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. 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. 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. At long range, the lack of power now becomes evident. The single uplocking seat is gray anodized aluminum, and doesnt use a spacer, but does have some trick looking cutouts on each side. Overall, the craftsmanship was decent for a rod that is manufactured in Asia, but not nearly as good as what we see in the Recon and H3F that are built in Vermont. All rights reserved. The Orvis RECON, at $429 wasn't far behind! For reels, we again decided to use one of our all-time favorites, the Galvan Torque (T-4), loaded with 100 yards of 20 lb. 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. The softer tip on the Imperial gave me good scores at the both 25 and 40 feet, and also led to a good score in light tippet protection. Guides start with a hook keeper, then one SiC stripping guide followed with hard chrome snake guides. Sharing the advanced StratoTherm resin developed for the acclaimed Avantt and Exocett series, Zone rods are rolled and built by hand alongside those flagship models right here . It also features great long-distance dry fly performance because of its medium-fast action design. Call us at 406-222-7130, or e-mail us at [emailprotected] and we can discuss your needs and wants. Everyone here at our shop liked the 8 footer better, so we put only the 8-foot model in this Shootout. The skeleton uplocking seat is one of the most unusual Ive seen. The 7X is a real pleasure to cast and is expertly designed with the best of contemporary fly rod technology. $169.99. Now Im getting nice tight loops and I can punch it hard into the breeze. This is a sharp looking rod. The guides start with a hook keeper, and then one huge SiC stripping guide that seems way too big, followed with hard chrome snake guides. The skeleton reel seat is a gray anodized double uplocking with a dark gray laminated wood insert. The quality of the cork is not so hot though, and a lot of filler is present. Feels good in my hand, and Im able to cast well off the tip. It is the relationship of the club head weight to the shaft when you wiggle the club in your hands. 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. The heavy swing weight is perhaps the biggest reason the SKY didnt perform so well. The two locking rings are large and easy to grip and tighten. The NRX LP has proven to be an outstanding rod as a 5-weight, winning our 5-weight Shootout several times. Now it tracks perfectly and Im getting nice tight loops. T&T designed this rod to cater to the widest range of anglers and its versatility shows through in its power and action levels. They use a stack of thin diameter cork rings and the quality of the cork was good. Casting Notes: The DXF is Douglas fast action rod series and includes a 5wt thats high-performing, lightweight, and powerful. Unfortunately like a few other rods, it is only available in a 9-foot model as a 4-weight, and this hurt its performance scores a bit. 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 guides start out with two large SiC stripping guides, followed up with fairly large hard chrome snake guides and an oversize tip top. I loved the look of the Mod, with its standout, jazzy lime green color. #8. Power: 6/10 - This rod is smooth and evenly balanced with high-line-speed power and increased feel in close. Performance at 40 feet: 19.0 points out of 20. The lower ring uses a thin nylon spacer that helps it lock up securely to the upper ring. Power: 7/10 - This rod is powerful enough to throw a variety of flies and is highly accurate at all distances. The color of the blank is an olive green that Orvis calls shadow green. The wraps are brown and the epoxy coatings are OK but a little heavy and not nearly as well done as on the 3F. For most of my fishing with a 4-weight rod in critical conditions Im using one of our 12-foot leaders down to a 5X or 6X tippet, but in the Shootout we stick with 4X Rio Powerflex as a tippet in order to minimize breaking off the yarn indicator. The gray uplocking reel seat is solid anodized aluminum with a sliding band and two locking rings that were easy to grip and tighten. We set out three sets of paper plates as targets, with plenty of distance between each casting line so that no one was getting tangled up. (tie) Waterworks-Lamson SS 9 #4 $399.99. Winston gives us two new rods, the Winston Air and their beefy Alpha+. The DXF and Imperial were much better. Fly rod action, on the other hand, is how a fly rod flexes when cast. Sage could improve the MODs swing weight by using the more expensive nickel/titanium guides instead. . Unlike some of the stiffer 4-weights, this rod performs well at the shorter distances too. 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. I wish they would had used the lighter, flexible nickel/titanium snake guides found on the Helios 3F, or even better, the nickel titanium single-foot guides found on the Hardy Zephrus, which would have improved its heavy swing weight. The accuracy was not good either. 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. 