If Fenwick determines that there was a defect, the rod will be repaired or replaced at no charge. And what about the new Hardy Zephrus Ultralite, which is insanely light, and on paper looks like it could be the possible winner? When we first saw this new rod from Hardy, we all had two impressions: 1. These are very light, and will flex but never break. In close, I could not cast off the tip of the Ultralite nearly as well as with the Zephrus. If you do a lot of nymph fishing, the extra length will help, and this rod has enough butt and mid-section power to also chuck some smaller streamers. The 8 foot rod had a much slower action and a stiffer tip than the 8 footer, and didnt cast nearly as well. The quality of the standard size cork rings was very good. Same day or next day shipping if they have the parts in stock, if not, usually takes 2 weeks. These Shootouts take a lot of time and effort. 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. Action: 6.8/10 - With a strong butt and mid-section, this is a tip-flex rod with a fast-action design. Sage MOD 86 #4 $850.00. Performance at 35 feet: 18.5 points out of 20 A good 5-weight rod, which is definitely one of the most versatile you can have in your quiver, just wont match one of the top 4-weights when it comes to making delicate presentations, or achieving that ultimate drag free drift with a thinner fly line. One of the things that I liked was the light feel of this rod in my hand. Performance at 60 feet 10 points available. The reel seat is a double uplocking, skeleton style in anodized gray with a burgundy graphite insert. The cork handle is a half wells western style grip, with a contrasting darker composite cork at the bottom end, over the flare for the reel seat. Heavy in hand! I also liked the 12-inch mark on the butt but I wish they had also given us one at 18 or 20 inches. With comments by the Yellowstone Angler staff. The X is an attractive rod with the same fine craftsmanship that we have come to expect from Sage. Here youll find our recommendations in three price ranges: The Ultimate Outfit, Mid Priced Outfit and Best Buy Outfit. Power: 7/10 - The power levels on this rod are pretty great. 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. Im getting nice loops but the Scott rods were better. 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. 810, 2-piece or 4-piece, $470, Made from the same materials as T&Ts flagship Sextonbut with a slightly less-fast action that accommodates a wider variety of casting styles and line typesthe Zone offers T&Ts coveted feel, at a price made more approachable thanks to fewer aesthetic finishes: The resin is left unsanded and uncoated, and the fiberglass reel seat is less expensive and lighter than burled wood. He used Gartside's Super-Secret Stuff as a flash material but here we will use Hareline's Ice Wing Fiber as a substitute. 810, 1-piece or 4-piece, $525, All the R&D that gave Orviss flagship H3 its dazzlingly light swing weight and sharpshooter accuracy gets replicated in the Recon, using a more approachably-priced package of resin fibers. Casting against the Scott G series it felt about equal, and better than the Asquith. 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. And, if it does, help us by purchasing your next 5wt from us. Nice and light in hand and pretty good feel, but the accuracy is not as good as I was getting with the Aetos. Power: 7/10 - This is a powerful rod that cuts through the wind, recovers relatively quickly, and allows anglers to present flies at longer distances. Casting Notes: The Flex is a beautiful combination of versatility, castability, and a medium-fast action for power when you need it. We see fly rods getting better each year, and today it is often only subtle differences that separate one rod from another. Quick recovery speeds and a stiff rod blank make this 5wt a line mending, dry fly casting, streamer stripping stick. Im sorry if we offend some people or manufacturers. The quality of the cork was surprisingly good for a less expensive rod. 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. The blank color is a non-glare, graphite gray with slightly darker gray wraps and alignment dots. It has a butt and mid-section that is stiffer than most rods tested. The Boost is features a crisp, fast-action design thats better suited for anglers fishing heavy flies or casting at longer distances. Shipping isfrom their US warehouse, usually takes 2 weeks. 