If your favorite rod breaks in the middle of the summer and you dont get it back for a month and a half, you are going to be very angry! I look for rods that feel totally solid and track well. Performance at 60 feet: 9.7 points out of 10. The heavy swing weight is perhaps the biggest reason the SKY didnt perform so well. I dont have the feel I can place the fly just where I want it, as I can with the Zephrus. Chloe has been working in the shop for two summers and now works with us full time. However, nearly all manufacturers are charging a handling fee of $25-$100 to repair or replace your broken rod. It is trimmed top and bottom with contrasting, composite cork rings. Heavier in hand than some of the best rods and Im not getting as much feel or accuracy as the G Series. The Recon has been one of our favorite rods, and this 4-weight version is terrific. Drop us an email at[emailprotected]or call us at(888) 413-5211. The softer tip is giving me a good amount of feel and the accuracy was better than the Zone or Nimbus. Rods are repaired, not replaced except for broken sections. #2. Only you can make that decision. The wraps are done in a dark brown with some silver trim on the butt section as well as in the center of each guide foot wrap, that look nice. Rods are replaced. However, if all rods are measured on the same day, the relative numbers will be consistent. The cosmetics and components of this rod are similar to its shorter brother. As in the past we are using our own Brecknell official postage scale to calculate the weight. Orvis Recon. 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. 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. This one is simple The least expensive rods get the highest points. The blank is finished in a medium brown with brown wraps that complement the blank. What is the Asquith doing way down near the bottom of this Shootout when it won our recent 8-weight Shootout!? Still, when I heard that Orvis was bringing out a mid-priced rod made in America, my expectations were somewhat limited. Forty feet was definitely the sweet spot for this rod. For broken rods that are not registered to the original owners, most companies are going to charge you $150 or more for repairs. Here Im getting nice loops and decent accuracy, but Im working a lot harder than with the Avantt or the Helios 3F. The color of the blank is a very light silver blue, with the guides wrapped in a darker grayish blue, with some silver trim on the butt section. 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 quality of the standard size cork rings was terrific. 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. I just dont think the 3Fd is nearly as good looking as some of the more traditional looking rods, in our Shootout like the Scott, Winston, T&T, and Hardy. I love the feel of this rod it is nice and light in hand, and the action is fast and seems about right. The thing that amazes me is how perfect the guide wrapping and epoxy coatings are, compared to other rods. We deleted our Perfect 4 performance category, since it seemed redundant, given the fact that we give you our opinions for our favorite 4-weights in the Fun to Fish, got to have category. Performance at 40 feet: 19.2 points out of 20. Heres a category that we used in our last 4-weight Shootout, that we deemed important when you are trying to judge the best 4-weight rods, that will often be used with very light 5x, 6x, and 7x tippets. Out long the overall softness of the rod is a handicap. 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. Head to head, the Radian and Avantt were better. Casting Notes: The DXF is Douglas fast action rod series and includes a 5wt thats high-performing, lightweight, and powerful. The light swing weight made casting effortless, and Im getting excellent accuracy combined with delicate presentations. This was the best distance for me with the Zone. But that was about all I liked, other than the very light overall weight that earned it a perfect score. The Recon was much better. Little feel, and the slower action kills any accuracy. The quality of the cork in the handles varies enormously among fly rods. $199.95. #26. If you look at the deflection chart, youll see that the Zehprus has one of the stiffest butt and midsections, yet then it progresses to a nice soft tip. Casting Notes: The Pulse is slightly more powerful than the Foundation with a rod taper thats a little more forgiving. Hardy has given us another magical rod that produced an absolutely stunning performance to blow away all the contenders. Action: 5.5/10 - Slightly faster than purely moderate action fly rods, the 7X has a taper thats caster-friendly and a versatile medium-fast action. This helped improve its score in swing weight and it picked up a lot of points in both the price and warranty categories. 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. 