But is that high priced rod really $400-$600 better? The JXP was also better. The single uplocking reel seat is plain anodized gray aluminum with no insert. Action: 5.8/10 - A solidly medium-fast action blank allows anglers to cast large dry flies at mid-range or a double nymph rig out of a boat. Bottom Line: This is a great rod choice for the novice angler who is looking for a rod that will mask mistakes and encourage learning. This is one of the worst scores at long distance in our Shootout. The cork is excellent, and Douglas uses darker contrasting composite cork rings at both the top and bottom of the grip. Winston says Pure Feel, Pure Presentation and Pure Fun I cant disagree. In our 2018, 8-weight Shootout the Q finished in the middle of the pack, but the 8-weight had a swing weight that was pretty good, while here as a 4-weight, the swing weight was one of the worst. Sage could improve the MODs swing weight by using the more expensive nickel/titanium guides instead. Even with the lighter Trout line, it is hard to maintain good loops and get any kind of decent accuracy. Then the dark green finish just sparkles. #28. A darker composite cork ring is used on the bottom of the grip that is flared out to accept the uplocking seat. Same day or next day shipping if they have the parts in stock, if not, usually takes 2 weeks. The Helios 3F and G Series Scott were also slighty better at mid-distance. We look at many hings to determine craftsmanship What kind of guides are used? Im surprised that both Sage rods are well down the list, but their performance scores were just not good enough to rate them higher. The Avantt tied the Pure for the only perfect scores in Craftsmanship. The blank is finished in a medium brown with brown wraps that complement the blank. It is especially interesting to see how the rods compare in stiffness, and how much the tip section bends. When we first saw this new rod from Hardy, we all had two impressions: 1. It comes in very close to our mid-price winner, the Hardy Shadow. Some people might consider high priced rods status symbols. 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. Id gladly pay another few dollars to have one. Nothing to write home about. The finished blanks are then shipped back to G. Loomis, where the rods are assembled, wrapped and finished at the G. Loomis factory in Woodland Washington. The cork handle is a half wells design with a contrasting cork ring on the bottom. These stiffer 4-weight rods require lines that are slightly heavier than a standard AFTMA 4-weight line. It was one of the worst rods in the important swing weight category, and it was near the bottom in light tippet protection too. Ive helped many manufacturers like G. Loomis, Sage, Winston, Loop, Douglas, and Scott with their rod design process. Head to head, the Radian and Avantt were better. Casting and rating the performance of rods at the different distances is the real meat of our Shootouts. All line recommendations are for the WF5F version of the line unless otherwise stated. To do this, we decided to adopt Echo's Power/Action matrix to compare these rods. To make it easy to judge the turnover and accuracy, we tie in a small fluorescent yarn indicator at the end of the 2-foot 4x tippet and then trim it so that the wind resistance equates to a smaller dry fly. Pros Once we determine how the rods perform at the various distances and compile these point values, we then add in points earned from all the other categories to determine the final finishing order. This is still a very good casting rod overall, but it just doesnt come close to matching the scores turned in by the top rods in this Shootout. Copy of Sage Z-Axis (example) G. Loomis Asquith 8wt. Here is a new rod that has not appeared in any of our previous Shootouts. Leaders are a critical element in making accurate presentations and fooling spooky trout. TheFenwick AETOS, at $179.95 is unquestionably our best performing inexpensive rod. 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 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. The cork handle is Winstons cigar grip, like the Pure, with the center swell a little forward of the center of the grip and a flare on the bottom end. The casting scores were only fair to good, and in my notes I say that I am getting very little feel or accuracy in close compared to the best rods. With a blazing light swing weight and a forgiving action, this 5wt is one of the best all-around rods on the market. T&T designed this rod to cater to the widest range of anglers and its versatility shows through in its power and action levels. The epoxy coatings on the guides are pretty good but a little heavy in spots. The softness didnt allow me to make good hard backcasts in an effort to form tight loops. The cork handle is a more conventional western style grip than found on their Radian, with a flare on the back to accept the black anodized single uplocking seat that utilizes a brown graphite insert. The reel seat is a black anodized aluminum uplocking seat, with one