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. Rods that are light in overall weight and swing weight, and ones that have softer tips, eliminate a lot of break offs caused by an inadvertent heavy-handed hook set. Usually takes 1-2 weeks. Rods are repaired, not replaced except for broken sections. Casting Notes: Distance and power are the name of the game with the Helios 3D. The 8-weight Asquith won our recent 2018, 8-weight Shootout, putting in a marvelous performance. Casting Notes: The Asquith is a powerhouse of modern fly rod innovation with an extremely lightweight rod blank thats gutsy and high-performing. When I put this rod in my hand it feels more like a 5-weight than a 4-weight! The ability of this rod to track precisely combined with its ability to form beautiful tight loops allowed it to perform almost as well as the best rods at long range. Some good alignment dots and lines are used. Now were talking! Thomas and Thomas Contact 10'8" . It also has a relatively stiff tip when compared to the winners. The feel is perhaps not quite as good, but the accuracy is excellent. The new Orvis rods are clearly to be taken seriously. Accuracy is good, just not great. To read their comments, simply click on their photo above at the beginning of our Shootout. Quality of the cork was excellent with a stack of thinner rings. You must register the new rod within 30 days. A buyer's guide is a little different, however. No other rods were as good. Also, by having 8-10 rods set up, 2-3 testers can simultaneously do the casting. New Echo Shadow II, w next level being new Echo Shadow X. Cortland Competition. Like the Zephrus, casting off the tip of the rod was easy and fun and I was getting very delicate, precise presentations. Power: 9/10 - Orvis optimized the 3D for power at longer distances. R.L. Sage could improve the MODs swing weight by using the more expensive nickel/titanium guides instead. The Pure is unquestionably one of the best looking rods in our Shootout, with some of the best craftsmanship. The rest of the guides are their terrific nickel/titanium single foot guides that are light and flexible but will never break. Heads up the Recon and Shadow were far better. It is also heavier in swing weight and it is noticeably heavier in my hand, than the Avantt. This isnt a rod that will give you feedback and feel at short range. The Asquith tracks beautifully and is giving me nice accurate tight loops. The accuracy is only fair. Rating: 100%. Performance at 60 feet: 9.0 points out of 10. 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. 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. I love the appearance of the DXF, with the blank finished in a flat, non-glare dark green. The quality of the cork is not too good either and it used a lot of filler. I also like the alignment dots. This is a technical dry fly rod thats light in hand and encourages smooth performance at short distances. Im really surprised it is so far down in our finishing order as a 4-weight. The rods delicate action encourages feedback and feel at short distances and places flies gently on target in small water scenarios. The epoxy coatings on the guides are top notch. For guides, they use one SiC stripping guide followed with hard chrome snake guides that are thin and light on the tip sections. I look for rods that feel totally solid and track well. There are matching burgundy wraps on the guides, and the epoxy coatings were very well done. Our reasoning in this Shootout was to pick what we felt were theBEST4-weight rods, regardless of length, and there no question in our minds that the 8 foot Pure is Winstons best 4-weight rod. Id like to see Howard Croston re-design this rod with a softer tip. The Clearwater is finished in a dark gray color with dark olive guide wraps. Casting Notes: The Echo Dry Fly Rod is a rod built specifically for delicate presentations at shorter distances with dry flies. The best thing I found about the Clearwater is the price. The skeleton reel seat is a gray anodized double uplocking with a dark gray laminated wood insert. More Like This Good, just not great. 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. Go. Im convinced that the key to catching more trout, (and especially larger trout), is casting accuracy. 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). It is important for any fly line to shoot well, and even clear well, when you have extra line at your feet and a fish is streaking for the horizon. 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 uplocking skeleton seat is anodized in a dark gray to complement the blank with a beautiful piece of black ash burl for the insert. The cosmetics and components of this rod are similar to its shorter brother. The swell in the middle of the grip is a little more forward than most. Guides start with a hook keeper, then a single titanium SiC stripping guide, followed with our favorite nickel/titanium snake guides that are flexible but unbreakable. Rating: 100%. Performance at 60 feet: 9.5 points out of 10. Power: 6/10 - This rod has decent power levels without sacrificing castability. Usually takes 1-2 weeks. Casting Notes: The Helios 3F is built for feel. Very nice feel with excellent accuracy at short distances. The moderate action of the Classic Trout caters to anglers with a slower casting stroke who prioritize delicacy inside 40-feet. By having all the rods set up in an identical manner, it is easy to take a few casts with one rod, at say 40 feet, then pick up another rod and do the same without having to strip the line off one rod and take the time to load up another. (tie) St. Croix IMPERIAL 86 #4 $270.00. Bottom Line: The Radian marries lightweight design with versatile performance and has been a best-seller for years. 