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). Winston PURE 8 #4 $850.00. Like many of the other 9-foot rods in our Shootout, it was at a disadvantage in weight to the shorter 8 and 8 foot rods. Loop Cross SX. Well indicate which line proved best with each rod later in the individual rod write-ups. It comes in very close to our mid-price winner, the Hardy Shadow. The 8 foot rod had a much slower action and a stiffer tip than the 8 footer, and didnt cast nearly as well. Its not as caster-friendly as others in this category but provides the capable angler with technical fast action performance. Performance at 40 feet: 19.7 points out of 20. Im getting effortless tight loops, and I had complete confidence on where the fly was going on every cast. Pretty good, but not quite as accurate or as much feel as with the Shadow. Equal to the Orvis Recon, but head to head the Avantt and Helios 3F were far better. Here the lack of butt power hurts a bit but it was better than the Shadow out long and matched the Scott G-Series. (Click here to see more deflection charts). It is nearly impossible to cast off the tip of the rod like I can with the best 4-weights. If broken from neglect or any other cause, you must use the Expeditor service. This is a great rod for the angler who needs extra power for large dry flies out of a drift boat but wants a taper thats slightly more refined than the Zone. In fishing to wary trout, I often set my false casts up short and to the side of the fish, and then shoot a little line in on that last cast. Line Recommendation: Scientific Anglers Amplitude MPX Fly Line. Rods that were very light in swing weight like the Zephrus, Avantt and Helios 3F blew the X away in both feel and performance. Power: 4/10 - The Classic Trout is low on power and isnt built for high line speed or distance casting. Action: 6/10 - The Avantt features a medium-fast profile that encourages tight loops and works well with a variety of flies. Power: 5/10 - This is a great rod for tossing small dries at distance or throwing smaller streamers. Standard corks are used and the quality is excellent. Casting Notes: Handcrafted in the USA, the St. Croix Imperial is a smooth-casting rod that puts an emphasis on performance without limiting the angler to either line speed or delicacy. Here, the softer rods, ones with softer tips and rods with lighter swing weights post the highest scores. Light in hand but the stiffness in the tip is not giving me as much feel in close as the Zephrus, and the accuracy is not as good as the best rods. This same Expeditor service applies to the Asquith but the fee is $275 for 2ndday air. (tie) St. Croix IMPERIAL 86 #4 $270.00. Pay in 4 interest-free installments of $149.50 with. Heavy, slower action rods never perform well. The Douglas Sky was both heavier and stiffer, and didnt perform as well, except out long at 60 feet. As in our past Shootouts, it is important to keep everything apples to apples in an effort to eliminate the variables that will have an effect on the scores. Only the Loop Q was worse. We felt the 86 Helios 3F was the best rod to test since the 3D is available only in a 9-foot model. The Expeditor service for the NRX or NRX LP rods is $100, while the IMX Pro rods are $85.00. 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. A Bonnier LLC Company. Cortland MKII Euro Nymph Rod. A darker composite cork ring is used on the bottom of the grip that is flared out to accept the uplocking seat. One SiC style stripping guide is used as well as a hook keeper. Im confident that we can come up with the perfect rod or outfit that best fits your needs. 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. TFO FINESSE TROUT 89 #4 $229.95. It would also one of the best 4-weight rods for throwing streamers. Loop Cross SW. Scott Meridian 9wt. I just wish that the performance was as good as its looks. Where would Blue Ribbon land on the chart? I love the handle design it tapers outward allowing you to quickly get and maintain a good grip on the handle. Action: 3/10 - This is a moderate action fly rod with a mid-flex profile for enhanced dry fly capabilities. Ive always liked the smooth lines, as they dont make so much noise running through the guides. It also lost a huge number of points in the price and warranty categories that it couldnt pick up in the casting distance performance categories. Heads up, the Sage X and Recon were both better. The epoxy coatings are pretty good but a little heavy. The rod features a stout butt section and a tip-flex design. The cork handle is a half wells with a long taper at the front, that I found to be comfortable to grip. Like the Zephrus, casting off the tip of the rod was easy and fun and I was getting very delicate, precise presentations. The best rods in this category are almost always the lightest in swing weight, especially if you are doing a lot of false casting when fishing dry flies. We can attest to this as these lines shoot like crazy! The quality of the cork was surprisingly good for a less expensive rod. 810, 2-piece or 4-piece, $470 Thomas & Thomas Zone Thomas & Thomas Zone Courtesy Thomas & Thomas Thomas & Thomas Zone Courtesy Thomas & Thomas Usually takes 4-6 weeks. $50 handing fee. This rod gives me a nice light feel in hand, and Im getting good loop control combined with plenty of power and good accuracy. The softness didnt allow me to make good hard backcasts in an effort to form tight loops. Casting Notes: The Asquith is a powerhouse of modern fly rod innovation with an extremely lightweight rod blank thats gutsy and high-performing. Sage R8 Core Fly Rod. For this we downgraded the craftsmanship a half a point. Power: 5/10 - Low power levels reflect Scotts intentional design; this isnt a versatile rod or a rod for streamers/heavy nymph rigs. Bottom Line: A great all-around trout rod for the angler looking for castability, versatility, and performance. We think that the best are the flexible nickel/titanium single foot and snake guides, but these are much more expensive than the heaver, hard chrome versions. Performance at 40 feet: 18.5 points out of 20. 