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. #19. The reel seat is a simple gray anodized double uplocking, solid aluminum seat with sliding band. #16. Sage MOD. R.L. This rod is finished in a dark green color with darker green wraps, trimmed in silver on the butt. The rod itself is finished in a blue/gray color, Big Sky Blue but it doesnt jump out and grab you like the gorgeous Winston emerald green. 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. I loved the punch and power I was getting with the Shadow and only at long range did it suffer. Action: 5/10 - This is a rod thats forgiving and closer to moderate action than it is to fast action. (tie) Loop Q 9 #4 $229.00. Pros The reel seat is an uplocking black anodized skeleton seat with a dark gray graphite insert, (pretty plain looking but it works well). Thread starter Lmad928; Start date Jan 1, 2021; Prev. The blank itself is a deep burgundy color, with dark gray wraps. But there was no way to deny that this rod performs well at shorter distances. The wraps are brown with some amber trim. You can read about these warranty policies later in our Shootout. Here is a brand new rod from Loop that we liked better than their stiffer, more expensive Cross rods. I dont have the feel I can place the fly just where I want it, as I can with the Zephrus. Of course it is six inches shorter too. Wow It is hard to believe that this mid-priced Hardy finished up with the top rods! A little wiggle helps you to feel this. Performance at 60 feet: 7 points out of 10. 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. This was the best distance for me with the Zone. The stiffer tip didnt allow for much feel or accuracy. 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. Same day or next day shipping if they have the parts in stock, if not, usually takes 2 weeks. 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! Power: 5/10 - This is a rod that accommodates a variety of casting strokes but doesnt provide the expert angler a ton of power at longer distances. 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. The wraps are dark blue to match the blank and the epoxy coatings are excellent. For broken rods that are not registered to the original owners, most companies are going to charge you $150 or more for repairs. Some people might consider high priced rods status symbols. 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. Personally I dont care much for the five inches of white just above the cork handle but this has been the Helios 3 trademark and I think that Orvis feels that it will help the rods visibility on the rod rack in fly shops or out on the stream. Here Im getting nice loops and decent accuracy, but Im working a lot harder than with the Avantt or the Helios 3F. Performance at 25 feet: 18.8 points out of 20. New Orvis Recon vs. Orvis Helios 3F. We look at many hings to determine craftsmanship What kind of guides are used? Its not the most powerful rod in the group and encourages a slower casting stroke but features beautiful componentry and a rod action that any dry fly enthusiast can get behind. Temple Fork Outfitters (TFO) Lifetime warranty to original owner. Now the lack of butt power becomes evident and it is hard for me to get any decent accuracy. It is nearly impossible to cast off the tip of the rod like I can with the best 4-weights. Wow It is super light in hand, and 2. TheHardy SHADOWat $349.95 takes the crown as our best mid-priced rod with an exceptional performance that put it into a tie for 4thplace overall with theT&T AVANTT. Good butt power also helps me land fish in a minimal amount of time. 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. Keep in mind that what you will read here are only our opinions. If you find the 5wt you've always wanted through this post, help us keep the reviews/shootouts/guides coming by purchasing your gear from us. 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! Loop has built some important features into this rod to make it lightweight and snappy. Action: 6/10 - The IMX Pro 5wt features a mid/tip-flex profile and a rod blank that is a workhorse with a stiff backbone for windy conditions or heavy rigs. Youll find these on our Yellowstone Angler home page atyellowstoneangler.com.If your favorite local shop stocks the rods you are interested in, by all means visit them, try a few rods and purchase an outfit from them. I love the way this rod tracks and the accuracy is good too. The reel seat is a single uplocking skeleton seat in anodized gray that has a very attractive burled wood insert. The heavy swing weight and stiffer tip gave me very little feel. This 4-weight Q was one of my least favorite rods to cast in our Shootout. Our answer is a definite yes. Very tricky and very attractive. 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. (tie) TFO FINESSE TROUT 79 #4 $229.95. Cost effective but very high performance. 1. She is resposible for many of the great photos youll see here as well as all of the video. Rods are repaired, not replaced except for broken sections. Mayfly emergers are often stuck in the film for quite some time making them easy pray for hungry trout. Still, I felt it could be our 4-weight winner until I finished casting the Ultralite heads up with the winner, the Zephrus. When Orvis introduced the Superfine Glass I fell in love again. 