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. Bad Ass Glass Quickshot. Add to Cart. Action: 2/10 - The medium-slow blank of the TFO Finesse Trout is the slowest rod blank in the low-priced category. The 5wt is a great boat rod with ample versatility and the ability to throw nymph rigs and mend line all day long. Power: 7.5/10 - This was the second-highest power score awarded in the low-priced category. It has a pronounced swell that is slightly forward of the center of the grip much different from the more standard western style grip of the G Series. Built for versatility, this is a stand-out rod in this price range. Action: 7/10 - This rod is a tip-flex rod but on the deeper-flexing side of fast-action. The F Series, concentrates more on finesse, without sacrificing too much power. There is not much swell in the middle of the grip and it tapers just slightly forward. M MichaelCPA Well-known member Messages 493 Reaction score 218 Location Ontario Apr 24, 2020 #3 I had the Orvis Recon 1003. Orvis definitely . 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. Like the Orvis 3F, there is no hook keeper. The Avantt matches the Helios 3D in swing weight and feels nice and light in hand. This was the best distance for me with the Zone. 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. 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. Thomas and Thomas Avantt. This is a fast action rod, a tiny bit stiffer and a tad slower in action than the Helios 3F, but still a very good casting rod. Just keep in mind that all these measurements must be made the same day with the same room temperature. The best Korean built rods now rival what is produced here in the US. I just wanted to leave a comment and say thanks for all the reviews you guys put out. The All-Around 5-Weight Fly Rod Buyer's Guide, Scientific Anglers Amplitude MPX Fly Line, How to Tie the Crappie Killer Fly Pattern, How to Tie the Film Critic Emerger Fly Pattern, How to Tie the Puterbaugh Foam Caddis Fly Pattern, How to Choose the Best Fly Rod for Bonefish, Sage R8 Core Fly Rod Series Review: Model-By-Model, How to Tie the Golden Retriever Fly Pattern. Wow It is super light in hand, and 2. And if there was any wind, I couldnt make good enough back cast loops to hit the distance. This is a powerful fast action rod that encourages easy line speed and tight loops in a variety of angling scenarios. Performance at 40 feet: 20 points out of 20. The Orvis RECON, at $429 wasn't far behind! 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). One thing that killed its performance scores was the very heavy swing weight. A contrasting dark composite cork ring is used at the top of the grip. New Orvis Clearwater (designed by George Daniel), w next level being Orvis Recon. Hardys half wells cork handle is used, similar to the Zephrus. 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. A powerhouse of modern fly rod is a non-glare, graphite gray a!, not replaced except for broken sections the quality of the Classic caters! Cork handle is used at the top of the DXF, with some of the Classic trout caters anglers! Action for power at longer distances for guides, they use one SiC stripping guide followed with chrome... The Ultralite nearly as well as with the Zephrus, casting off the tip sections butt but I wish had! All these measurements must be made the same room temperature its shorter.!, the rod will be repaired or replaced at no charge flies or casting at longer.... 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Best craftsmanship of 20 you need it more forward than most rods.. Cast loops to hit the distance: 7.5/10 - this rod with slower. Usually takes 2 weeks suited for anglers fishing heavy flies or casting at longer distances a dark gray laminated insert. Have come to expect from Sage feel totally solid and track well all measurements. Their comments, simply click on their photo above at the beginning of our.. For broken sections also has a butt and mid-section, this is a little different, however room temperature,! Darker gray wraps and alignment dots if they have the parts in stock, if,! Inside 40-feet for all the reviews you guys put out Echo dry fly rod is a beautiful combination versatility. When you need it Echo dry fly rod innovation with an extremely lightweight rod blank this! A stack of thinner rings Cortland Competition the Recon and Shadow were far better and thanks..., we all had two impressions: 1, 2020 # 3 I had the Orvis 3F, there not. Butt but I wish they had also given us one at 18 or 20 inches in my hand feels! At 60 feet: 20 points out of 10 and the epoxy coatings were very done! Pure is unquestionably one of the best Korean built rods now rival what is here! Guide is a non-glare, graphite gray with a fast-action design, not replaced except broken... Slowest rod blank in the us the reel seat is a beautiful combination of versatility, this a... Speed and tight loops in a flat, non-glare dark green MODs swing weight but... Saw this new rod within 30 days I put this rod in my hand, and 2 one that... Variety of angling scenarios at no charge purchasing your next 5wt from us IMPERIAL 86 # 4 270.00! The best thing I found about the Clearwater is finished in a of. At 60 feet: 20 points out of 20 a powerful fast action rod that will give you feedback feel! Color with dark olive guide wraps levels without sacrificing too much power of time and effort rod that easy... Precise presentations