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. Its moderate-fast action is optimized for the 40- to 60-foot shots that most anglers make in most situations, and its unique handle gives anglers different gripping choices. Long distance was hopeless. The reel seat is a double uplocking skeleton seat in anodized gold, with a pretty wood burl insert using green and brown highlights to complement the blank. Here at Trident, we carry over one hundred 5wt fly rods. Thomas & Thomas Contact Vision Nymphmaniac STATIC TESTS AND MEASUREMENTS Airflo Euro Nymph This recent Airflo rod has been specifically designed for euro nymphing. The action is slightly slower than the Zephrus though, and this contributed somewhat to its lack of feel and accuracy at 25 feet. How well are the guides wrapped and how nice are the coatings? Casting Notes: Loomis new LP rod is built for delicacy and finesse. I think that this can be attributed to the slower action of this rod compared to the Zephrus. The swing weight was fairly light, but not quite as good as either the Hardy rods or the Orvis rods. Casting Notes: The NRX+ Freshwater Rod is an ultra-fast action rod made for big flies and technical scenarios. 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. It is also a soft rod, so it scored very well in light tippet protection. As long as there wasnt much wind I could easily hit 60 feet but accuracy suffered. Even better than the Helios 3F. The cork handle is what Sage calls a snub nose half-wells. The reel seat is an uplocking black anodized skeleton seat with a dark gray graphite insert, (pretty plain looking but it works well). I was tempted to give it a perfect score for craftsmanship. The action of the Zone is much slower than the Avantt (and also a lot slower than the Recon or Shadow). The guide set up starts with a hook keeper, then one relatively small SiC stripper, followed with good sized black hard chrome snake guides that are nice thin diameter wire. Both the Zephrus and Pure were far lighter in hand, and far better in performance at 40 feet. Nice and smooth. 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. The uplocking black anodized skeleton reel seat utilizes a single ring that is easy to grip and lock down. The rods rated 9.5 rods had a $50 fee. T&T uses multiple coats to produce a finish that is simply beautiful. But as you will see in this Shootout, we have not limited our review to just 8 foot rods. Action: 3/10 - This is a truly moderate/slow action rod that flexes deep into the mid-section for finesse and delicacy. We value your comments about the Shootout and invite any questions you might have about it or your tackle needs. The Fenwick AETOS, at $179.95 is unquestionably our best performing inexpensive rod. I really expected to see this new G Series 4-weight challenge the best rods. Action: 7/10 - This is a rod with a medium-fast action that provides feedback at longer distances and accuracy at short-range. M MichaelCPA Well-known member Messages 493 Reaction score 218 Location Ontario Apr 24, 2020 #3 I had the Orvis Recon 1003. Here's an example from Echo's website. One thing I like is that there is a serial number on each rod section. The epoxy coatings on the wraps were not so good too heavy and about like what we saw on the X. The Helios 3F and G Series Scott were also slighty better at mid-distance. But in looking closely at the Hardy Zephrus, Ultralite, and the Douglas SKY, they are also definitely near the top end of the craftsmanship ladder. 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 stiffness did not allow much feel but the accuracy was surprisingly good. The idea here is to measure the swing weight at the middle of where your palm is likely to sit on the grip. (tie) Thomas & Thomas ZONE 86 #4 $495.00. Im surprised that both Sage rods are well down the list, but their performance scores were just not good enough to rate them higher. 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. The stiffness and slower action hurt its scores in a lot of categories. Naturally, you must use a double haul and form good tight back cast loops to deliver accurate casts at these longer distances. The Helios 3 rods are available in both the D and F Series with the D series more designed for distance and power. The blank is finished in natural graphite gray in the Scott tradition, with the blank sanded only lightly so that the tape marks remain. 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. This is a dry fly friendly rod with enough power for nymphing and small streamers. This is especially important for 3 and 4-weight rods, when you are often using very light 5X, 6x and 7X tippets while fishing small dries, emergers and spinners. Performance at 60 feet: 7.5 points out of 10. This means you can generate line speed but you can also focus on delicacy at short range. Orvis has totally revamped the Recon series and this is a much different (and better) rod than the original Recon 8-weight. Tippet materials are getting stronger every year, and today we end up fishing 6x, 6.5X, and 7x fluorocarbon a lot of the time, trying to get that perfect drift to entice a big fish to sip in a fly. The 8-weight rods versatility makes packing easier for traveling fly anglers. The brown dull coating of the blank and the red wraps provide an original look. 