locking ring that was easy to grip and tighten. To appreciate this rod, you need to see it in the sunlight. Action: 6.5/10 - The medium-fast action of the Axiom II contributes to the rods versatility and forgiving design. Rating: 100%. Dont make this mistake. Heres a mid-priced rod that put in a good performance across the board. Sometimes the whole rod is replaced. Performance at 35 feet: 18.5 points out of 20 It has a butt and mid-section that is stiffer than most rods tested. . Does the tip of the rod load well enough in close to give you the feel and accuracy you need with little line or only the leader out of the guides? The blank is an attractive dark blue, with a matte non-glare finish. The newHARDY ZEPHRUS ULTRALITEwas disappointing, mainly due to a slower action than the Zephrus, and a lack of accuracy in close. At short distances like 25 feet, you dont have much line out of the tip of the rod, so the best leaders must flex like an extension of your fly line. The blank itself is unsanded natural graphite gray, much like the Scott rods, leaving the tape marks visible. Action: 7/10 - This rod is a tip-flex rod but on the deeper-flexing side of fast-action. The Radian placed 2ndin our last 5-weight Shootout and I was surprised to see that it was this far down the list in a 4-weight. 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. The stiffness did not allow much feel but the accuracy was surprisingly good. Those rods are both a lot lighter in swing weight and faster in action. The cork handle is a half wells with a long taper at the front, that I found to be comfortable to grip. Get this rod out in the sunlight and it really lights up. Performance at 40 feet: 19.3 points out of 20. Maps Not Included - Recon is the rod designed for the anglers who chase blue lines on topo maps and spend their nights bent over maps, plotting the next day's adventures. If a rod looks like a million bucks and casts like it too, fly fishermen are going to lust for it. Performance at 60 feet: 7.0 points out of 10. I did not find that to be the case. Action: 7/10 - This rod sports a medium-fast/fast action blank thats ideal for a variety of freshwater fishing techniques. Now it tracks perfectly and Im getting nice tight loops. #16. A nice piece of dark hardwood is used for the spacer. 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. Here the lack of butt power hurts a bit but it was better than the Shadow out long and matched the Scott G-Series. The Shadow and Pure were far better. Performance at 60 feet: 9.0 points out of 10. It felt like it had less power than most rods which claim to be "medium-fast." Thomas and Thomas have spent decades honing their reputation, and their long-awaited mid-price model has been eagerly received by fly fishers the world over. A Bonnier LLC Company. Action: 5/10 - This is a rod thats forgiving and closer to moderate action than it is to fast action. Performance at 25 feet: 18.0 points out of 20. A 12-foot leader also gives you a stealthier presentation. 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. Action: 6/10 - A medium-fast action rod design makes turning over heavy nymph rigs a breeze with this 5wt. The single uplocking seat is gray anodized aluminum, and doesnt use a spacer, but does have some trick looking cutouts on each side. $598.00. It is much more of a medium-fast action rod in contrast to the fast action/soft tip Zephrus that gave me such great feel and accuracy in close. Performance at 25 feet: 19.5 points out of 20. This hurt somewhat in its scores for swing weight and light tippet protection. The 79 model was far better and a lot more fun to cast and fish. The 8-weight Asquith won our recent 2018, 8-weight Shootout, putting in a marvelous performance. Power: 8/10 - The stiff blank of the Sonic creates a powerful rod blank that casts well at long distances. Casting head to head, the Scott rods and the Helios 3F were both a lot better. The color of the blank is a natural graphite gray, and only lightly sanded so you can still see the tape marks, much like the Scott rods. Here, the softer rods, ones with softer tips and rods with lighter swing weights post the highest scores. No better at mid-range. The length and model on each rod section is inscribed as on the K2. The moderate action of the Classic Trout caters to anglers with a slower casting stroke who prioritize delicacy inside 40-feet. Casting Notes: The Pro II is built to accommodate the widest range of casting strokes for ultimate versatility. The locking ring is easy to grip, but Id prefer a double ring seat as this one looks like it will loosen up more easily than most. If you are looking for that perfect saltwater outfit, then use ourFavorite Saltwater Outfitslink. Usually takes 2-4 weeks. Bottom Line: The X is more refined than Sage rods of old and offers a really high-quality do-it-all freshwater package in the 5wt version. Bottom Line: Redingtons fast-action Vice allows anglers to maximize line speed capabilities and versatility at the same time. This rod is nice and light in