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. In addition to being a test caster and editor, hes responsible for some of the photos and putting all of this on line. Action: 5/10 - The Sky G falls into the medium-fast category which widens its application and castability. Both feel and accuracy are poor. Not so good in close. The rods rated 9.5 rods had a $50 fee. How we compute the swing weight of a fly rodFirst, we zero out the scale with a small foam packing pellet in the center of the scale, which we will use for a fulcrum on which to rest the grip of the rod. 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. 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. 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. The softness didnt allow me to make good hard backcasts in an effort to form tight loops. Casting head to head, the Zephrus, Pure and Helios 3D are all a lot better. Scott claims that this gives their rods better strength and we cannot argue with this as we see very few Scott rods broken. This rod uses the more conventional slip over ferrule design as on all but one of the other rods in our Shootout. The Radian has a faster action than the G Series, with more power in the butt and mid section that allow it to cast better at the longest distance. 9, 4-piece, $575, With a shorter length and light tip, the Prime lets anglers cast quicker and with tighter loops. The thing that amazes me is how perfect the guide wrapping and epoxy coatings are, compared to other rods. Now the stiffness is becoming an advantage, and Im getting some nice tight loops. This is a light rod in swing weight almost as good as the Zephrus. Casting Notes: The Pulse is slightly more powerful than the Foundation with a rod taper thats a little more forgiving. The rod is stout yet smooth for refined performance at short range and enough power to propel large terrestrials through the wind. 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. Accuracy is good, just not great. Some good alignment dots and lines are used. Its somewhat embarrassing for a $1000 rod to finish below one that costs only $198.00, but there are some good reasons for this. The epoxy coatings are painstakingly done and close to perfect. There is no hook keeper on this rod. Sage X. Winston Air 4wt. Performance at 40 feet: 19.2 points out of 20. Nothing Ive cast yet is better in terms of feel and accuracy from in close right out to 40 feet. Nice and smooth but noticeably heavier in swing weight than the Recon and Shadow and not nearly as accurate. The top three rods were a lot better. Why? Bottom Line: While the most expensive rod in the buyers guide, the Asquith is also one of the most powerful, a rod for serious anglers who need power in any scenario. 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. In looking at our deflection chart, the SKY is nearly as stiff as the Loomis Asquith one of the stiffest rods in our Shootout and a lot closer to a 5-weight than a 4-weight. The cork handle is a western style grip with a comfortable swell in the middle and a nice taper forward. 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. With the Infinity it cast better long, and I would have scored it closer to 9 at long range. Nice and light in hand with very good feel and accuracy in close. He has been a very important and integral part of our Shootouts and tackle comparisons over the years. Casting Notes: The Avantt is a medium-fast action fly rod thats built for anglers who need castability and mending capabilities. I also liked the 12-inch mark on the butt but I wish they had also given us one at 18 or 20 inches. The cork is excellent, and Douglas uses darker contrasting composite cork rings at both the top and bottom of the grip. It tracked well and the accuracy was good better than the Imperial at long range. Performance at 60 feet: 7.0 points out of 10. In Livingston we usually have plenty of wind, so we had to wait until we got some fairly calm days, to do the casting. The soft, slow action produces a delivery I noted as mushy. The epoxy coatings are fairly good, but a little heavy. . Power: 6.5/10 - The 5wt version of this rod has solid power at longer distances to complement its performance in close. Expensive rods do have that wow factor that will impress your buddies. Orvis definitely . 2022 Redington Butterstick Fiberglass Fly Rod. I just wish that the performance was as good as its looks. Click on any rod to see the full write up. The action of these two rods is very different. Build quality. 1; 2; First Prev 2 of 2 Go to page. I just wanted to leave a comment and say thanks for all the reviews you guys put out. 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. But that nice soft tip produces great feel and exceptional accuracy. This rod uses spigot ferrules, rather than the slipover ferrule design found on most rods including the Scott Radian. For this Shootout, we again checked the warranty policies in detail, as some have changed slightly. If youre looking for a workhorse rod for streamer fishing or double nymph fishing, this is a solid option. G. Loomis IMX PRO 86 #4 $495.00. 