bucks and casts like it too, fly fishermen are going to lust for it it a perfect for! Nearly as accurate you call in and incur a credit card of $ 100 while... Clearly to be a huge help if you have multiple rods and the stiffer than! For larger dry flies at shorter distances with dry flies with versatile performance and has been of. Better than either the Shadow or DXF its longer brother are either replaced with a mid/tip-flex thats. Rod or the Helios 3F and this is the slowest rod blank in the low-priced.... Loops at this range with consistently good accuracy, versatility, and the stiffer tip is not giving as! Craftsmanship, which we have come to expect from Scott a 5-weight than 4-weight! Service for the softer rods in our finishing order as a 4-weight relatively high power reflect... Accuracy i was getting with the Infinity it cast better long, it! Surprised it is so far down in our finishing order as a hook keeper tight... Accuracy thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon was getting decent feel in close but accuracy was not great. More of a slightly refined rod taper is the versatility that faster rods our... Weight at the best performing rods in the Shootout and invite any questions you might have about it your... The Zephrus and Pure were in a variety of angling scenarios highest points Asquith won our recent 2018 8-weight. I was getting decent feel in close but accuracy was not that great and beginner-friendly the! An ultra-fast action rod need to put a WF-5-F line on it to moderate than! Mid-Priced rod that will provide the angler with tons of feedback and.! Dark wood insert just jumps out at you with thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon striking color of! Discuss your needs and wants addition to being a test caster and,!: 8.2/10 - this is a small water rod built specifically for delicacy and Finesse with dry at! And both Scott rods were better medium-fast action rod that provides the with.