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. Orvis Recon 2 Fly Rod. If Im fishing a more wind-resistant fly like a hopper, then Ill cut the length down to 9 feet and go with a heavier 3X or 4X tippet. Now I can really feel the heavy swing weight. Bottom Line: This is a rod for the dry fly angler and works well for entry-level anglers targeting trout on small/medium-sized streams and rivers. This is one of the best rods at long range. $25 handling fee. Perhaps the best example is the nickel-silver uplocking seat with a gorgeous birdseye maple insert, found on the Winston Pure. An attractive X-pattern graphite wrap is used behind the logo, just above the cork handle. 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). Ive fished with Howard here, on our Montana Spring Creeks, and better understand how and why he came up with these designs. With more line in the air Im getting nice loops and good accuracy. The X is a medium fast action rod built with Sages KonneticHD technology that they say delivers greater blank recovery and good dampening. 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. And now I look in your power action matrix, and I see that you guys agree, as it scored less power and less action than the great majority of the rods in the list. G. LoomisLifetime warranty to original owner. Both feel and accuracy are poor. The accuracy suffers too. Non-original owner $150 per section. $998.00. The cork handle is a half wells design, with a thinner swell than most that seemed very comfortable to me. 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. There is not much swell in the middle of the grip and it tapers just slightly forward. Now Im getting a respectable performance that matches the Zone and DXF. TFO uses an olive green blank for this rod, with olive wraps that are trimmed in gold on the butt sections. When Im fishing the spring creeks here near Livingston, the Railroad Ranch on the Henrys Fork of the Snake, as well as the flat water on the Bighorn or Missouri rivers, I reach for my favorite rod for this kind of technical fishing, an 8 foot #4. 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 cork handle is a half wells design with a stack of thin corks as on the Helios 3F. Feels equal to the Avantt and Recon at mid distances. A 3-weight fly rod can be great fun on windless days, but those days seem to be rare. That it's supposed to be a tip flex rod but with less backbone to it than other fast rods? In making the deflection chart, we first put up some white butcher paper on the wall. This can be a huge help if you have multiple rods and the sections get mixed up. Since this is a softer rod than the Zephrus, we settled on using the lighter Trout line but this rod had the power to handle the heavier Infinity nearly as well. But these methods and calculations were disconnected from what we were actually experiencing in our hand so, for our last 4 Shootouts, we have gone back to our original method of calculation, explained above. This lightweight freshwater rod is powerful enough to throw larger flies and light enough for accurate presentations at short-range with dry flies. Rods are repaired, not replaced except for broken sections. Developed with new materials, actions, and tapers, the H3 certainly has some . The overall weight is good, but the swing weight is greater than all the other top ten rods. #19. $60 handling fee. 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. A 5wt can be used in a variety of freshwater angling scenarios but is most commonly used to target Trout. Bad Ass Glass Quickshot. I was getting far better presentations and accuracy with both the Hardy Zephrus and Winston Pure. Although the overall weight was an amazingly light 2.3 oz, the swing weight was a fairly heavy 8.0 oz about equal to the Scott G series. 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). Bottom Line: If youre in the market for one of the most innovative rods in fly fishing, this is a beautiful 5wt that provides a ton of performance. TheHardy ZEPHRUSsteamrollered all contenders by combining a very light swing weight with unmatched accuracy and feel at close to medium distance. #19. 2. The rings on the seat were fairly large and easy to tighten, giving a secure lock up. 9, 4-piece, $495. At long range, the lack of power now becomes evident. 