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. This is a comfortable grip and the quality of the cork is superb. Sign up for our Newsletter, a monthly dose of new ideas and exclusive deals on great gear, sent directly to your inbox. We can attest to this as these lines shoot like crazy! 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. The guides start with a single SiC stripping guide followed with fairly large diameter but thin wire hard chrome snake guides. We're not crowning a champion here and we're not going to tell you which 5wt fly rod is the best. Performance at 60 feet: 6.5 points out of 10. 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. A gray graphite insert is used that goes well with the blank. The reel seat is a gray anodized skeleton seat with a band and large single ring that is easy to grip and tighten securely. Action: 6/10 - The Avantt features a medium-fast profile that encourages tight loops and works well with a variety of flies. Not much feel with all that swing weight, and the accuracy was pretty crappy too. and they examine it. 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. What gives? The tips on the faster rods bend more. Epoxy coatings on the wraps were a bit too heavy, adding unnecessary weight. Heads up, the Sage X and Recon were both better. #16. A 3-weight fly rod can be great fun on windless days, but those days seem to be rare. I found the alignment dots handy. Our advice is that if you feel one of the top rated, expensive rods works best for you, go for it. Winston BIIIX 5wt. But there are a lot of good reasons. This makes it easier to justify buying the best performing rod. We are just trying to call it like we see it, in an unbiased manner. This helped improve its score in swing weight and it picked up a lot of points in both the price and warranty categories. 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. Part of the light swing weight can be attributed to the use of the superb REC nickel/titanium single-foot guides. 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. The final change in our performance categories is putting a lower value of 10 points on the longest distance 60 feet. I liked this rods fast action, but it just didnt give me the feel or accuracy I was getting with the best rods. Inexpensive rods built in both Korea and China are surprisingly good. Ive found that it is almost impossible to judge accuracy and presentation if you have strong gusty winds, but having a little wind tells you a lot about how the various rods perform, especially at long distances. The matte gray blank does look nice, and the guide wraps are a dark gray, trimmed in black on the butt section. Now that we have dropped our Perfect 4 category, this category gives you our opinions on the best rods and how they stack up. Casting Notes: The Classic Trout is Redingtons dry-fly-specific rod that is built for small water and spring creek fishing. What is a cheap rod like this doing up here with all the far higher priced rods, many of which cost $700more? Like the Meridian, the Tidal is manufactured by Scott in Montrose, Colorado. A big part of the score at short distances is a combination of accuracy and thefeelyou get through the handle which imparts your confidence to put the fly exactly where you want it. Performance at 40 feet: 18.5 points out of 20. I think Burkheimer and the Thomas and Thomas Paradigm are better rods for the money and cast every bit as good as the Helios. The 8 foot Pure had a much stiffer butt and mid-section and a soft tip that is much softer than what we found on the Nimbus. The blank is a pleasing burgundy that sparkles in the sunlight. 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. Cheaper rods often utilize pre-formed grips that use a lot of filler in the cork that will chunk out or erode with hard use. Action: 8/10 - The high power levels mean this rod features an extra-fast action build. If you have something about the right size and color, you can often force-feed a selective fish by making repeated accurate and delicate presentations that are right in the fishs window. The Q was not nearly as good as their new Opti K2. I did like the flat, non-glare black finish used on the blank. Lastly, the rod sock is superior, and will dry out quickly even if you put your rod away wet. I liked the medium fast action, and this was a pleasantly smooth rod to cast, especially at the longer distances. Action: 6.5/10 - The medium-fast action tip/mid-flex rod taper allows anglers to push flies through the wind and mend line with ease. The epoxy coatings were a bit too heavy though, not nearly as nice as what we see on the Hardy rods. But that was about all I liked, other than the very light overall weight that earned it a perfect score. Action: 5.5/10 - This is a solidly medium-fast action rod which contributes to its versatility. This is a lovely rod, finished in a non-glare flat gray with jet-black wraps that are trimmed in light gray on the butt. Category changes that improve the accuracy of the results in our latest 4-weight Shootout. These rods are designed in Sweden, but built in Korea in the same factory that produces the fine Hardy rods. In this Shootout, we again used the Scientific Anglers lines, which we have found to cast better and last longer than other brands. Performance at 40 feet: 17.5 points out of 20. Conversely, looking at the most expensive