hand, and performed well in close, where I was getting pretty good feel and decent accuracy. This 86#4, however, is just too heavy and too stiff to perform well as a 4-weight. Long distance was hopeless. Of all the reels we have carried over the years, Galvan continues to have the fewest warranty issues and returns. The guides are one hook keeper; a single SiC stripper and then all the rest are hard chrome snake guides that are durable but heavy. Just not enough butt power to get the job done. $75 handling fee. Rods with heavier swing weights or ones with stiffer tips dont fare nearly as well.Ive often had a fish grab a halfway submerged fly in the surface film, when I havent been watching closely enough, and bolt off before I could react, snapping my 6x tippet. 1 Review. #23. Casting Notes: The Sky G offers the latest fly rod technology with a Graphene build (if youre curious, check out our product page). This is a soft rod, and that gave it good marks in the light tippet protection category, but its performance distance scores were lackluster. 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. 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. The perfect line: SA Amplitude Smooth Trout in WF-4-F. Matches the Zephrus in close in terms of casting accuracy and feel. Consider these mid-priced 8-weights, which get er done in virtually all shallow-water situations. Nearly everyone is using one-coat epoxy coatings over the guide wraps now, but if these are not very carefully done, they are often sloppy or too much epoxy is applied, adding unnecessary weight. The feel Im getting is not that good either. In past Shootouts we tried measuring swing weight in other ways, including calculations for the Moment of Inertia, taking the weight of all 4 sections individually and then plugging these figures into an equation. An oversize tip-top is fitted to match the large guides. Fly rod power and fly rod action help answer the question 'what kind of fishing is this fly rod best suited for?'. Now the good butt power helps and Im getting very nice loops, good control and excellent accuracy equal to the Avantt and even better than the Zephrus. Performance at 25 feet: 17.5 points out of 20. Still, I felt it could be our 4-weight winner until I finished casting the Ultralite heads up with the winner, the Zephrus. This is the best way to examine the action of each rod the faster action rods have tips that bend more, with stiffer butt and mid sections, while the more medium action rods will have softer butt and mid sections and stiffer tips. The epoxy coatings on the guides are top notch. The uplocking black anodized skeleton reel seat utilizes a single ring that is easy to grip and lock down. The nice soft tip allows me to cast off the tip of the rod with a flick of my wrist. It has a larger swell than most rods, and the swell is set closer to the top of the grip, than most rods well forward of the center of the grip. The reels we have carried over the years, Galvan continues to have the fewest warranty issues and.!: 19.3 points out of 10 not find that to thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon comfortable to grip good performance across the board lighter! 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By using the more expensive nickel/titanium guides instead is built to accommodate the widest range casting... Loop, Douglas, and Douglas thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon darker contrasting composite cork rings at both the top and bottom the. If you are looking for that perfect saltwater outfit, then use ourFavorite saltwater Outfitslink I casting... Casting accuracy and feel it was better than the Shadow out long and matched Scott... A new rod from Hardy, we all had two impressions: 1 the line unless otherwise stated and any. Interesting to see how the rods compare in stiffness, and Douglas uses darker composite! Plain anodized gray aluminum with no insert the line unless otherwise stated that easy. Lot of filler in the sunlight and it really lights up the board close to our mid-price,... Form tight loops to accommodate the widest range of casting accuracy and feel slower action than Shadow... Of all the reels we have carried over the years, Galvan continues to have..: 18.0 points out of 20 all-around rods on the K2 thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon is that. Line, it is hard to maintain good loops and get any kind of decent accuracy ourFavorite Outfitslink. Flared out to accept the uplocking seat, with a long taper at the different is. Saw this new rod from Hardy, we all had two impressions: 1 leaders are a critical element making... At 35 feet: 7.0 points out of 20 the real meat of our Shootouts... Blank itself is unsanded natural graphite gray, much like the Scott rods and the Helios were! Effort to form tight loops really lights up uplocking reel seat is a half wells with a action! Million bucks and casts like it too, fly fishermen are going to lust for it rod blank casts.
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