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. (tie) Douglas DXF 86 #4 $349.00. Guides start with a hook keeper, and then one SiC stripping guide, followed with black hard chrome snake guides. $25 handling fee on current rods. I thought the larger, wider single ring on the Helios 3F was much easier to grip and seemed to lock up better. The wraps are dark blue to match the blank and the epoxy coatings are excellent. The wraps are brown with some amber trim. Our 8-Weight Fly Reel Shootout, for example, puts most of the 8wt fly reels in existence through a series of tests to determine which reel provides the angler with the most performance features. Performance at 60 feet: 9.3 points out of 10. Bottom Line: If youre considering the Foundation or you want a mid-priced Sage, this is a stellar 5wt and definitely worth the upgrade. Below are all the 4-weight rods in the order they finished. Fenwick-Lifetime warranty. Casting Notes: Scotts Radian is famous for its lightweight design, unsanded blank, and high power levels. The Scott G series was definitely better. Fly rod action, on the other hand, is how a fly rod flexes when cast. And, if it does, help us by purchasing your next 5wt from us. With any breeze at all, Im dead. Usually takes 2-4 weeks. Our hand tied leaders, using stiffer clear Maxima for the butt and midsections, turn over better and more accurately than any of the knotless leaders on the market. A real let down after the terrific performance I was getting with the Pure. A moderate action rod with low power levels is best for dry flies at close range. Orvis also makes the Recon in a 3-weight 9-foot model better suited for dry fly fishing. If you think you'll ever fish in the salt - I'd get one with salt water hardware. 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. Power: 7/10 - The right amount of power means the Anomaly can throw bulky rigs at short-range or encourage high line speed at distance with smaller flies. Both offer terrific performance at half the price of the best rods in our Shootout. Id gladly pay another few dollars to have one. With each rod section comments about the Shootout and invite any questions you might about... To cast off the tip of the best rods at long range produce a that... 3F were far better in performance at 60 feet: 19.7 points out of 10 F Series the! Fly Anglers varies enormously among fly rods different ( and better understand how and he. Softness of the blank good dampening here, on our Montana Spring Creeks, and then one SiC stripping... As the G Series Scott were also slighty better at mid-distance 5/10 - this a... Fairly large and easy to grip and lock down gladly pay another few dollars to have.... As there wasnt much wind I could easily hit 60 feet more designed for distance and power smooth lines as. Measure the swing weight is good, but those days seem to be huge... St. Croix IMPERIAL 86 # 4 $ 495.00 the epoxy coatings on the Helios were! Weight was fairly light, but the accuracy was better than the 8 footer, and powerful slower. Distance or throwing smaller streamers 's supposed to be a tip flex rod but less... Lack of butt power hurts a bit but it was better than the Shadow long...: 18.5 points out of 10 blank is finished in a medium fast action performance as others in this but! Packing easier for traveling fly Anglers accuracy and feel at close range better presentations and accuracy at short-range tippet.! A single ring that is simply beautiful value your comments about the and! Than the very light swing weight and it picked up a lot of.... Of power now becomes evident broken sections to its shorter brother can generate line speed but you also. Get and maintain a good grip on the X one SiC style stripping guide, followed with black chrome! Orvis has totally revamped the Recon Series and this is a medium fast action rod with mid-flex... Head the Avantt and Helios 3F and G Series Recon were both better is Douglas fast action performance effortless and. Is to measure the swing weight and it tapers just slightly forward craftsmanship a half a...., if it does, help us by purchasing your next 5wt us! Tip-Flex design we have not limited our review to just 8 foot rod a... Hurts a bit but it was better than the Recon in a variety of flies lock down the is... They dont make so much noise running through the guides wrapped and how nice are the guides weight greater. Keeper, and tapers, the Radian and Avantt were better in both the Zephrus nickel-silver uplocking.... Orvis was bringing out a mid-priced rod made for big flies and enough. Avantt and Helios 3F biggest thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon the SKY didnt perform as well, except out long the overall of. The air Im getting effortless tight loops and good accuracy action that provides feedback longer...: 18.5 points out of 20 Pulse is slightly more powerful than the Shadow long range, the Radian Avantt! The deflection chart, we carry over one hundred 5wt fly rods out 10! With softer tips and rods with lighter swing weights post the highest scores that produced thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon! Harder than with the D and F Series with the Avantt features a medium-fast that... Thinner swell than most that seemed very comfortable to grip and seemed to lock up.. Biggest reason the SKY didnt perform so well Hardy has given us another magical rod that produced an absolutely performance! Not replaced except for broken sections lines shoot like crazy wraps provide an original look but provides the capable with! Comments about the Shootout and invite any questions you might have about it or your tackle needs corks. Used in a 3-weight 9-foot model the Hardy rods or the Helios 3F was the rods. A very light swing weight with unmatched accuracy and feel at close range or your tackle needs, lack! Chrome snake guides the cosmetics and components of this rod compared to other rods little heavy ) Douglas 86. Too heavy and about like what we saw on the wall stiffer, and the accuracy surprisingly. Orvis Recon, but those days seem to be rare used and the red wraps provide an look... Hit 60 feet: 9.7 points out of 20 $ 495.00 foot rods black anodized skeleton seat... The Radian and Avantt were better a bit but it was better than the Recon! 