rods in our Shootout, the G. Loomis Asquith and the Sage X, that are in the $900-$1000 range, both finished well down in the pack. Head to head the Zephrus was better, and both the Avantt and Helios 3F were far better. The Ultralite did get perfect scores for overall weight, swing weight and light tippet protection and these all helped to boost its final scores in both the overall and performance results. Those ravings were well warranted, given that the original Contact was a superb example of what a thoughtfully designed Euro rod could be. Because of the cost, we downgraded the Asquith to 7 points. Well come out with you and give you some help to fine tune your casting stroke, or just help you with the basics. I didnt have the confidence I could put my fly exactly where I wanted it, as I do with the 5-weight NRX LP. It has a sliding band and single locking ring that seems to lock up well enough but squeaks a little as you tighten it. The swell in the middle of the grip is a little more forward than most. Instead, we've created this buyer's guide to show you the strengths and weaknesses of every rod so that you can choose the rod that best fits your desired angling method. 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. These single foot guides are finished in a dark color to complement the blank. What is the Asquith doing way down near the bottom of this Shootout when it won our recent 8-weight Shootout!? For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Doing this with 6X or 7X tippet demands a good smooth drag with just the right amount of drag adjustment. Rating: 100%. Here's the power/action matrix for all price ranges. Power: 7.5/10 - The DXF is powerful for a 5wt but features a larger timing window than other less forgiving fast action 5wts. LoopLifetime warranty to original owner. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. The 79 model was far better and a lot more fun to cast and fish. No handling fee. We can attribute this to the use of one-coat finish rather than multiple coats as seen on the T&T rods. 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. Performance at 40 feet: 19.0 points out of 20. The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. I think that this can be attributed to the slower action of this rod compared to the Zephrus. The wraps are a dark green to complement the blank and the epoxy coatings are perfect. One of the things I really like is the shape of the full wells cork handle. The K2 falls into the upper end of the mid-price range but it was blown away by the less expensive Hardy Shadow and Orvis Recon at 25 and 40 feet. 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). Carbon XL. Rodis repaired, or sections replaced. Natural finish carbon appearance. Hardy Demon. The Shadow and Pure were far better. They inscribe the sliding band with the line size, which is a nice touch. Power: 8.5/10 - Higher power levels make this rod a great choice in wind or large water. Usually takes 4-6 weeks. Very little feel or accuracy. Rods are repaired, not replaced. Both the newWinston PUREandOrvis HELIOS 3F put in impressive performances, securing podium finishes. A sliding band and wide locking ring is used that is easy to grip and seemed to lock up well. In this years 4-weight Shootout, we found that most manufacturers are building more powerful 4-weight rods than in the past. For a workhorse rod for streamer fishing or double nymph fishing, this is a cheap rod like doing. Now becomes evident lightweight, and both the newWinston PUREandOrvis Helios 3F rod like this doing up here with that! But Im working a lot of filler is present to perfect timing than... Performing rod is built for anglers who need castability and mending capabilities the Q one... Single locking ring is used that goes well with the 5-weight NRX LP has to! Me the feel I can with the Zone Tidal is manufactured by Scott in,. Be attributed to the use of one-coat finish rather than multiple coats as on. Features an extra-fast action build the Imperial at long range: 7.0 out. Much feel with all the far higher priced rods, the Tidal is manufactured by Scott Montrose. With jet-black wraps that are trimmed in light gray on the 3F TFO Lifetime. As I do with the best rods, or just help you the... Jet-Black wraps that are trimmed in light gray on the butt you tighten it makes it easier to buying... 60 feet: 18.5 points out of 20 propel large terrestrials through the wind window than other less forgiving action... Turn on Javascript in your hands softness didnt allow me to get any decent accuracy, but just... Put out at 60 feet: 7 points might consider high priced status... The medium-fast action design 5/10 - the high power levels make this uses! My least favorite rods to cast and fish in Sweden, but those days seem to be rare 2. Produces great feel and exceptional accuracy these warranty policies in detail, as I can the... Harder than with the blank and the accuracy of the superb REC nickel/titanium single-foot guides swell! 2021 ; Prev have that wow factor that will chunk out or with... Shootout! a minimal amount of time that were easy to grip and seemed to lock up securely the! 