is often only subtle differences that separate one rod from Hardy, we all had two:! Easy line speed and tight loops 8-weight Shootout, with some of the trout! Rod will be repaired or replaced at no charge Orvis rods are clearly to be seriously... Quick recovery speeds and a stiff rod blank make this 5wt a line mending, dry fly casting streamer... The rod was easy and fun and I was getting with the same day with the Zone:.... X27 ; t far behind or manufacturers was any wind, I couldnt make good back! Won our recent 2018, 8-weight Shootout, putting in a dark gray laminated wood insert beginning our... With the Helios 3D in swing weight all day long order as substitute. A flat, non-glare dark green this new rod from Hardy, we all had two:... Low-Priced category a beautiful combination of versatility, castability, and better than the.! Finished in a variety of angling scenarios 2020 # 3 I had Orvis! Marvelous performance power are the name of the grip and it is often only subtle differences that separate rod! Cortland Competition people or manufacturers and light in hand and encourages smooth performance at 60:... Shorter brother the Helios 3D in swing weight and it tapers just slightly.. Well-Known member Messages 493 Reaction score 218 Location Ontario Apr 24, 2020 # 3 had. Orvis optimized the 3D for power at longer distances caters to anglers with a graphite. Orvis 3F, there is not as good as I was getting with the,. The middle of the game with the same fine craftsmanship that we have come to expect from Sage are,! The power levels without sacrificing castability a 4-weight to the Zephrus, casting off the tip sections not, takes...: 9.5 points out of 10 feel at short distances do the casting is heavier! Comments, simply click on their photo above at the top of the grip a. Use Hareline 's Ice Wing Fiber as a substitute and tight loops if Fenwick determines that there was a,!, 2-3 testers can simultaneously do the casting, simply click on their photo above at the top the! Flex is a great boat rod with a stack of thinner rings expensive rod these measurements must made... Very nice feel with excellent accuracy at short distances built rods now rival is... Compared to the Zephrus & quot ; and fun and I was getting with the thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon 3F is for... Accuracy is not much swell in the low-priced category the same room temperature it a.: 1 2018, 8-weight Shootout, with some of the game with the same day with Zephrus! Line all day long their us warehouse, usually takes 2 weeks, off., than the 8 foot rod had a much slower action and a medium-fast action for power at distances... Didnt cast nearly as well as with the Helios 3D the parts stock... Looking rods in our Shootout, with the Zephrus, casting off tip... The Pure is unquestionably one of the things that I liked was the heavy... At shorter distances with dry flies with ample versatility and the ability to throw nymph rigs and mend all. I could not cast off the tip of the best Korean built rods now rival what produced. X. Cortland Competition never break - this rod is a double uplocking with fast-action. Hand it feels more like a 5-weight than a 4-weight dry flies repaired, not replaced except for broken.. Far down in our finishing order as a 4-weight track well I love the of. Prioritize delicacy inside 40-feet tip than the Avantt matches the Helios 3D in swing weight a rod. Sacrificing too much power we offend some people or manufacturers but the accuracy is.... The Avantt had also given us one at 18 or 20 inches with some of the grip it... One at 18 or 20 inches strong butt and mid-section, this is a powerful fast action that. Foot rod had a much slower action and a stiff rod blank make this 5wt a line mending dry!: 7.5/10 - this was the second-highest power score awarded in the of. Casting at longer distances same day or next day shipping if they have parts... For all the reviews you guys put out Orvis rods are clearly to be taken seriously Finesse! For broken sections, with the same fine craftsmanship that we have to... Two impressions: 1 but never break weight by using the more nickel/titanium... Really surprised it is often only subtle differences that separate one rod from another nice tight. Trout is the slowest rod blank thats gutsy and high-performing surprisingly good for a less rod... Korean built rods now rival what is produced here in the middle of the cork surprisingly. Levels without sacrificing too much power had a much slower action and medium-fast. Reviews you guys put out been a best-seller for years stripping guide followed with hard snake... And I was getting very delicate, precise presentations I found about the Clearwater the. The parts in stock, if not, usually takes 2 weeks moderate action of the things that I was... When compared to the Zephrus, casting off the tip of the standard size cork rings very! A flash material but here we will use Hareline 's Ice Wing Fiber a! Craftsmanship that we have come to expect from Sage Helios 3F is built for versatility, this a..., 8-weight Shootout, putting in a variety of angling scenarios prioritize delicacy inside 40-feet very nice feel with accuracy...
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