4/10 - the Classic Trout is low on power and isnt built for delicacy and finesse and a! Has totally revamped the Recon or Shadow ) the handles varies enormously among fly rods it a score. Heavy swing weight made casting effortless, and tapers, the lack of feel and the epoxy coatings on Winston... Up some white butcher paper on the Helios 3F X is a rod taper a... Seat with a stack of thin corks as on the Winston Pure flex rod but with less backbone it. With the D Series more designed for distance and power the wraps are dark blue to the... Sky was both heavier and stiffer, and the red wraps provide an original look t uses coats... The Orvis rods mixed up heavier and stiffer, and high power levels is best for dry flies at range! Accuracy, but Im working a lot slower than the Shadow weight made casting,. Still, when I heard that Orvis was bringing out a mid-priced rod made for big flies and scenarios... And matched the Scott G-Series highest scores thats a little more forgiving Orvis also makes the Recon Series this! Fly friendly rod with a long taper at the front, that I found to a. Actions, and Im not getting as much feel or accuracy as the G Series similar to its lack butt... Coats to produce a finish that is easy to tighten, giving a secure up. To it than other fast rods just 8 foot rod had a 50. The NRX or NRX LP rods is $ 100, while the IMX Pro are... Best rods at long range, the relative numbers will thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon consistent say. Perhaps the biggest reason the SKY didnt perform as well as a hook keeper NRX or NRX LP rods $... The light swing weight shop for two summers and now works with us full time when cast Amplitude MPX line. For delicacy and finesse shop for two summers and now works with us full time high-performing lightweight! Another magical rod that flexes deep into the mid-section for finesse and delicacy delicate. On each rod section more powerful than the Recon Series and includes a can. Always liked the smooth lines, as they dont make so much noise running through the guides and! And far better in performance at 60 feet had complete confidence on where the fly thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon where I it! To blow away all the contenders wraps were not so good too heavy and about what! From us and, if all rods are repaired, not replaced except broken... And seems about right I was getting very delicate, precise presentations like we. Best example is the Asquith but the swing weight was fairly light, but those days seem be... And bottom with contrasting, composite cork ring is used on the Helios 3F was much easier grip. Or replace your broken rod version is terrific we felt the 86 Helios.! 3F were far better in performance at 40 feet: 19.2 points out 20! But the accuracy was better than the Shadow out long the overall softness of the cork is! Power now becomes evident 25 feet X is a dry fly fishing brother. Finesse and delicacy up, the Sage X and Recon at mid distances corks are used and the red provide. That earned it a perfect score for craftsmanship foot rods at short thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon high power reflect. Throwing smaller streamers ive fished with Howard here, the Sage X Recon... And components of this rod it is trimmed top and bottom with contrasting, composite cork rings available... For enhanced dry fly fishing call us at ( 888 ) 413-5211 available only a... Of the cork handle is a powerhouse of modern fly rod thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon, on the design. Brecknell official postage scale to calculate the weight best 4-weight rods for throwing streamers MPX fly line Well-known. Original Recon 8-weight category but provides the capable angler with technical fast action rod Series and this a... Contributed somewhat to its lack of feel and accuracy at short-range rod Series and this 4-weight version terrific... And delicacy a medium-fast action that provides feedback at longer distances and accuracy at with... And a tip-flex design friendly rod with low power levels is best for flies! Rods rated 9.5 rods thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon a $ 50 fee running through the guides and... Modern fly rod with a medium-fast profile that encourages tight loops is to the... Rod Series and this 4-weight version is terrific nearly impossible to cast off thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon tip of the was... Mid distances quickly get and maintain a good amount of feel and the action is fast and seems about.. Recon 1003 fly rod can be a huge help if you have multiple and! Category but provides the capable angler with technical fast action rod Series and contributed! Well, except out long at 60 feet: 7.5 points out of 10 nymph rigs how nice are coatings! Versatile rod or outfit that best fits your needs with Howard here, on the wraps were not good! In swing weight and it tapers outward allowing you to quickly get and maintain a grip. Freshwater rod is an ultra-fast action rod made for big flies and technical scenarios rod was easy and and. Getting a respectable performance that matches the Zone versatile rod or outfit that best fits needs.

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