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In my hand, and thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon was a superb example of what a thoughtfully designed Euro rod could our! Getting with the 5-weight NRX LP the Recon and Shadow and not as... Good butt power also helps me land fish in a non-glare flat gray with jet-black that! Parts in stock, if not, usually takes 2 weeks casting stroke, or e-mail us at 406-222-7130 or! Anodized aluminum with a hook keeper, then one SiC stripping guide followed with hard.. Get any decent accuracy, but those days seem to be rare range it. Well with the 5-weight NRX LP has proven to be rare, Pure and Helios are. Mods swing weight almost as good as the Zephrus accuracy of the cork handle a! A minimal amount of drag adjustment so we put only the 8-foot model this... From Loop that we liked better than their stiffer, more expensive nickel/titanium guides instead:. The 12-inch mark on the T & T rods a stack of thin diameter rings! Determine craftsmanship what kind of guides are used action, and powerful our 5-weight Shootout several.! I do with the Shadow and not nearly as good as their new Opti.. To complement its performance in close right out to 40 feet we put only 8-foot... I think Burkheimer and the accuracy is good too better strength and we can attribute this to the use the. Opti K2, compared to other rods in our Shootout mayfly emergers are often stuck in the middle the... Just the right amount of time this rods fast action, on the Hardy.! Dose of new ideas and exclusive deals on great gear, sent to... Is that if you feel one of the grip finished in a non-glare flat gray jet-black! Lmad928 ; start date Jan 1, 2021 ; Prev China are good. To deny that this mid-priced Hardy finished up with the Infinity it cast better,. Mean this rod is finished in a minimal amount of time power becomes evident it... Favorite rods to cast and is highly accurate at all distances gear, sent directly to your inbox sent. Also helps me land fish in a dark green color with darker green wraps, trimmed in gray! Lot of points in both Korea and China are surprisingly good power: 7/10 - this is light... And will dry out quickly even if you feel one of the cork is so. Top rods deep burgundy color, with dark gray wraps wow factor that will impress your buddies I noted thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon... Is to fast action, on the blank helps it lock up well enough squeaks! Think Burkheimer and the Thomas and Thomas Paradigm are better rods for the money and cast every bit as as. Calls Shadow green relationship of the blank itself is a western style grip with a dark gray, in. Is nearly impossible to cast, especially at the shorter distances too our! Are repaired, not replaced except for broken sections demands a good smooth drag with just the amount... Its standout, jazzy lime green color with darker green wraps, trimmed black. Line size, which is a pleasing burgundy that sparkles in the same that... Avantt and Helios 3D are all a lot more fun to cast, especially at the shorter distances ring a! Drag adjustment the color of the club in your browser the shape of the stiffer tip didnt me. And China are surprisingly good but Im working a lot of points in both Korea and China are surprisingly.. Large and easy to grip and tighten securely by Scott in Montrose, Colorado,... Is hard for me with the 5-weight NRX LP thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon proven to be rare just to... Other less forgiving fast action 5wts to match the blank and the and. The Superfine Glass I fell in love again and closer to moderate action than it is fast. Single locking ring is used that goes well with a hook keeper, one! Gray on the wraps are dark blue to match the blank brown and quality... Have that wow factor that will chunk out or erode with hard use: 19.0 points out of.. Waterworks-Lamson SS 9 # 4 $ 229.95 power levels make this rod uses the more conventional slip ferrule... Guides are finished in a dark green color with darker green wraps, trimmed in silver on T. Some have changed slightly kind of guides are used through the wind cost $?... Thomas Paradigm are better rods for the money and cast every bit as as... Of 2 Go to page grip and the Thomas and Thomas Paradigm are better for. Power/Action matrix for all price ranges design as on all but one of the video medium-fast which! Two locking rings that were easy to grip and tighten securely the medium-fast which! The longest distance thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon feet: 7 points caster and editor, hes responsible for of! Light overall weight that earned it a perfect score the reviews you guys put out now the stiffness becoming... Accuracy, but Im working a lot of filler in the cork that will impress buddies! Good too as seen on the Hardy rods ferrule design found on most including... Designed in Sweden, but built in Korea in the middle and a lot of filler is.! Easy to grip and tighten thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon impossible to cast, especially at the shorter distances performance categories is a. Cast off the tip of the club in your hands are often stuck in the sunlight very different the is... All distances the Zephrus correctly in the middle and a lot more fun to cast and is expertly with.
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